[FelineHeart]

I was lucky enough to find a new therapist(psychologist) that takes my insurance and we have an appointment set up for January 3rd. I'm currently seeing a shrink for the meds(who wouldn't help me at all in my search for a therapist. What a B*&%#) and last week I gave her the therapists info for her to fax it over to him as suggested my by insurance company. The therapist said that she hasn't done it yet(and I knew she wouldn't). I'm calling her office again today tofind out if she faxed it over to him, who I cannot see until he gets this refferal. I'm waiting for my husband to get home first so he can raise hell with her if she makes an excuse again. I think she's afraid that this new therapist may find a better shrink for me and that could be why she is looking for excuses not to fax the refferal over to him. I can't be 100% sure, but knowing her like I do, that's the way it looks. What would you do?

[samsara]

I would find a new shrink. It's important that your pdoc and therapist have a good working relationship and cooperate on helping you. It doesn't sound like that is where your pdoc's head is at.

[FelineHeart]

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samsara said:
I would find a new shrink. It's important that your pdoc and therapist have a good working relationship and cooperate on helping you. It doesn't sound like that is where your pdoc's head is at.

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Oh, you're absolutly right about that. I can easily see that she has issues of her own ...

[JustBen]

Yeah, it seems important that your pdoc and your therapist are communicating effectively. If they're working at cross-purposes, you're the one who suffers.

When this type of thing happens with me I keep and attend the appointment anyway.

For starters because its the holidays so I can understand that the psychiatrist may not have had time to fax the files and so forth. I run a support group for women survivors of sexual abuse and Im lucky if I get 4 hours of sleep a night over the holidays and during the day Im out meeting these women at the local library, coffee shops and so on and I only have 10-15 women in the group at any time. imagine what a therapy professional goes through with 60-80 a week.
its probably not personal that she hasn't sent the info.

So what I do is go to the appointment . Ive had 19 different therapy professionals and each one understood that it takes time to recieve the files and so on. And they set up the appointment anyway before they have those files and so on. which says they expect and understand this kind of thing happens otherwise they would have told you scheduling will call you when they recieve the paperwork.

The therapist with the upcoming appointment has set aside that space and time for you You show up at the very least she is going to come to the waiting area and ask you back into the meeting room and then tell you she hasn't recieved any paperwork yet but you can tell her why you need to see her and the two of you start deciding what your goals to solve that problem will be. Basically filling in the intake forms. You can also during this intake session place a call to your psychiatrist asking for the paperwork and your therapist at that session can have a short conversation with the psychiatrist basically getting the info verbally which also fits insurance protocals.

[DaveyJones]

In my experience, there is really very little coopration between therapists and psychiatrists. Most of it seems to come via the patient.

So, the thing to do is to go to the pdoc's office and get the referral personally. All you need to do is to get someone up front to write it out, and then take it to the pdoc to be signed/stamped whatever...You can get a copy of your records if you wish, but they may charge you to copy them and it may take a day or two. All I can tell you is I without fail treat those ladies behind the front desks like gold, and I never have a problem getting stuff like this this done.

~Of course, it's probably harder for you grumpy ol' women!~

[FelineHeart]

Well, the lady who works at my pdoc's office called me back and said that the refferal was mailed to the therapist on the 21st and that the next step is for this therapist to send itto my PCP and she also said to keep and go to my appointment witht he new therapist which is on the 3rd of January. Here goes another run-a-round LOL

[DaveyJones]

In most managed care systems (my ex is a big dog case manager), referrals have to come from the PCP's office--they're the gatekeepers. So, when you need a consult with a specialist , you have to go through the referral clerk at the PCP's office, even if some other specialist wants you to go.

So, buy a big box of chocolates, take it to the referral coordinator, and ask her to help....whenever you need a different doc, this is the person who has to arrange it. Befriend her...babysit her kids for free...pay cash... anyway, you get the idea!

DJ

PS. Good Luck and HNY!