Psychologist Resignation

[FifthLeg]

I’ve been seeing my psychologist for about 3 years. Last week someone from his admin called me and said that my psych had resigned
effective that same day. She said that she could make an appointment for me
with one of their other psych’s. I explained that I would not be comfortable
with another psych and would prefer to follow my psych to wherever he was going
to practice next… Admin said they can’t disclose that information or tell me my
psych’s movements after his resignation… I asked if I could fit one more
session in before my psych left and she said no because he was leaving that day…
I hung up! She called back and said the only thing she could do is close my
file, and for me to ask my doctor to keep an eye out for my psych on a list doctors
are provided with…

I am so confused because I am worried about what would
make him resign like that at the last minute? It must have been something big
or terrible… I feel like I didn’t get to say goodbye, or thanks or have any
closure… I want to be able to tell him that no matter what happened to make him
quit at the last minute like that – he was a good psych, & helped me a lot.
… I feel a big sense of loss, even grief…

How can businesses think it’s appropriate to not allow
continuity of care by allowing me to follow my psych wherever he goes? How can
I get closure or make sense of this?

[White_Rose]

Dear FifthLeg

Hello and welcome to Beyond Blue. I'm pleased you found this site. Your name intrigues me, may I ask what it means?

I can relate to your story as the psychologist I was seeing, also for three years, resigned a couple of days after I last saw him. And that was after we had made a new appointment for two weeks time. He left the day he handed in his resignation. I know now why he left but it doesn't make it easier.

You could search for him via Mr Google but I'm not sure it would be the best way to go. I imagine you are feeling abandoned/angry/ hurt/ frustrated/grief and this is hard to live with. Ask yourself if you want to continue therapy with someone who can simply walk out of the relationship without at least attempting to explain the situation. While psychs are not supposed to talk about their personal lives it is reasonable to expect an explanation of some sort for such an abrupt departure.

It depends on the circumstances of his departure whether you are told where the psych is now working. When my GP moved to another practice I knew nothing about it until she left. However I was given the address of her new practice and I was able to continue to see her there. Sometimes the departing practitioner has asked that their contact details be withheld. I expect you can think of a number of reasons for his departure but in my experience it is always something completely different.

Why not accept an appointment with another psych? It appears you are not going to get into contact with the departing psych and it seems you will still need some assistance. The loss of the psych from my life has been difficult, much for the same reasons you are having difficulties. I find it hard to accept he has gone, especially in such an abrupt fashion. Usually a practitioner will tell their clients they are leaving and work with them to resolve the loss and start again with someone else. However there are circumstances where an immediate departure is the best way.

Whatever the reason he left it now up to you to move on with your life. Having been through the same experience I really can understand your bewilderment and hurt. Perhaps if you see another psych in the same practice he/she can help you resolve all the emotions you are feeling. I suggest you discuss this with your GP. No matter who you see in the future you will need a new referral. GPs know who are the best good practitioners and can help you through this period.

Mary

[FifthLeg]

Thanks for your thoughtful response White Rose. I am
shocked and sorry to hear you have been in a similar situation! Maybe this is
more common than I thought? It’s still not nice though….

I did go in to see my GP on the day I found out to try
and sort it out… I don’t think my GP was very helpful because he tried to liken
it to when his accountant moved firms and he had to get another accountant… It’s
hardly the same thing… A great deal of my personal relationships ended this way,
resulting in social withdrawal. Now my psych has done the same! I can’t even
fathom… I really don’t want another psych – I just want my psych! I had just
seen him a week prior and there was no indication this would happen!

I wouldn’t feel comfortable trying to find my psych on
google…he might not even take up work anywhere else for all I know… I just have
to hope that my GP keeps an eye out for him on this ‘list’ they apparently receive…

As for seeing another psych in the same practice…. I don’t
even think that will be possible… They closed my file when I said I didn’t want
to see anyone else (mind you I was put on the spot)… I also sent them a ‘piece
of my mind’ via their website ‘contact us’ section the evening I found out…so
could be a little awkward… Even if I did see another psych from that company it
seems this is a policy they have that when a psych leaves they must keep their
movements confidential, so there is no guarantee that the same thing wouldn’t happen
with another psych…

Fifth Leg is
the wine I am drinking.

[White_Rose]

Ah wine! I can't drink it, makes me silly with half a glass.

Sorry my suggestions were not helpful but good that you have started to look round. A bit disappointing with your GP going on about his accountant. You're quite right, it isn't the same at all. I am surprised he said this as GPs are usually more empathetic. Still, no use in banging on about it.

Yes I agree about googling. As I said it's probably not the best way. Psychologists and other medical personnel do move on for various reasons. I can imagine the company which employed your psych insisting he leave immediately when he offered his resignation. This would be so he did not take his clients with them. It would be unprofessional of him to do so but he probably had no such intention. The professional way to leave is to tell all his clients and help them make new arrangements. Maybe he had no choice in the matter.

So where to now? It would be hard to go back to the same practice I agree, but if you want to do this there is no reason why not. Your file can be re-opened with your permission. In fact it ought to be closed for privacy reasons.

I see you comment that many of your personal relationships end. Is this something you were working on with your psych. Whoops, an intrusive question but if that is the case I can see how doubly difficult it is for you. Only answer the bits that feel comfortable.

I will need to think about other options and get back to you. Meanwhile I will ask others to respond.

Mary

[pipsy]

Hi FifthLeg. When psychologists resign or are asked to resign it's often through complaints either against his practise methods or he may have overstepped his boundary in relation to treatment of another patient. Usually a patient will make a complaint which has to be investigated. Your psych could have resigned due to family commitments, again this won't be disclosed. This process sometimes takes a while, depending on the complaint and the psychologists explanation. Sometimes the complaint is treated as a minor offense the patient is apologized to and is often referred to another psych. It is not a normal part of the practise to discuss the psych's behaviour with other patients, unless more patients complain. G.P's are similar in that if there is a complaint made against them, they receive a warning before eventually either being asked to leave, or being referred to a 'new' practise. It is difficult if a patient has been happy with the relationship between them and the psych if the psych suddenly is asked to leave the practise. Unfortunately, due to confidentiality, a psych's whereabouts is seldom (if ever) disclosed. All you can do is ask your Dr to refer you to another psych. Perhaps explain to your Dr you were happy with your treatment and ask if perhaps he could try to find the psych (don't hold your breath on this though). I feel for you, as you probably feel you have been forgotten. If you need help, please call BB's helpline, we're available 24/7 to talk, listen and offer support.

Lynda

[Croix]

Dear FifthLeg

Firstly let me say I strongly empathize with your situation. Losing such a close professional contact after 3 years working together is pretty devastating. It also does not help you to establish trust in similar situations in the future.

I do think however that if someone entrusted with my medical care left without notice and without making provision for my continued welfare then I might pause before seeking to resume contact. Without knowing more it's very hard to judge. It could have been anything.

If you are determined to try to contact him here's some thoughts , (please make allowances if you have already tried them):

• The (online) phone book.
• Internet search (Google etc).
• Ringing likely health centers in the area and ask if they have any knowledge of him.
• Sending a letter via snail mail addressed to your psychologist at his last place of work which may end up being forwarded.
• A search of employment sites such as Linkedin
• The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency maintains a publicly accessible database which includes psychologists, and also has a help line.
• Psychologists and Clinical Psychologist in Australia maintain their own societies as well which you can find on the web.

In any event, as White Rose mentioned, you may need to consider continuing your treatment with another psychologist. In my own experience leaving too long a gap can undo some of what has been accomplished.

Either way I wish you the very best

Croix

[FifthLeg]

Thanks for all these responses. I guess before, I
would have never asked for support like this on a forum. I’m glad I did.

White Rose – to answer your question, I have social
anxiety among other things… I rarely leave my house except for work, and have
minimal contact with family. I had a series of relationships earlier in life that
all ended badly, leading me to just give up & isolate myself at home
because I’m not very good with rejection… I had made good progress with my
psych with PTSD and drinking, but we were still working on the anxiety… When I
found out the news I drank a lot, and that would not have been helpful either…

I feel a lot calmer now about the situation, but still
confused… I might be overthinking it but if this was my psych’s own choice - then
I am upset that he would do that to me…. If it was beyond his control and
because of something that went wrong with someone else - I am worried about the
quality of advice he gave me! I’ve made some big life decisions with his
guidance and what if he was wrong or incompetent?

I have another appointment with my GP on Wednesday, he
had asked for a few days to find out what was happening… I am doubtful he will
be able to share much with me anyway but who knows?

[Dr_Kim]

I feel my access to all these posts here are so valuable as they really help me to understand how vulnerable patients are  and how powerless they feel at times when decisions are made about their care without advising them. So thank you for that.

Now, back to your issue with the abandonment. I agree that the way this practitioner left you was extremely harsh. When working as a therapist, you are inviting people to bear their souls to you and trust that you can not only mange their darkest secrets, hopes and shame but also that you will work them to try find a path through their fears or sadness or confusion. 

So yeah , its a big job and people understandably  become very invested in the relationship with their therapists. Sometimes, they are the first people who seem to have really “got” them. Sometimes they are the only people in the person’s life that listens to them, or seems to really try to understand their point of view or they trust to challenge them. Its a strange, unequal but intimate relationship, but you are not “friends” . It is a professional relationship where someone is getting paid for their services, knowledge and experience.

This sudden departure feels like a personal blow because of the nature of the work, but ultimately it was not personal. I have no idea as to why this person decided to leave in this way and I can only imagine that there are overriding legal or contractural issues, or catastrophic family or health issues that would possess a professional to just walk out on all his clients like that. However, I repeat, this is NOT PERSONAL. It had nothing to do with you. 

I think that many patients are a little heartbroken to feel that the unevenness in the relationship - as in “I need/ think about my therapist and they don’t need/ think about  me” . This imbalance of power is a bit devastating and disempowering.  

My advice to you is to not throw everything you have learned from your 3 years of work away because of the rupture. 

Write down everything you can think of that you spoke about, processed, resolved, discussed but didn’t resolve. 

Write down what you would have liked to discuss if they were still around and available next year

Then write down everything you feel about the abandonment. How it made you feel and what you can learn from that process. Can you learn strength, resilience, compassion ? Can you set aside your curiosity and bewilderment about the way it happened and just go to feeling sorry for them if they are in crisis… and then moving forward with your own agenda..

I am sure your psych would be proud of you if you used their departure as a way to find your strength and move forward . 
Get a new psych, some “fresh eyes" on your situation and process this together.

[White_Rose]

Hello Fifth Leg

You have received some great replies, especially from Dr Kim. Think about the various suggestions, especially Dr Kim's ideas, and start working on your issues again. I would like it if you could tell us how your next doctor's appointment goes. While he may not be able to tell you exactly why the psych left he may be able to give you a general reason. I do understand how distressing this is for you. I found out about my psych and the reason in one go. It was not nice. I know it was not personal just as Dr Kim is saying. Unfortunately you and me are collateral damage in a situation where we had no choice but to accept what has happened.

Like you, I am worrying and grieving, feeling abandoned and hard done by. I do have people around me who will listen to me go on about it. I gather you do not have access to friends and family. Being on your own in this situation is not good. It's good you have a job to go to because concentrating on your work can help keep the other stuff at bay. Not ideal but a good step forward. There were a couple of people where I worked who were very supportive when I first became depressed.

Is there anyone you feel is able to support you at work? I know opening yourself up can be painful and difficult when you have these anxieties. Think about it for a while.

I do a lot of writing about how I feel and it is good. Mostly I simply put it away and wait until I need to write again using the same exercise book. When it is full I will burn it. Very symbolic. Look you have had several suggestions about finding this guy, but in reality there is no point. It is unlikely you will find him and I suspect, even if he is in a new practice he may not be able to add you to his client list.

Remember the best parts of his therapy and try to work out why he made the suggestions for your well being. You may find yourself developing your own strategies. How did you get off the booze? Time to resurrect these processes. If you would like to to talk to others about booze, go to the Battling the Booze thread which is on the Long Term Support Over the Journey forum. You can talk to others about this problem.

Mary

[FifthLeg]

I really appreciate all these wonderful pearls of
wisdom... I feel much calmer now about the whole situation after receiving so
much support here. I have been drinking more too though since discovering this ‘news’,
and although I know it’s not the right way, I’m clear now that I should get
another referral to another psych… I am still unclear if my reaction to this is
proportionate or not…

White Rose – I’ve had a quick read through the ‘battling
the booze’ thread & am so grateful for that suggestion, perhaps in a few
days I might even post there. For me, my goal was to never quit booze altogether,
I wanted to be able to drink responsibly which until now I had mostly achieved…

Unfortunately it would not be appropriate for me to
discuss my mental health at work as I am in a professional role with a lot of employee’s
who look to me for guidance and support… I am a high functioning alcoholic, and
nobody at work would guess that I have social anxiety and no life outside of
work… If people at work knew, I would lose all respect…

I will let you know what my GP says tomorrow, but I am
thinking it’s likely not much…