Confused about your T's and Pdocs

Someone told me that most psychiatrists don't do therapy anymore. It seems most of you see a Pdoc for meds and a T for therapy. This seems to me to be a kind of odd and roundabout way to get mental health care. I mean don't you think it would be easier for you if the person prescribing your meds is someone who knows you and your symptoms well. And what are the qualifications of these T's (psychologist, MSW, DSW, BSW,etc). My arrangement also allows my shrink to carefully monitor all the effects of my many meds. Not that I'm against you doing what works for you. It's just for me therapy and drugs are deeply intertwined. I'm very greatful to by able to see my Pdoc weekly

Update on my condition- things are going better for me. It seems I was mistaken. My Pdoc put that terrible psychopharmacologist in his place and actually took my side, she explained a lot about him personally that explained a great deal, as in why he was so mean and apologized for recommending him. It seemed what she meant was that though she will not me recommending him anymore she will still be his friend.
She also stated that if it's OK with me (and it is) she would like to take care of all my pharmaceutical needs herself, even if she's prescribing something for the first time. I am very lucky to have her.

-Tom

I agree it makes it easier when it is only one person. Luckily for me my psychiatrist is my T.

a few years ago when i was 15 and an in-patient my psychiatrist was also my therapist and he was good at both. after i stopped seeing him i was assigned a psychologist for therapy and at the same clinic a psychiatrist for medication management. the next psychiatrist i saw mainly just prescribed medications

i now see a private psychologist and avoid psychiatrists and have my GP prescribe my medications.

i think ideally it would be nice to have the same person doing therapy and prescribing medications but from my experience local psychiatrists are just not as good as psychotherapy as psychotherapists. plus without much government assistance it would be too expensive for me to see a psychiatrist weekly. plus to find someone who you click with that also have a amazing knowledge about psychiatric medications is hard. I would prefer to have 2 of the BEST healthcare professionals then 1 mediocre / above average one

Many pdocs really aren't trained extensively in therapy anymore. They defer the in the trenches therapy work to people who have had more intensive training in therapy. That has always been my experience and it works well. Sometimes my therapist and pdoc consult about my case if the need is there.

I would also suspect many insurance companies would be hesitant to pay the exhorbatant fees it would cost to have a medical doctor do an hour's worth of therapy each week.

For myself, I'm not on meds, and don't want them pushed at me. My experience has been that pdocs tend to push meds more than talk and other skills.

My T is super experienced in the issues I'm dealing with and I wouldn't trade her for the world. If there comes a time when we both think meds would be beneficial for me, then I'll take her recommendation on a pdoc, but I wouldn't stop seeing my T.

In principle, yes. But Pdocs are high and mighty specialists who charge four times as much per hour as therapists do.

I have a T but not a Pdoc. If I ever wanted to go back on Prozac, I'd go to my GP.

(My T is not entitled to Pdoc rates because she never cut up a dead body.)