public/private

Is it common practice for therapist that you see in public practice (hospital, mental health community centre, ...) to not agree to see patient in their private practice after public treatment is done?

That happened to me twice and I found it very difficult, espacially after I was done of DBT. DBT is done by a team, and I couldn't see any of the about 10 therapists, after I was done. That reduces the choice of therapists available in my region, but also therapist which I can "connect" with and trust.

I don't think it's all that uncommon.

The first therapist I saw was in my university's counseling center. Technically, he was not allowed to see me in his private practice after I ran out of sessions allowed at the center. He told me that he had planned to make an exception for me, but then he got a job at another university in another state, so I didn't have the opportunity to continue with him, policy or not.

He told me that the school had this policy because the center was sort of a free marketing service and if the T's used it to build their practices, it wouldn't be fair to non-center Ts.

There are sometimes legal contracts involved with public practices. Some contracts state that therapists can't see clients in their private practices who they have seen in their public practices. Other fields have these rules too. It is hard when we learn to trust someone and then can't see them anymore. I'm sorry this has happened to you.

Maybe you could ask your t how much time you need to wait before he can accept you in his/her private practice? If it's possible after some months and that you are willing to wait this time, it could be a solution

I think thats a very common thing. Even in my DBT Group. I was not allowed to see any of the DBT T's who ran the group for individual sessions-had to go somewhere else. But, as Faith said - can you ask your T if there is a waiting period?