Do You And Your Psychiatrist Text?

[void]

Just curious if this is common or not. My wife seems a little too intertwined with her psychiatr...

Never, ever.
Breech of boundaries imo.
Red flag.

 

[Ronin]

Yep, never ever, and with ex therapists all the texts we had before discontinuing them were strictly appointment scheduling.

 

[Panda Bear]

My T sends and accepts texts. He checks scheduling issues via text and if he needs to call me, he sends a text asking if I'm available. I've had a few freak outs over the last 4yrs, and he wants to know. I do it via text.

We might text once a week. But nothing major.

 

[EveHarrington]

I am a bit concerned about these boundaries. The main concern is that if a doctor slips into friend-land, they cannot (can not) remain completely objective about the treatment of their client. In the end, it is the client who has everything to lose. I do not think that being buddy-buddy with a paid professional is in the best interest of anyone who struggles with a mental disorder.

 

[Ketamine Dreams]

Any more thoughts? Specifically regarding the knitting? Just curious.

 

[joeylittle]

From an objective standpoint, I think the knitting was inappropriate to the Dr/patient relationship. Knitters can get very social about knitting....but that's exactly the problem, it's a social activity. Better would have been to suggest resources for learning.

But boundaries are there, conceptually, to keep the relationship functioning as a therapeutic one. And the psych isn't her therapist. So it's complicated.

Do her psych and therapist do co-ordination of care?

 

[Ketamine Dreams]

She no longer has a therapist, so in essence, her psychiatrist is acting in that role as well.

 

[joeylittle]

in essence, her psychiatrist is acting in that role as well.

That's an issue as well. Do you think your wife is confused about the role the psychiatrist is playing in her life - in other words, if she were asked, would she describe the psych as 'psych and friend' or 'psych and therapist'?

I'm assuming the psychiatrist is in private practice, not part of a group or healthcare system.

 

[Ketamine Dreams]

I honestly think the therapist part is bigger than the psychiatrist part although the friend part is very present as well. It's a strange situation.

The psychiatrist is on private practice.

 

[joeylittle]

Ultimately, it's your wife's business - and if you are concerned that it's not a healthy set-up for her, then you two should talk it over. But probably, the best thing you can do is be there if/when it falls apart. It might be fine, forever. Hard to say.

 

[Leigh925]

@CrowFeather Hippa stands for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. If a psychologist is in private practice and does not file any insurance electronically. There is a lot more leeway. My provider doesn't take any insurance at all and is all cash pay so even though he follows hippa guidelines. He actually isn't required to on a lot of things. So that's why think some of these issues very so much from therapist to therapist.

 

[Crow]

He actually isn't required to on a lot of things.

I think my T is being cautious. She's also cash only and doesn't accept insurance. I think it's a great idea trauma specialists have very hard boundaries. Sometimes working with trauma survivors. We tend to push more than most.