Posted by Solstice on April 15, 2011, at 20:12:58
In reply to Re: Paying for services not yet rendered?, posted by violette on April 14, 2011, at 20:01:59
> "Has anyone else ever heard of such a thing?"
>
> I've heard of similar things, and experienced them. It's called lousy mental health care. The place your son goes to sounds like a mill. Sorry to say, but if he were my son, I'd take him outta there. It may not be the individual therapist's fault and the individual therapist might even disagree with management, but that individual therapist is also likely supervised by those managing the practice. Or at least they have to go along with the priorities and policies of management. And one might even say that the individual therapists might be agreeing with those policies by merely working there.
>
> The worst mental health practioners I've seen in the past had the worse administrative policies. But the best I've seen had reasonable policies. Making mistakes were not relevant-it's the upfront policies. It really reflects on their ethics, their (lack of) value in the relationship, and their priorities.
>
> If I sound harsh, it's probably because I learned the hard way.
Hi Violette -Thanks for your comments. I have really been turned inside-out over this. I feel so trapped because it took a looong time to get my son to get the therapy he needs - and he finally - just recently - connected to this therapist. It's not his therapist making the policy. A psychiatrist owns the clinic - and it's private. There are several therapists. My son had an apt. scheduled for Friday - and when they sprang this 'new' policy on him last week, they told him that they would cancel it if he didn't schedule and pay for the next four apts. I called to verify that what he told me was true - and the girl said she was going to talk to his therapist - they wanted to work with Joseph (financially?) and they'd call him Monday. They never did. I called Tuesday, and they refused to talk to me. I got him to call on Wednesday, and they told him his apt had been cancelled because he didn't pay! This threw me into a tailspin. I was so angry - and crying. I honestly don't know what to do. I told them that it was wrong for them to spring this on patients in the middle of therapy - with no warning. They should have given them a three-month notice or something so patients had time to decide wither they wanted to deal with it - or transition to another therapist. It was like someone ripped a vital organ out to suddenly have to deal with this awful situation, and to feel trapped because my son has so much going on that trying to find another therapist so suddenly makes it so much worse. It's like being so thirsty that you have no choice but to drink poison.
I am just horrified that a mental health clinic can do something like this and get away with it. When I've called, and listened to their stupid self-promotion while on hold: "People with mental health problems that seek help are intelligent, not weak.. we care... we want to help you.. " - hot tears run down my face as I listen to that crap - it gives me a headache and makes me sick.
I made a special trip over there on Wednesday to make the next four random apts and pay for them so my son could maintain access to his therapist - - but this whole situation is traumatizing for me. May go back to the trauma of my own toxic therapeutic relationship.
Solstice
poster:Solstice
thread:982589
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20110324/msgs/982966.html