[Bipolarchic14]

Two questions - should I tell my therapist I have been actively looking for a new one. If I don't tell her, what are the chances that a therapist I see will request access to see my file and indirectly inform her that I am shopping around.

[stopdog]

I did tell the woman, but I don't think it mandatory. It did not bother the one I see. OF course, it does not appear to bother her that I see another one each week either - so she may be unique in this stance. All she said was it was my right to check out other ones if I wanted. I agreed it was.
I was never asked for access to files and I never would have given permission even if a prospective one had asked.

[Bipolarchic14]

I should be sure i do not release the right to do so.

[stopdog]

Don't sign anything without reading it closely is my approach.

[lunatic soul]

Tell her. Maybe it would motivate her to be better T if she isn't good enought to help you and you need new one.

[MrPink182]

I got an appt with a new T tomorrow
I see my normal T Wednesday.
I won't cut her loose until about 3-4 sessions in. I am basically going to be interviewing her, and not the other way around.

It's your call, but I would probably not tell a current therapist, just in case the other didn't work out, or if I was unsure about the whole thing. I don't think they can release anything without your permission, and the one you try out can't request anything if you don't give the name of your current therapist. You can just say you prefer not to disclose that.

[musinglizzy]

Hey Stopdog, do you see both your T's every week? Do you mind my asking why you see two? I'm sure each of them serves a different purpose....but just curious. One is surely enough for me! LOL

[Yearning0723]

Ts are ethically not allowed to share information about their clients with anyone, even other Ts, even other Ts the client is seeing, except if you give them explicit written permission, so don't worry about your current T finding out if you don't want to tell her. It's your choice if you want to tell her or not, but be prepared for your T to terminate you pretty quickly if you do tell her...some Ts find it unethical to continue working with clients who are about to leave. Personally, I wouldn't tell her until I had already found a new T.

[Bipolarchic14]

Originally Posted by MrPink182

I got an appt with a new T tomorrow
I see my normal T Wednesday.
I won't cut her loose until about 3-4 sessions in. I am basically going to be interviewing her, and not the other way around.

That seems like a good idea.

[dancinglady]

Originally Posted by Bipolarchic14

That seems like a good idea.

I had this experience so my learned lesson is the answer is No cuz if you tell her she will drop u like a hot potato. See the other first to c if it is a good fit then terminate.

[Birds of a Feather]

Originally Posted by Yearning0723

Ts are ethically not allowed to share information about their clients with anyone, even other Ts, even other Ts the client is seeing, except if you give them explicit written permission, so don't worry about your current T finding out if you don't want to tell her. It's your choice if you want to tell her or not, but be prepared for your T to terminate you pretty quickly if you do tell her...some Ts find it unethical to continue working with clients who are about to leave. Personally, I wouldn't tell her until I had already found a new T.

Actually, a good, ethical therapist would properly lead up to and handle termination, not drop the client almost immediately. They are supposed to wrap things up in a non-harmful manner, and in this case discuss the fact the client is moving on to a new therapist. Again, that is the "good, ethical" way and probably doesn't happen often enough.

[ChangingMyMind]

No. I wouldn't... But that's just me. I often terminate and find new ones... But I give the new T a few sessions before I terminate the old T. Although I am still in the shopping around phase since I can't seem to find the right match. If I had a long standing relationship with the T, then yeah I would likely tell the T and explain why.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[MrPink182]

Bipolarchic, see my thread about me seeing two at once.
http://forums.psychcentral.com/psych...-my-2nd-t.html

[Ididitmyway]

To your first question "should I tell.." - you don't have to. It's totally up to you.

To your second question "what are the chances, the new T will request my file.." - they have no right to request anything without your written permission. If they do, they'd break the law. They can't even acknowledge to anyone that they saw you. So, unless the other T is insane and wants to get in trouble, he or she won't do that.