Therapist issues...

@tyme

I had already started drafting the email when you sent that...

That was so so so hard... but it's sent...

It's impossible for me to sleep on things because then I don't sleep...

I asked to switch come January because changing now coming into Christmas wouldn't be good for me...

Hey @avant-garde ,

I wanted to check in to see how you are. Did you end up hearing back?

Hi @avant-garde @tyme @Cleo2

Good on you for acting now. You won’t regret it later. I had an issue with my psychologist. I was seeing a psychologist at the public adult mental health clinic. I had to wait a very long time to get seen in the first place. It took me a long time to feel like I could trust her. We were working up to doing trauma therapy. However during one of our sessions she literally passed judgment on my life. She said it was “worthless and unfulfilling!” I didn’t cope well in the aftermath. I became suicidal. Anyway I mentioned it to my case manager but I didn’t feel like I could make a complaint about her as it would have jeopardised our therapeutic relationship and I wouldn’t have gotten the therapy that I needed. There was not another psychologist I could have seen instead, Anyway fast forward 6 months and she let me go as a client without doing the needed therapy anyway. At the end things got toxic between us on both sides and I walked out of a session. That was the last time I saw her. So the incident was 2 1/2 years ago. I started attending Sane’s Recovery Club and doing the empowerment zooms. I mentioned the incident to them and they all felt strongly about it so I decided to take action. I rang the clinic and asked how to lodge a complaint and asked if it would affect me using the service. I put in the complaint middle of this month and they sent me an email saying that they would investigate and get back to me within 30 days. I just wish I had taken action sooner. I really hope that she doesn’t do this to someone else. This psychologist has moved on from the clinic now but apparently the complaints follow them through the Australian Psychological Association. I really don’t think she acted correctly and it didn’t show a duty of care. I should hear back by the 14th

@avant-garde @tyme @Cleo2

One of the things that gets to me is that I have googled my ex psychologist and one of the things on her blurb is that she is non-judgmental! I really did not find that to be the case.

I have put in a complaint in the past about a MH nurse during one of my many inpatient stays. I'm not going to go into detail about the traumatic experience, but I was pleased with how MHCC and APA dealt with the complaint.

Also, I made it clear that I wasn't making the complaint to 'get back' at the nurse, but so that there could be an awareness of better processes.

@Oaktree @avant-garde @Cleo2

@tyme @avant-garde @Cleo2

I found it empowering to raise the issue and have my grievance heard. Regardless of the outcome I am glad that I stood up for myself!

Thinking of you lots @avant-garde 😊

@Oaktree , @tyme , @Cleo2

@Shaz51 @Oaktree @tyme @Cleo2

Taking a deep breath

All of this is so incredibly overwhelming

I heard back... the supervisor said I did the right thing and acknowledged that it must have been a really hard thing to do...

She said that my psych actually went to her on the Wednesday about a moment in session...

She asked me what I want to do next...

I have an appointment on the 10th and the 17th...

I want to keep those...

I want to end well...

I also know changing psychs right before Christmas is a REALLY BAD IDEA

She asked to call me to talk about transitioning to a new psych...

I hate this... but I need to...

@avant-garde

It’s great that you have both support and options. Do what is right for you! Well done, you have taken a courageous step. One which I had taken sooner.

@Oaktree the point is that you took it, not when