So lately ive been feeling pretty low about how everything is going (that will be for another thread) and then in the mail today i get another thing to add to the list. At the beginning of the year i was seeing a therapist but i stopped going for a number of reasons, insurance, time etc. One of the bigger reasons was that i texted her for an appointment and didnt hear back for 3 weeks. She had some medical problem but for some reason her partner didnt inform me so i didnt know and kind of felt abandoned. So when she finally got back to me, i had already started to go to marriage counseling and since my insurance deductible was reset i couldnt afford to go to both. So i texted her to tell me how much i owed her and where to send the check. I never heard back from her. So today, i get a bill in the mail from her for the amount i owed her. I dont have a problem paying for it, but there was no letter or anything with the bill asking how i was doing or hoping that i was well. I would think that a mental health professiona would at least inquire, not just send a bill
I'm afraid if you want the "personal" touch, you'll have to pay for it. I suspect the bill was simply generated by an office admin or the computer system. She probably does care how you're doing but checking up on all departed clients is probably impractical. Sorry.
That's funky. I'm sorry. In her line of work she should be more sensitive. Sometimes I wonder how much of it is just a job for them. But then again, if she was out for 3 weeks due to a medical issue she might be struggling with something serious and could be totally distracted by it. It's hard not to have that closure though, no matter what the reason.
Generally, it isn't the therapist who sends out their own bills. It's the billing department or the secretary so, unless she was was the only one at her office, chances are that she wasn't even aware of when it was sent out much less what was included in the billing letter.
Sorry, I don't buy any of those arguments. A therapist that takes 3 weeks to respond to an appointment request, medical issues or not, is a shitty therapist. Unless she was in a coma the whole time, there's no excuse for not having someone cover for her. Ditto not responding to your request for a final bill, and equally ditto for letting the bill go out without reviewing it. If someone else is doing the billing, s/he should have been trained to flag unusual billings, such as a statement for services provided months ago being billed for the first time. I believe these are all symptoms of the same thing... a therapist who doesn't have her act together.
There are two aspects to this: (1) financial; (2) personal. (1) My sense from your initial post is that finances are not a major issue. If that's the case, simply pay the bill and resolve your outstanding payment. One less thing in life to worry about. (2) It does sound like this bothers you, and rightly so. I see no harm in writing a letter to her, expressing that you are upset and that you found her conduct unprofessional. Recognizing that this is a health matter is fair enough, but people rely on her work and she should have a system in place when she does need to take a leave of absence. Perhaps based on her reply, you can decide how to proceed from there. If she is part of a professional order, perhaps you want to consider filing a registered complaint. It would be the responsible thing to do in one respect, because she is a therapist dealing with serious matters. To simply walk away from the job like that with no reply is not only bad practice, it's dangerous. Whatever you decide to do, I wish you all the best. This is a small matter in the long run. There are other therapists out there. Sending you strength. Sincerely, m
Damn what a horrible experience. And yeah I would of expected a less formal letter saying something like I hope you continue to make progress etc and best wishes. I'd of been a bit peeved Hope you're doing well apart from that Pete, message me if you like anytime
the real kicker here is the statement that she does her own billing. It sounds like when she was preparing the bill, seeing your name didn't trigger anything in her mind, like 'gee, I haven't seen this patient for a long time. maybe I should follow up" I think what everyone has said is pretty valid. there are a lot of therapists out there and a wide range of quality, just like in any other field. and then the more amorphous factor, and that is how we the patients click with any particular therapist. finding that right chemistry is a real challenge, but finding it can make a huge difference. In the past, I've found it hard to "fire" a therapist; but in this case, at least she has made it easy.
Hi, I just interviewed a therapist. First he called me at work and wanted to talk. I indicated I could not and we arranged a time the next morning. I called at appointed time and there was no answer, so I left a message. He called back later while I was at work. No apology for not being available at appointed time. Scratched off the list for initial unprofessional behaviour. Yes I could make excuses for him but I am not buying a problem.
