In general for the past 20 or so years, there has been a great deal of research work on "collaborative" care or management models in mental health work. If you google collaborative mental health or psychiatry or psychology or the like, you'll find all kinds of research studies. When I was in law school 20 years ago and ran around with a bunch of clinical psychology students, they talked about this all the time, and they still do, and some of the people that are still my friends work in what many consider to be innovative programs and projects that emphasize a model where various treatment providers (including MD's who are not psychiatrists, in the case of people with chronic pain or disease, including cancer, fibromyalgia) all work together and share information. The idea is that increased communication between providers (not really a paternalistic checking up on) actually helps patients and there is research suggesting that this is true. One person explained it to me like this, for example: the psychiatrist, in a case meeting, reported that he noticed that client X seemed much less anxious and self reported fewer anxiety symptoms after her therapy sessions were increased to 2 times per week. The pain intervention specialist said that the client was able to skip a nerve block shot because she was experiencing less physical pain during this same period.

You might experience this from other therapists, but it is far from the norm. Personally, as a professional who often works with other professionals, I find that collaboration is always better than everyone p*ssing around his or her individual turf, and that the professionals who enjoy collaboration are among the best that I have ever known.

I could see how you might respond reflexively rather than reflectively to a per se policy, however. I typically get my back up at suggestions that I *must* do one particular thing. Then I was diagnosed with a medical condition that really had only one option, and that has helped me understand that sometimes a "must" can actually be, as elliemay said, a good idea. I think that the problem with this approach for you is your interpretation that its purpose is somehow negatively tinged-- but it is you that is putting this spin on it. I have found a lot of value in reflecting upon more information and time on the choices I am thinking about making.