I had a really weird experience with a new psychologist today. She was big on rules, strange naysaying and paperwork and low on feeling comfortable to me. She would ominously emphasize things to me that I'd signed off on in the paperwork (pretty run of the mill stuff) at the same time she was telling me it was no big deal, maybe. Unless it was!!! Boo!

My question is that she told me she requires that I give her consent to talk to my psychiatrist in order to treat me. Not because I have something especially wrong with me, my meds are under control for years and I'm voluntarily seeking therapy. This strikes me as paternalistic and intrusive and implies that I can't be trusted to know myself or be truthful and forthcoming in therapy. Honestly, it strikes as kind of controlling.

She claimed that this was simply the standard of care, and patients felt empowered by being compelled to sign off on this and having various caretakers communicate. She said that any therapist I went to would demand the same thing. Is this true? I have been to other therapists and this has never been true.