is my psychologist behaving ethically?

[bbgirlclueless]

Iturned 18 few days back...
my therapist says she cannot hide my drug use from my parents were i to confide in her if id used again,

my motivation to quit is to learn to deal without drugs i.e confide and seek help as to how to quit,then learn what ahe has to say.

objectively i feel shes protecting herself since there arnt many people in my town willing to take their kids into therapy,by letting my parents know stuff and satisfying them so not to lose me as a customer.she talks more then listens and if she by her will talks 15mns above the alotted hour she will charge another half fee,

or if my parents are talking to her after my session is over,she'l charge half of her original fee for that,i sit in the waiting room during these times.

Last week my parents called her to suggest that perhaps i was using again,talked fir maybe 45 mns at different intervals,she said let me talk to her later,we talked 10 mns,she considered this all a session and charged the usual fee.

I emailed her telling i felt completely miserable,told stuff about this n that,she never replied,

my parents say she must be a busy woman since she replies to sms a day or two later. I sms'ed her to tell her advance payment had been mailed to her account,she replied in a minute with thanks...is that how its supposed to be?



iwas ready to tell her i was back on drugs and wanted to quit and needed help,

i said 'supposedly' if i were to say that i was taking drugs,would it be confidential,she said 'no,since your parents are the ones who 'brought you in' (i turned 18 two days back..) she'd be lying to them by telling them i wasnt taking anything when they asked

,i said fine im not taking anything,she raised an eyebrow,and said there's always a blood test,i felt literally flooded with fear,that if that were to happen how it would hurt my father so...

i thought what the fuck,although i love my parents but are you getting paid,and paid so bloody much, to treat me or them? so came again i home unmotivated,and perhaps it was no excuse to start taking drugs again,i did.


Sorry for the long post but please people reply,this means a lot to me

 

[Jabberwocky]

heya i'm sorry for your troubles with your therapist. i've experienced the same thing as well but at the time i was a minor (15) yet i was told that the information that i gave to them was to be used confidentially and not told to anyone but them (which was a lie as i later found out).

as you're now 18 then yes she is acting unethically by telling your parents what you are doing. in her work regardless or not of being sent by parents, a therapists duty is to protect your thoughts and information confidentially without sharing it with others unless it poses a threat to someone's life (then they can report it to the police department for example). they are meant to be helping you deal with your problems and solve them on a one to one basis.

i understand your frustration and agony that this causes. for me it actually made me want to use more (and i did) because i was so frustrated and angry at the therapist for telling my house-parents at boarding school what i believed was confidential and was being worked through personally with her rather than anyone else. i simply started lying to my therapist to get her off my back and finally she was gone and i was no longer being harassed by my school.

i left that therapist in anger, in that i couldn't trust anyone and it reinforced my use of drugs, and eventually got me kicked out of that school.

i suggest that you find a new therapist as you're 18 now. how long have you been working with your current therapist?

may i ask - is she a psychiatrist (does she prescribe medication) or simply a psychotherapist?

i'm so sorry for your troubles. trust me it will get better, you just have to find another therapist of your choice, and honestly when i found my therapist (i've been working with her for two years now) it's been a godsend and has helped me leaps and bounds. without her i'd probably be dead.

 

[parachuteantics]

I work in a psychologists office. If you are 18, HIPPA laws are in your favor and she would breaking the law telling your parents something you expicitly said not to tell, unless she believes you are a threat to your own health and safey. I would ask her to rovoke any authorizations that you had signed in regards to your parents now that you are 18. She legally has to if you write a request revoking it.

BUT there are some forms that you could have signed that are able to release information to your parents and there are some exceptions:

According to my office (paraphrased): "Notice of Polices and Pratices to Protect the Privacy of Your Health Info." ..."We may use or disclose PHI (AKA. you/health info) for purposes oputside of treatment, payment, and health care operations when your appropriate autorization is obtained. An authorization is written permission about and beyond the general consent that permits only specific disclosures...We will also need to obtain an authorization before releasing your psychotherapy notes. "Psychotherapy notes" are notes your therapist has made about your conversation during a private, group, joint, or family session. You may revoke all such authorizations of PHI or psychotherapy notes at any time, provides each revocation is in writing."

"We may use or disclose PHI without your consent or authorzation in the following circumstances: Child Abuse, Health Oversight, Judicial or Administrative Proceedings, Serious Threat to Health or Safety, Worker's Compensation."

"Patient's Rights and Psychologists Duties: Right to Request Restrictions, Right to Amend, Right to Paper Copy, ETC"

 

[mrflowers00]

therapists are not allowed to tell anyone what you talk with your therapist

 

[Vaya]

therapists are not allowed to tell anyone what you talk with your therapist

...unless the content of the patient's disclosure represents a real physical danger to the patient (suicidal ideation with plan and intent) or another person!

 

[bbgirlclueless]

heya i'm sorry for your troubles with your therapist. i've experienced the same thing as well but at the time i was a minor (15) yet i was told that the information that i gave to them was to be used confidentially and not told to anyone but them (which was a lie as i later found out).

as you're now 18 then yes she is acting unethically by telling your parents what you are doing. in her work regardless or not of being sent by parents, a therapists duty is to protect your thoughts and information confidentially without sharing it with others unless it poses a threat to someone's life (then they can report it to the police department for example). they are meant to be helping you deal with your problems and solve them on a one to one basis.

i understand your frustration and agony that this causes. for me it actually made me want to use more (and i did) because i was so frustrated and angry at the therapist for telling my house-parents at boarding school what i believed was confidential and was being worked through personally with her rather than anyone else. i simply started lying to my therapist to get her off my back and finally she was gone and i was no longer being harassed by my school.

i left that therapist in anger, in that i couldn't trust anyone and it reinforced my use of drugs, and eventually got me kicked out of that school.

i suggest that you find a new therapist as you're 18 now. how long have you been working with your current therapist?

may i ask - is she a psychiatrist (does she prescribe medication) or simply a psychotherapist?

i'm so sorry for your troubles. trust me it will get better, you just have to find another therapist of your choice, and honestly when i found my therapist (i've been working with her for two years now) it's been a godsend and has helped me leaps and bounds. without her i'd probably be dead.

thats exactly how i feel,i want to use more,since i dont respect or trust her,i cant accept her treatment,sinxe subxonxiously im rejecting it.im a traibee doctor myself and i literally want to throw it in her face that ur and unethical practitioner,fuck off.but i have peculiar anxiety that prevents.

 

[bbgirlclueless]

...unless the content of the patient's disclosure represents a real physical danger to the patient (suicidal ideation with plan and intent) or another person!

Thanks mrflowers and vaya,but it wasnt.i just wanted to tell her i was using again...this maked me so bloody frustrated!!

 

[bbgirlclueless]

I work in a psychologists office. If you are 18, HIPPA laws are in your favor and she would breaking the law telling your parents something you expicitly said not to tell, unless she believes you are a threat to your own health and safey. I would ask her to rovoke any authorizations that you had signed in regards to your parents now that you are 18. She legally has to if you write a request revoking it.

BUT there are some forms that you could have signed that are able to release information to your parents and there are some exceptions:

According to my office (paraphrased): "Notice of Polices and Pratices to Protect the Privacy of Your Health Info." ..."We may use or disclose PHI (AKA. you/health info) for purposes oputside of treatment, payment, and health care operations when your appropriate autorization is obtained. An authorization is written permission about and beyond the general consent that permits only specific disclosures...We will also need to obtain an authorization before releasing your psychotherapy notes. "Psychotherapy notes" are notes your therapist has made about your conversation during a private, group, joint, or family session. You may revoke all such authorizations of PHI or psychotherapy notes at any time, provides each revocation is in writing."

"We may use or disclose PHI without your consent or authorzation in the following circumstances: Child Abuse, Health Oversight, Judicial or Administrative Proceedings, Serious Threat to Health or Safety, Worker's Compensation."

"Patient's Rights and Psychologists Duties: Right to Request Restrictions, Right to Amend, Right to Paper Copy, ETC"

Thanka for letting me know,but i think if deep down she feels she needs to protect her job by telling my parents bits,she's useless...what she tells me i can read in self help books.this is bloody i india and there are no other therapists i know off,makes me feel so helpkess.damn her! Money seeking bitch!

 

[parachuteantics]

Switch therapists and make sure you read all of the things you sign! She obviously has no ethical values and obviously doesn't respect your privacy.

 

[Serotonin101]

I was gonna mention the release forms. unless you signed them, no information can be released you "feel like hurting yourself or others". and even then id be more worried of being locked in a padded room.
also since you are 18 you don't have to give them blood. you can refuse since you are a conscious, unintoxicated adult. you make your own decisions now my friend.
when I went to rehab it was a great feeling to be able to say anything to my counselor without my parents or law enforcement finding out.
find a new therapist/psych.

 

[bbgirlclueless]

I was gonna mention the release forms. unless you signed them, no information can be released you "feel like hurting yourself or others". and even then id be more worried of being locked in a padded room.
also since you are 18 you don't have to give them blood. you can refuse since you are a conscious, unintoxicated adult. you make your own decisions now my friend.
when I went to rehab it was a great feeling to be able to say anything to my counselor without my parents or law enforcement finding out.
find a new therapist/psych.

i will,but i'll have to drive out of my town and its a 5 hour drive,she was the only one willing to skype...i cant get around the courage or time/i work long hours to find a good one,preferably a male because i think ppl ttend to give a shit more about the oposite gender,i could be wrong...i just need to tell her to fuck off,like really and literally tell her. what sort of a horrid therapist threatens someone with a blood test.

 

[bbgirlclueless]

also it was so very shameful and hard giving her my history,going through that with another therapist would be hard....but i guess if i need motivation to quit drugs,it needs to come from a therapist i trust.the thing is,the way she speaks,i feel that the stuff she tells me to practice might actually work
im afraid if i leave her another therapist may have no idea what to do with me.... )