Do You And Your Psychiatrist Text?

[Ketamine Dreams]

It sounds like my wife initiates the conversations and uses the texts as support when she isn't feeling well.

 

[Leigh925]

My therapist allows and encourages texting. It has been very helpful for me. I would think it would depend on what the patient issues are as to whether it would be appropriate. What works for one person isn't always helpful or good for another person.

Our text conversations are brief and maybe happen once or twice a week between sessions. Sometimes it is only about schedule changes. Other times it is words of encouragement but nothing too deep.

I also work in the medical field. Our practice uses texting. We are in full compliance with HIPPA as well as other governing bodies. Trust me the legal team is all over it....it can be done ethically.

I have seen many therapists over the years. I have gotten more done in the last year with this therapist than all of the rest of them combined. I attribute that in large part to the fact this therapist has gained my trust and treated me for my specific needs and not point for point what he learned from a textbook.

I am grateful that because of my attachment issues he saw the need to allow me to text if I need to and because of that I actually feel the need to do it less and less.

 

[hailstorm]

Good for her for reaching out for support. If the physician did not think it was appropriate, I guarantee you, she would tell her. Not saying that you are not a support for your wife, just that she may feel more comfortable talking with her doctor about some things. Please allow your wife to seek expert advice when she needs it. It's all about trusting her knowing what she needs at the time of distress and not about whether it's appropriate for her to text her psychiatrist.

 

[Leigh925]

I have been thinking about this post and I wanted to add that I know my husband originally had difficulties with the fact that I could open up to my therapist and turn to him instead of my husband.

We worked through that and I actually see how much my husband just wanted to be the one to take care of me. He just didn't have the tools to do that and it wouldn't have mattered because I didn't and don't have the tools to let him even if he could.

I think sometimes it would hurt him when I would be feeling down and then I would email or text my therapist and then seemingly and suddenly be feeling better.

I just didn't want my husband to see me in certain ways. There are just some things that are way easier to talk to the therapist about.

Since working through it my husband has shown me even greater love and trust by giving me the space to have the relationship with my therapist that will actually be therapeutic and healing and I can see that and love and appreciate my husband all the more for it.

It was something we had to figure out and navigate though and I just wondered if maybe your post was more worry about that kind of thing instead of the actual texting which would be completely understandable. She is lucky to have someone who is trying to understand her though!!!

 

[TonyG]

I wouldn't have a issue with it, I am open with my wife and I am not troubled when she reads my texts, I guess it depends on the content of the text and if it's helping her.

 

[Kefira]

I periodically text with my T, but I also moved from his location and he does many of his appointments via Skype, so technology interfacing is sort of just a part of his practice. He endeavors to be as easy to contact as possible, and I think a lot of his patients are like me and don't do particularly well with phone conversations, so being able to text about appointments is nice. I also sometimes text him to update him on important things that happen between sessions, or things that I think I will forget. I'm bad at maintaining the emotions around a situation too, so it's been helpful so far to be able to say here's what's happening, and I'm really upset. Even if we don't talk then, since I owned to being upset about it it's easier for us to discuss in session.

 

[anthony]

Must be a bored shrink to have time for patients texting her... but then if it works for her, then all is good.

 

[TonyG]

I text my psychologist on Friday out of sheer desperation, I started my day with a trip to the dentist and had two teeth rebuilt at the front and then could'nt talk and I was dribbling, Not so bad, Until I rang work to say I wasn't coming in and my manager got stuck into me on the phone about being off sick again and that I needed a doctors certificate, by the time I got to the doctors I was very stressed and emotional and it put me back two weeks to where I was prior to therapy, The Doctor wanted to put me on medication and I said all I want is a cert for today being Thursday, I was given the rest of the week off, I couldn't ring work again so I just text, so on Monday the cycle will begin again, As I explain my time off

 

[Ketamine Dreams]

Well, the relationship my wife has with her psychiatrist has taken another strange turn. Our daughter wanted to learn how to knit, so my wife learned knitting from her psychiatrist on a weekend so she could then teach our daughter. I don't know where they met to do this - the psychiatrist's office or her home, but I find this extremely weird and inappropriate. I feel this obliterates the line between patient and friend. Thoughts?

 

[Sammyiam]

My pyschaitrist would never even have time to do that, even if he knew how to knit :p I would never tex mine. Pyschologist yes if i was really bad but it would only be short if I had to. I believe that they need their own time for their own privacy and to keep themselves safe after hearing trauma all day I think they need their time out as well.

 

[desiderata310]

There are therapists out there who will go above and beyond to support and connect. My therapist loans me his dog for play dates with my service dog, for instance. It's an effort to help me ' feel supported' because my support network is non exinstant and truthfully it helps him by exercising his dog. Win win in his eyes. I'm still wary and keep the whole thing at Arms length. It's an effort to also help me trust him. I can see it for what it is. It's kind of worked.
I can't say I would ever go and sit down and spend time with my therapist outside of therapy to learn something like that. I don't think I could do that. The quick interactions when I pick up and drop off the dog are hard enough.

 

[Crow]

Maybe it's because my T is a psychiatrist but because of HIPPA laws, we have no electronic communication about anything therapy related. We email every now and then links or memes, but nothing related to session or scheduling. I'm amazed so many US therapist gamble on the email and text communication.