[lilypup]

I have a t I really like and have been working with on some personal stuff. I have been seeing her about a year. She doesn't take my insurance...I am paying her out of pocket.
Recently I have developed a lot of driving and health anxiety. I've read and talked to a lot of people and they agree that CBT is excellent for this. My current t does not do CBT.
I found a woman who does CBT for anxiety and she takes my insurance. I'd like to see her for a limited amount of sessions just for this anxiety and the CBT. I'd like to hang on to my current T to work out other stuff I have going on.
Is this unethical or weird? Do they have to know about each other?

I've seen two therapists before, and the new one was concerned that I was starting a new therapeutic relationship without at least letting my old one in on the "secret." I eventually did disclose, and it turns out my first one didn't even mind. Though I ended up ditching the second therapist to go back to the first. The second therapist was purely psychodynamic, while my current one claims to practice under an umbrella of many, but primarily CBT.

Anyway, since you're planning on seeing the CBT therapist only for a short amount of time, I don't think it would hurt to share it with your current therapist. After all, you said she doesn't practice CBT and she's probably well aware of that fact. I don't think she'd mind at all if you sought outside help for certain issues, especially on a short term basis. But technically, no, you don't have to share with either one that you're seeing the other, if it makes you uncomfortable.

[atisketatasket]

Not unethical, not weird (at least several posters around here have or had two, including me), and they don't have to know about each other unless you want them too.

[stopdog]

Originally Posted by atisketatasket

Not unethical, not weird (at least several posters around here have or had two, including me), and they don't have to know about each other unless you want them too.

I agree.

[kecanoe]

I see 3 ts, all know about each other. For me, it would be weird to not tell them. I work on different things with each and they all have different techniques.

[SheHulk07]

I currently see two Ts as well, and have been doing so for the past 2 years. Until I switched T's in October, both of them knew about the other. Now T2 knows about T1, but T1 doesn't know about T2. They don't talk with each other, and we work on different things so it's been helpful for the most part.

[Waterbear]

I would say go for it and tell them if not telling them is playing on your mind. I don't think I would ever have two because I get so confused at what I have told one I think it would muddle me but because they are for two different purposes you might not have that problem.

[Out There]

I have seen two for a while to work on specific things and regular T was fine about it.

I see two psychiatrists. I have my primary, but the second is soley for my CBT.

[PinkFlamingo99]

I kind of wish I could do this. I think having more than one person to depend on like this would be really good for my abandonment fears. I even think my therapist would think it's a good idea, she has said multiple times that she wishes she could see me more than once per week but the hospital won't allow it.

i have issues currently with paying for therapy though. For one thing, I cab't afford it. But also I don't want to since I'm dealing still with anger issues toward my ex-T.

[lilypup]

Good news! Last Tuesday I saw t2. She was wonderful with the CBT for anxiety. I wrote on her intake form that I was seeing a pdoc and the meds I was taking. She didn't ask anything about a therapist and I didn't volunteer. However, I think she sees our relationship as a relatively short term thing to ease up the anxiety with the CBT.

Today I saw t1. I was super nervous, but I told her I was seeing this other t JUST for the CBT/ anxiety. She seemed thrilled and relieved that someone else would deal with the anxiety issues. We have plenty of other issues on our plate. It was one of the best sessions I have had. I am so glad I did not try to hide the other t from her.

When I have a chance after a few sessions, I do plan to tell t2 about t1.

[musinglizzy]

I see three T's right now. Seems each one has a purpose. Only one knows about the other two. The other two only know I'm seeing one other.

[lilypup]

Lizzy,
I couldn't be in your situation. I am sure I would slip up and let something out about the others. Kudos to you for keeping it all balanced.

[stopdog]

I don't find it difficult not to talk to the therapists about each other. There is no reason for me to do so, so it is not a worry.

[Ididitmyway]

It's not a matter of ethics for you but for the therapists. In my state, therapists are not allowed to see the client who is currently seeing another therapist unless there is an agreement between the two therapists. In that case, the two therapists are supposed to talk to each other to make sure they are on the same page and don't interfere with each other's work. I think, this ethical rule works in other states too but I am not sure.

You are not obligated to tell your current therapist about seeing other professionals but it'd feel weird for me not to. I often wanted to see more than one therapist at a time but I couldn't keep it secret from my current therapists. Didn't feel right to me. Therapy was an important part of my life and I wanted to feel free to share things that happened in one therapy with the other therapist. Keeping it secret would've felt like a big burden to carry.

I never saw more than one therapist at a time, however, because anytime I'd mention the need to see an additional therapist, the current therapist would threaten termination. It sucked. I really believe that the client should be able to see however many practitioners they want to see at a time. Medical doctors don't require us not to go to other doctors. The same with other professions. Why therapists should be an exemption? I do, however, think that if a therapist believes that another therapy interferes with their work, they should have the right to terminate their work with the client. But it should not be a mandate as it is now.

Originally Posted by Ididitmyway

It's not a matter of ethics for you but for the therapists. In my state, therapists are not allowed to see the client who is currently seeing another therapist unless there is an agreement between the two therapists. In that case, the two therapists are supposed to talk to each other to make sure they are on the same page and don't interfere with each other's work. I think, this ethical rule works in other states too but I am not sure.

You are not obligated to tell your current therapist about seeing other professionals but it'd feel weird for me not to. I often wanted to see more than one therapist at a time but I couldn't keep it secret from my current therapists. Didn't feel right to me. Therapy was an important part of my life and I wanted to feel free to share things that happened in one therapy with the other therapist. Keeping it secret would've felt like a big burden to carry.

I never saw more than one therapist at a time, however, because anytime I'd mention the need to see an additional therapist, the current therapist would threaten termination. It sucked. I really believe that the client should be able to see however many practitioners they want to see at a time. Medical doctors don't require us not to go to other doctors. The same with other professions. Why therapists should be an exemption? I do, however, think that if a therapist believes that another therapy interferes with their work, they should have the right to terminate their work with the client. But it should not be a mandate as it is now.

Is this an actual law or state code in California or is it an ethical guideline? That boggles my mind. Because even many insurance companies hands are tied now if you want to see one therapist one week and another the next week thanks to OBcare.

[stopdog]

It boggles my mind that a therapist thinks that a client can't decide for themselves if seeing two is useful or not. I have absolutely no idea how seeing more than one could interfere with the therapist's "work"

[BipolarMama31]

I do that exact thing, one therapist for main issues, one for a set amount of sessions for CBT only.
My husband comes to all sessions with me and they both help in different ways.

For example, my main T will talk with us on how were parenting and how to improve while conaidering both of our illnesses. CBT therapist helps us both change our thought payters and our daily schedule to reduce symptoms.
We love this setup we have going.

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

[Ididitmyway]

Originally Posted by Walkedthatroad

Is this an actual law or state code in California or is it an ethical guideline? That boggles my mind. Because even many insurance companies hands are tied now if you want to see one therapist one week and another the next week thanks to OBcare.

It's an ethical guideline, not a law. A therapist won't be charged with a crime for knowingly seeing a client who is currently seeing another therapist, but if someone reports it to the board, he might get into some trouble unless he convinces them that it was by agreement with the other therapist. He won't get into a big trouble though. Most likely, a letter of warning or some fine, not a suspension or revocation of license or anything of that sort, if that's the only complaint. Basically, a slap on the wrist.