Assuming that Pdoc stands for a psychiatrist, yes, he could have committed you himself. Psychiatrists are medical doctors and, as MDs, they do have the authority to commit someone for the initial evaluation. From that point on, I believe, the hospital psychiatrist decides if the person should be on the 72-hr hold and then they could prolong it to 14 and then 21 days. Beyond that, the person cannot be held involuntarily without a court order.

Non-medical therapists cannot commit their clients. They can only breach confidentiality if they believe the person should be committed and call the PET team on them. The PET team may or may not come depending on how they see the case and whether they believe the emergency intervention is warranted.

What I said applied to CA. I don't know about other states.