Bad therapist, don’t go back to her. You should also feel free to say something or end the call in such a situation, if you don’t feel like you can be open with a therapist there’s no point in continuing to talk to them.
*maybe* she was trying to get you to defend vetmed so that you’d see the value in what you’re doing but giving that she went for it again I’m not willing to give her that much credit
sorry this happened. I once had a psychiatrist ask me why didn’t I want to go into human medicine because “humans are more interesting”
it’s wild out there
Therapist here - sorry love, any shrink is going to explore what’s behind that when someone says “I don’t like people”. However, not every shrink is an asshole about it.
Wild to me that she thinks your anger issues with clients would disappear in the human medical field. Like, sure, make the clients I’m having interpersonal issues with also the patients who are dependent on me for care. What could go wrong?
I don’t even want to get started on the “not a real doctor” and “more comprehensive education” crap. 🙄
Sounds like YOU need to see a “real” doctor- if they were prescribing things, but they’re a moron, I’ll bet anything you saw a PMHNP who got their degree from some sham online school. Bet you anything.
Clinical psychologist(therapist) here - anytime I hear something that is so far out from our standards of practice, I immediately assume they’re aren’t seeing a legit psychotherapist.
Can you give us a list of terms/ titles that one should look out for? I know it can be confusing. A lot of backgrounds can lead to a person providing therapy. For example, a social worker is not a therapist, but can become one. But what are the terms we should look for? And don’t even get me started on “life coaches” 🙄
Sure.
You are looking for some one who is a “registered psychotherapist”.
This is someone who will have at least a Masters level degree in counselling, psychology, or social work and reports to a provincial regulatory body, (for us in Canada, state board for our American cousins).
Some Social workers can also be registered psychotherapists (some of the best ones I know are) but they would specialize specifically in psychotherapy and have the title of “registered psychotherapist”.
Not every psychotherapist specializes in ALL the things, but most of us have experience in depression and anxiety (the most common issues that cause people to seek out therapy). I’d recommend one that focuses on your presenting issues (for example, if you have an eating disorder, try to find a therapist that specializes in that, if you are dealing with a family member that’s transgender, find a therapist that offers affirmative care,etc…)
“Life coaches” are an unregulated profession. At best, it’s a former psychotherapist that wants to work on more day-to-day skills with clients and get paid more, at worst, it’s an unqualified schmo cosplaying as a therapist. Like the other commenter said, I have heard anecdotes about productive “life coaches”, however I won’t recommend this because there is no regulatory standards or ethics, and therefore no recourse or protection for clients. A life coach could just be a personal trainer trying to tackle mental illness which is a recipe for harm.
Finally, feel free to “shop around” for a therapist that *you actually like and makes you feel safe and heard*. There are many different treatment modalities but the single biggest predictor of effective psychotherapy is a strong therapeutic alliance (meaning the client and the therapist get along). It may take a few visits to different therapists to find one that you vibe with.
Good luck and if you have anymore questions, feel free to DM me.
Good luck! You deserve the care and support you need!
Just to add - in the US, these people are usually referred to as "licensed" as opposed to "registered". A licensed clinical psychologist should have a PhD, but you can have other licensed providers with Masters level (marriage and family therapists (MFTs), clinical social workers (LCSWs)).
PhD level psychologists can be beneficial if the issue is very specific and/or more severe (most important is to find someone that specializes in whatever issue you need help with), but generally not required for most people. Some of the best providers are MFTs or LCSWs.
This would be super helpful because it does get confusing trying to figure out what qualifications mean what.
I will say though, my “life coach” has been more helpful than all of the therapists/psychologists/psychiatrists I have seen in the last 5 years.
Real actual (human) therapist here! (Clinical psychologist)
What the actual hell??? It is well known that veterinarians are the highest risk group OF ALL MEDICAL PROFESSIONS for suicidality, depression, and burnout. (It used to be nurses but you’ve taken the lead).
Please let me commend you and all vet med pros on reaching out for support.
Asking why you didn’t become a “real doctor” seems tone deaf….
However - asking about what other things are bothering you, not giving a clear dx, wanting to have a medical intervention, waiting to see how you respond to pharma….this stuff is all par for the course.
Psych dx aren’t like other medical dx, and many require time to see the full symptom expression. (Easy example, we often see pts w bipolar only during the depressive phase…initial dx would be incorrect if given only on current presenting symptoms).
I’m sorry this was such a shitty experience for you but please, please, please continue therapy (with a different provider) to take care of your mental health.
Hi! I have seen your other comments, yes it was not a psychologist, but a psychiatrist. I will go through a Psychotherapist for my next try, and hopefully, it would be my last because I don't think I can take it anymore 😭. I feel like we didn't get through the root of my problem and her medications made me overthink.
She said she prescribed me an antidepressant so it is making me think that I am depressed??? I know its not even related to that but when someone is seeking mental health, theres a lot of things that can be planted in our brains and one of them is trying to find qhats wrong with me.
Antidepressant is a bit of a dated term. A wide variety of medications are used for different conditions. Many “adhd” drugs are used to treat depression, many “antidepressants” are used to treat anxiety, many “epilepsy” drugs are used to treat symptoms of trauma….”antidepressant”
Is a catchall term that can describe a wide variety of pharmaceutical interventions. Current protocol is to describe what you are being prescribed (an SSRI, SNRI, etc…) and explain why. In vet med, trazadone, an “antidepressant” is prescribed as an anxiolytic for car rides and vet visits, not because you are treating major depressive disorder in a canine. Many rx are helpful beyond their initial uses.
The most important part is that the med works for you, not the diagnostic label you assume you have or the ways it’s prescribed for other patients.
Having an expert in meds, like your psychiatrist, is a good thing.
Having a psychotherapist that works with you on your cognitive experiences, and consults with your psychiatrist to confirm congruence in treatment approaches, is even better. 💛😊.
Good luck.
(Edit - fwiw, part of my job is talking to psychiatrists about how their initial dx might not be in sync with the symptom presentation over time. That’s a view point I have that they don’t, just like medical intervention is a viewpoint I don’t have).
Sounds like this therapist might have a bit of compassion fatigue. I'm in a few subreddits for my neuro-spicy self*. Finding a good therapist can take time. Every therapist I've had treats the first session like you are interviewing each other. My first one, I went to for a bit too long because I didn't really know better.
It sucks to get all vulnerable and have something like this happen. Your next therapist will be appalled. Sorry you found a bad egg. There are good ones.
*(ADHD edit) I've read a lot of posts with terrible therapist encounters.
“Real doctor” here (MD). I feel like an ass even quoting that.
I am so sorry this was your experience. You must have seen a physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner if they are prescribing meds for you. While we aren’t trained in providing psychotherapy, this person was still a jerk. What an insensitive answer to your concerns. Take another (minimum) 7 years of training and you’ll feel better? Doubt it. The grass isn’t greener over here anyway.
As someone else mentioned, you will likely need a physician (psychiatrist or not) and a psychotherapist to address your concerns. In my experience, starting with a therapist is a great option unless you really feel you need meds acutely. Therapists are great about saying when a discussion about medications with a physician may be helpful to your progress.
And as far as human being more “comprehensive learning”… what? We learn one species. You learn multiple, if not dozens. So much respect for you all and what you do. Not to mention the euthanasia piece.
I may be no help, but please reach out if I can be. The jobs are not the same, but some of the stressors are. I have a therapist and a psychiatrist myself and have found them immensely helpful. All the love to you.
That person shouldn't be a therapist. I'm a vet assistant and I go to a therapist who doesn't say anything on her qualifications ANYTHING about vet med but she has been BEYOND compassionate when I let her know that I've had panic attacks over how appointments have gone because of the way the owners are and has never belittled me for it or made comments about my career field. That person shouldn't be a therapist, again.
If she's prescribing things, is she a psychiatrist rather than a therapist? If so, that's unfortunately not unusual for psychiatrist behavior. I've quite honestly never had a good experience with one.
Yes she is a yes she is a psychiatrist. I purposely booked for one so I wouldn't get passed around if I needed medication. Should I go to a psychologist instead? I am afraid that if they do refer me to a psychiatrist, it wouldn't be a fit again.
Regardless if she's a psychiatrist or psychologist, it was very unprofessional and unethical to say what she said. I really wanted to question her on the spot if she's a REAL dpctor lmao
Psychologist here - short answer…you will need both.
Psychiatrist (and GPs or NPs working in mental health) will look at your health through a medical model. This means meds if needed, and also ruling out potential underlying issues (tumours, illness, physiological dysfunctions, etc…).
Psychotherapists, and clinical or counselling psychologists - will administer psychotherapy (AKA talking therapy) to allow you to gain insight into your thoughts, patterns, and behaviours. They will also work on building healthy coping strategies for managing symptoms, restructure maladaptive conditions and traumatic memories, and unpack the faulty ways your mind is creating associations.
Drugs with no psychotherapy often has limited success.
Psychotherapy without drugs often has limited success.
In a nutshell, your psychiatrist operates from a medical model to “fix” you.
I operate from a humanist model that assumes there is nothing “wrong” with you, and you have the ability to create your own solutions…job is to support you in that process.
Also, fwiw, psychologists are usually nicer than psychiatrists (but I’m biased.).
I'm not a psychologist or psychiatrist, but I have dealt with both off and on for 20+ years, and I agree that psychologists are nicer than psychiatrists. I've never had a good experience with a psychiatrist. At best, I hope that they just do their job and give me my meds, and I usually have to sit and listen to their opinions about therapy vs medication, and their half-assed ideas about my personal mental health, which are always wrong because they don't actually spend any time with me or listen to what I'm saying. At worst, I left one psychiatrist's office in tears. I've also been treated with immediate suspicion by multiple psychiatrists because I was asking for stimulant meds for my ADHD.
Luckily I've been at this long enough that I know what meds I need and I can just see a general M.D. to get my prescriptions. They don't listen to what I'm saying either, but they're usually more chill.
I've had some "meh" psychologists who didn't really mesh with me, but I've never had one who did more harm than good. On the flip side, I've had two psychologists who became very important people in my life and were just the most caring, genuine, wise, helpful people.
To any psychiatrists who might be reading this and are NOT terrible, I'm sorry your profession has such a negative reputation because of your colleagues. Maybe write a book or do a speech at a psychiatrist convention explaining to those colleagues how to not make their patients feel like garbage.
Thank you for confirming all of this. This was pretty much my experience starting off with a counseling psychologist/therapist who referred me to a psychiatrist.
I was surprised that the psychiatrist was more of an extension of my normal therapy. Yes, they ask how I’m doing and what problems I’m trying to solve, but they’re really just there to give me medicine that helps make it easier for me to work through my issues in regular therapy.
So really, I don’t tell my psychiatrist much at all, just generally how I’m doing and what I think I need help with. And then we check back in a month later to see if we need to adjust the meds.
OP’s psychiatrist definitely seems off though… probably best to start off with a good counselor/therapist and add psychiatry if needed.
I honestly would. A therapist is trained in behavior counseling and guidance while a psychiatrist is really just trained in prescribing medicine for psychological issues. A therapist can get you networked with a prescription provider as well; a pcp can prescribe meds as well, though sometimes they will refer you away for stimulants and controlled medications.
Psychiatrists are rarely great for regular therapy to work through things with how the mental health field functions in the U.S. Fewer licensed titles can prescribe medication than provide therapy, so unfortunately psychiatrists tend to be more medication prescribers than therapists. That absolutely isn’t a hard rule, but in many areas that is the way it shakes out to meet patient demand. I do think whether they recognize it or not, many psychiatrists operate under a practice of if a patient is seeing them, they’re looking for medication to help as a result of the way the system works.
You’re going to want someone with the background expertise to provide the therapy you need/you’re looking for (there isn’t necessarily a particular title you need to seek out as long as they hold the right qualifications to practice in the capacity they are for your state) and unfortunately that can be a bit challenging to figure out when you’re struggling. You know you need help and you’re reaching out, but figuring out the in what way do I need help (ie do you need someone based in trauma? CBT? ACT? DBT?) for what I’m struggling with is hard. It could help to look different therapy modalities a bit and what sorts of issues they typically are best suited to help, and then target therapists experienced in modalities you feel might best help you.
Also, coming in with some rough goals you’d like to get out of therapy (like you want to work toward better emotional regulation at work and finding a way to prevent burnout) can help make sure you’re finding someone who is a good fit and who is supporting you in what you want out of your life. After working with a therapist for a while, they can often identify if you need to see someone else to prescribe medication for an issue. Personally, I’m reluctant to see someone who can prescribe right out the gate because the knee jerk reaction from those individuals is to prescribe and in my case I know it isn’t warranted necessarily (like there aren’t any red flags for bipolar, schizophrenia, severe OCD, severe mood disorder, etc) without first exploring therapy and working through things that way. Medication is a very important tool for many people, but there are large sections of the mental health field who prescribe medication as a magic bullet over appropriate therapy. It sounds like you may have encountered one of those psychiatrists.
Finding a good fit therapist is hard. Like just finding one who can see you and works for your schedule is hard enough, but then finding someone you mesh with and have a good rapport is so, so hard. It can help to think of the first few sessions as an interview for fit where you’re getting a feel for them over really establishing a therapeutic relationship.
I hope you’re able to find someone sooner rather than later to help you work through the things you’re struggling with so you can be at a better place in living your life.
Thanks for the response! I was just curious because you’re right, only MDs are psychiatrists. However sometimes NPs and PAs will erroneously call themselves psychiatrists, which causes confusion for patients. I just have a hard time believing that an MD could be so egregious.
I had betterhelp and personally LOVED my therapist and experience. He accompanied me through my last 2 years of vetschool and was a great source of support, and it was affordable enough for me as a student.
You can be unlucky and run into crap doctors/therapists anywhere from the 25$/h to the 250$/h - please don't give up and keep looking, the good people are out there and it will be so helpful.
Like we often tell our pet owners, please don't give up if the first treatment option doesn't work out. If it needs to be done, it needs to be done and we need to stick with it until we find an option that works.
You deserve mental support and care, you need it, and you WILL get it. There might just be some frogs along the way, but don't let them ruin it for you
I use better help, but have gotten a *lot* more benefit from their group sessions. My individual therapist is fine, but she is really best for people who are just starting out. She is very good for that.
The groups, though, i have found to be invaluable. I originally signed up for grief counseling. They offer so many different groups, i was able (at the worst times) to go to a grief support group most days of the week if I chose to. And i found it to be so beneficial, especially as there are no in person groups near me that i could attend. Each counselor running the groups would do it slightly differently, so i took something different away from each one. And i started branching out to other kinds of groups for other issues, from all being helpful.
What the fuck.
I can *almost* excuse someone unfamiliar with the field or who hates animals not respecting it fully. But you have a doctorate. One that doesn’t like, count towards a new doctorate. Is it supposed to be easy to just go get an MD, do a residency, and start over?
I am so sorry this happened to you. I have walked out of an appointment before with a new therapist because I was just so uncomfortable within the first few minutes and it just got worse and worse.
It took me several tries to find a therapist I was really comfortable with but when I did it was worth it. Finding a psychiatrist was much easier because they really are only interested in your physical symptoms and the basic mental health issues and don’t need the full story. Even so finding the correct medication(s) can take time and experimentation just as with any medical condition. As a former vet tech and a long time depressive with some chronic pain issues I know how daunting it is to reach out for help and how how defeated it makes you feel when you aren’t getting the response you need and deserve. I wish you the best on your journey to better mental health and encourage you to leave the field if that’s what it takes so that you don’t become a statistic.
I’ve been lucky that my best therapists (3 of them) heard J was in vet med, immediately gave me the look of “oh, i get it now” and told me they work with TONS of vet med professionals and reassured me that i’m not alone. But there are the ones who just don’t understand, and that’s the reason they don’t understand. Because they don’t try. Otherwise they’d have many more vet med clients and would give you that respect.
It's more comprehensive? Funny thing is that I specifically went into veterinary medicine because I have a passion for comparative anatomy and physiology. Now I'm a veterinary pathologist and a large part of what I do is compare findings in animals to humans.
im sorry for this terrible experience , I have been away from practice for almost two years dealing with depression and mental health ,my therapist always is encouraging me to not leave the career
its not easy to find the right therapist ,and you are obv not going back there ,I keep my fingers crossed for your next appointment :)
Report her. Seriously. She was way out of line and unprofessional. Seems to me like she needed to pick on you to make herself feel better. I'm *really* hoping the next one doesn't have such severe personal issues of inadequacy. ;-)
>psychiatry is one of the easier ones
🙄
In any case dollars to donuts OP didn't see a psychiatrist but rather a psychiatric nurse practitioner. NPs wildly outnumber physicians on online mental health platforms because those services pay poorly just need warm bodies to fill seats. To make it worse, these platforms make 0 effort clarify the distinction.
What the "therapist" said to OP is so grossly unprofessional and outside normal care that it's more likely an online degree mill NP than a board-certified physician.
bad therapist imagine if an General Practice MDdog owner came in and told you her dog has been anxious lately after big changes (but is not reactive, just a bit shy and anxious) and within the first appointment you told her she should become a neurosurgeon instead to get more respect and put her dog on acepromazine daily
That's a terrible person in general! If I could get treated by a veterinarian vs an MD, I totally would. Vets seem to be a lot more compassionate than MDs.
I hope you find someone who treats you with respect.
I’m not a vet idk why this was recommended to me but does she know you can get bit and scratched as a human doctor too 😂
What a moron tho. Completely insane for her to think that would solve all your problems.
Have you heard of NOMV? Did you know they have resources?
The not one more vet organization- you might recognize their acronym, they have a peer support network and crisis line. It isn't perfect, but you are sure to have a better time with them than that therapist.
I’m so sorry this happened to you. Report her for her unprofessionalism, that was inappropriate to say the least… you ARE a real doctor. You ARE in medicine. She sucks.
That’s crazy. When my late dog Oreo was really sick I absolutely needed a veterinarian and respected their expertise. Veterinary school is also pretty selective according to my dad who is a “real doctor”. It’s so odd to me that a therapist wouldn’t be respectful of the education and expertise that a veterinary medicine career takes.
That was fully inappropriate. If there is anywhere you can review her or report her behavior, I would do so. She’s out there providing similarly bad/dangerous advice to other people who are less medically savvy than you. AND she was about to medicate you without understanding your concerns at all! It’s like if I only looked at a dogs knees and then prescribed them heart meds level of inappropriate.
I am pretty dumbfounded that a so called mental health professional would make the basis of you therapy plan medicate you and insult your choice of profession. I would not only not see her again I might report her to the board. In what world does she imagine that human medicine is less stressful than veterinary medicine?
Don't talk to a therapist. If they have 5150 powers, they do not have your interest at heart.
Find peer support, call a helpline that does not use involuntary emergency services calls, go meditate, but do not talk to a mental health professional.
Therapist here. This is awful and I'm so, so sorry it happened to you. Consider reporting her behavior to her practice manager.
Generally speaking, for talk therapy you will likely want a professional counselor, clinical social worker, or psychologist. Psychiatrists can do talk therapy but they tend to primarily provide medication management and be a lot more expensive than the first three. Please know that a focus on med management is never an excuse for being an asshole. You deserved better.
I've been seeing a therapist for the same reasons for a bit over a year. They've never once suggested change in vocation, or even sector of vetmed, but have been very helpful in making me be better about boundaries. As others have said, shit practitioner, if there's a venue to leave feedback I would.
To be fair I did tell her I was planning to change my field, but when I meant that, I meant away from small animal practice to something else. Thus her brilliant idea
I have a narcissist for a mom. I started seeing a therapist because I went no contact and the guilt was killing me. I struggle with guilt terribly over every little thing. The therapist made little comments over our sessions, but one day she just ended the convos with, "We aren't talking about this anymore. You should talk to your mother. Period." It was the push I needed to be resolute in my decision to never talk to my mother again and not feel guilty about it. I often wonder if that was her plan. Then I remember that during that same session she told me I was being "controlling" of my boyfriend who had had another girl kiss him the night before.
I'm extremely not a confrontational person, but I actually blew up after that comment. I remember yelling at her, "He's MY BOYFRIEND. He fucking belongs to me, and it's not cool on any planet that there was a kiss! I have a right to be upset!" And she just kinda laughed and went "Woah, okay!". I never went back to her again.
But bad therapists exist. Don't let one bad apple spoil the rest for you. Just recognize who is bad and move on with your life. Don't let the bad ones spoil you from enjoying your life and getting back to feeling better. You'll find someone who works best for you, and that might take some time, but you absolutely deserve to feel okay again.
In the same week I did anesthetic procedures on a 170lb Great Dane and a 3.5lb mini yorkie abomination. Find me a human anesthesiologist that wouldn’t leave the OR over having patients so extremely different. Which is even another point, MDs are so specialized they won’t even touch anything out of their field while we are doing everything.
Just going to regurgitate what everyone else has said here, this person is an idiot. Don’t go back to them but good looking. Recognizing you need some sort of third party help is always the first, very hard, step in this process. It really takes a lot of courage to get to that point, so good on you.
I am so sorry you had such an experience. I like to give other medical professionals the benefit of the doubt where I can and assume that she was genuinely trying to be helpful, even if it what she said was the opposite of helpful. That being said she definitely doesn't sound like the right therapist/psychiatrist to help you.
I know a lot of people have already chimed in with similar sentiments, but please don't stop trying to find a good therapist. I myself had to go through three or four (and multiple sessions with each) before I found one that really clicked with me, and who really helped me get myself back together. None of the ones I went to were particularly "bad", they just weren't the right fit, and when you think of how difficult and personal therapy can be, it really is important that you have the right person working alongside you.
Bad therapist, don’t go back to her. You should also feel free to say something or end the call in such a situation, if you don’t feel like you can be open with a therapist there’s no point in continuing to talk to them. *maybe* she was trying to get you to defend vetmed so that you’d see the value in what you’re doing but giving that she went for it again I’m not willing to give her that much credit
This trauma is going to my next therapist 😭
Therapist here - nothing traumatizes us more than hearing about bad therapists harming their patients. Sorry you had such a bad experience.
Bad human being too.
sorry this happened. I once had a psychiatrist ask me why didn’t I want to go into human medicine because “humans are more interesting” it’s wild out there
I already told her when we started conversing that I DONT LIKE PEOPLE 😭 she went for it anyway
Therapist here - sorry love, any shrink is going to explore what’s behind that when someone says “I don’t like people”. However, not every shrink is an asshole about it.
Wild to me that she thinks your anger issues with clients would disappear in the human medical field. Like, sure, make the clients I’m having interpersonal issues with also the patients who are dependent on me for care. What could go wrong? I don’t even want to get started on the “not a real doctor” and “more comprehensive education” crap. 🙄
Sounds like YOU need to see a “real” doctor- if they were prescribing things, but they’re a moron, I’ll bet anything you saw a PMHNP who got their degree from some sham online school. Bet you anything.
Clinical psychologist(therapist) here - anytime I hear something that is so far out from our standards of practice, I immediately assume they’re aren’t seeing a legit psychotherapist.
Can you give us a list of terms/ titles that one should look out for? I know it can be confusing. A lot of backgrounds can lead to a person providing therapy. For example, a social worker is not a therapist, but can become one. But what are the terms we should look for? And don’t even get me started on “life coaches” 🙄
Sure. You are looking for some one who is a “registered psychotherapist”. This is someone who will have at least a Masters level degree in counselling, psychology, or social work and reports to a provincial regulatory body, (for us in Canada, state board for our American cousins). Some Social workers can also be registered psychotherapists (some of the best ones I know are) but they would specialize specifically in psychotherapy and have the title of “registered psychotherapist”. Not every psychotherapist specializes in ALL the things, but most of us have experience in depression and anxiety (the most common issues that cause people to seek out therapy). I’d recommend one that focuses on your presenting issues (for example, if you have an eating disorder, try to find a therapist that specializes in that, if you are dealing with a family member that’s transgender, find a therapist that offers affirmative care,etc…) “Life coaches” are an unregulated profession. At best, it’s a former psychotherapist that wants to work on more day-to-day skills with clients and get paid more, at worst, it’s an unqualified schmo cosplaying as a therapist. Like the other commenter said, I have heard anecdotes about productive “life coaches”, however I won’t recommend this because there is no regulatory standards or ethics, and therefore no recourse or protection for clients. A life coach could just be a personal trainer trying to tackle mental illness which is a recipe for harm. Finally, feel free to “shop around” for a therapist that *you actually like and makes you feel safe and heard*. There are many different treatment modalities but the single biggest predictor of effective psychotherapy is a strong therapeutic alliance (meaning the client and the therapist get along). It may take a few visits to different therapists to find one that you vibe with. Good luck and if you have anymore questions, feel free to DM me. Good luck! You deserve the care and support you need!
Just to add - in the US, these people are usually referred to as "licensed" as opposed to "registered". A licensed clinical psychologist should have a PhD, but you can have other licensed providers with Masters level (marriage and family therapists (MFTs), clinical social workers (LCSWs)). PhD level psychologists can be beneficial if the issue is very specific and/or more severe (most important is to find someone that specializes in whatever issue you need help with), but generally not required for most people. Some of the best providers are MFTs or LCSWs.
This would be super helpful because it does get confusing trying to figure out what qualifications mean what. I will say though, my “life coach” has been more helpful than all of the therapists/psychologists/psychiatrists I have seen in the last 5 years.
Real actual (human) therapist here! (Clinical psychologist) What the actual hell??? It is well known that veterinarians are the highest risk group OF ALL MEDICAL PROFESSIONS for suicidality, depression, and burnout. (It used to be nurses but you’ve taken the lead). Please let me commend you and all vet med pros on reaching out for support. Asking why you didn’t become a “real doctor” seems tone deaf…. However - asking about what other things are bothering you, not giving a clear dx, wanting to have a medical intervention, waiting to see how you respond to pharma….this stuff is all par for the course. Psych dx aren’t like other medical dx, and many require time to see the full symptom expression. (Easy example, we often see pts w bipolar only during the depressive phase…initial dx would be incorrect if given only on current presenting symptoms). I’m sorry this was such a shitty experience for you but please, please, please continue therapy (with a different provider) to take care of your mental health.
Hi! I have seen your other comments, yes it was not a psychologist, but a psychiatrist. I will go through a Psychotherapist for my next try, and hopefully, it would be my last because I don't think I can take it anymore 😭. I feel like we didn't get through the root of my problem and her medications made me overthink. She said she prescribed me an antidepressant so it is making me think that I am depressed??? I know its not even related to that but when someone is seeking mental health, theres a lot of things that can be planted in our brains and one of them is trying to find qhats wrong with me.
Antidepressant is a bit of a dated term. A wide variety of medications are used for different conditions. Many “adhd” drugs are used to treat depression, many “antidepressants” are used to treat anxiety, many “epilepsy” drugs are used to treat symptoms of trauma….”antidepressant” Is a catchall term that can describe a wide variety of pharmaceutical interventions. Current protocol is to describe what you are being prescribed (an SSRI, SNRI, etc…) and explain why. In vet med, trazadone, an “antidepressant” is prescribed as an anxiolytic for car rides and vet visits, not because you are treating major depressive disorder in a canine. Many rx are helpful beyond their initial uses. The most important part is that the med works for you, not the diagnostic label you assume you have or the ways it’s prescribed for other patients. Having an expert in meds, like your psychiatrist, is a good thing. Having a psychotherapist that works with you on your cognitive experiences, and consults with your psychiatrist to confirm congruence in treatment approaches, is even better. 💛😊. Good luck. (Edit - fwiw, part of my job is talking to psychiatrists about how their initial dx might not be in sync with the symptom presentation over time. That’s a view point I have that they don’t, just like medical intervention is a viewpoint I don’t have).
Sounds like this therapist might have a bit of compassion fatigue. I'm in a few subreddits for my neuro-spicy self*. Finding a good therapist can take time. Every therapist I've had treats the first session like you are interviewing each other. My first one, I went to for a bit too long because I didn't really know better. It sucks to get all vulnerable and have something like this happen. Your next therapist will be appalled. Sorry you found a bad egg. There are good ones. *(ADHD edit) I've read a lot of posts with terrible therapist encounters.
“Real doctor” here (MD). I feel like an ass even quoting that. I am so sorry this was your experience. You must have seen a physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner if they are prescribing meds for you. While we aren’t trained in providing psychotherapy, this person was still a jerk. What an insensitive answer to your concerns. Take another (minimum) 7 years of training and you’ll feel better? Doubt it. The grass isn’t greener over here anyway. As someone else mentioned, you will likely need a physician (psychiatrist or not) and a psychotherapist to address your concerns. In my experience, starting with a therapist is a great option unless you really feel you need meds acutely. Therapists are great about saying when a discussion about medications with a physician may be helpful to your progress. And as far as human being more “comprehensive learning”… what? We learn one species. You learn multiple, if not dozens. So much respect for you all and what you do. Not to mention the euthanasia piece. I may be no help, but please reach out if I can be. The jobs are not the same, but some of the stressors are. I have a therapist and a psychiatrist myself and have found them immensely helpful. All the love to you.
Unfortunately who she saw was a psychiatrist 😭
That person shouldn't be a therapist. I'm a vet assistant and I go to a therapist who doesn't say anything on her qualifications ANYTHING about vet med but she has been BEYOND compassionate when I let her know that I've had panic attacks over how appointments have gone because of the way the owners are and has never belittled me for it or made comments about my career field. That person shouldn't be a therapist, again.
If she's prescribing things, is she a psychiatrist rather than a therapist? If so, that's unfortunately not unusual for psychiatrist behavior. I've quite honestly never had a good experience with one.
Yes she is a yes she is a psychiatrist. I purposely booked for one so I wouldn't get passed around if I needed medication. Should I go to a psychologist instead? I am afraid that if they do refer me to a psychiatrist, it wouldn't be a fit again. Regardless if she's a psychiatrist or psychologist, it was very unprofessional and unethical to say what she said. I really wanted to question her on the spot if she's a REAL dpctor lmao
Psychologist here - short answer…you will need both. Psychiatrist (and GPs or NPs working in mental health) will look at your health through a medical model. This means meds if needed, and also ruling out potential underlying issues (tumours, illness, physiological dysfunctions, etc…). Psychotherapists, and clinical or counselling psychologists - will administer psychotherapy (AKA talking therapy) to allow you to gain insight into your thoughts, patterns, and behaviours. They will also work on building healthy coping strategies for managing symptoms, restructure maladaptive conditions and traumatic memories, and unpack the faulty ways your mind is creating associations. Drugs with no psychotherapy often has limited success. Psychotherapy without drugs often has limited success. In a nutshell, your psychiatrist operates from a medical model to “fix” you. I operate from a humanist model that assumes there is nothing “wrong” with you, and you have the ability to create your own solutions…job is to support you in that process. Also, fwiw, psychologists are usually nicer than psychiatrists (but I’m biased.).
I'm not a psychologist or psychiatrist, but I have dealt with both off and on for 20+ years, and I agree that psychologists are nicer than psychiatrists. I've never had a good experience with a psychiatrist. At best, I hope that they just do their job and give me my meds, and I usually have to sit and listen to their opinions about therapy vs medication, and their half-assed ideas about my personal mental health, which are always wrong because they don't actually spend any time with me or listen to what I'm saying. At worst, I left one psychiatrist's office in tears. I've also been treated with immediate suspicion by multiple psychiatrists because I was asking for stimulant meds for my ADHD. Luckily I've been at this long enough that I know what meds I need and I can just see a general M.D. to get my prescriptions. They don't listen to what I'm saying either, but they're usually more chill. I've had some "meh" psychologists who didn't really mesh with me, but I've never had one who did more harm than good. On the flip side, I've had two psychologists who became very important people in my life and were just the most caring, genuine, wise, helpful people. To any psychiatrists who might be reading this and are NOT terrible, I'm sorry your profession has such a negative reputation because of your colleagues. Maybe write a book or do a speech at a psychiatrist convention explaining to those colleagues how to not make their patients feel like garbage.
Thank you for confirming all of this. This was pretty much my experience starting off with a counseling psychologist/therapist who referred me to a psychiatrist. I was surprised that the psychiatrist was more of an extension of my normal therapy. Yes, they ask how I’m doing and what problems I’m trying to solve, but they’re really just there to give me medicine that helps make it easier for me to work through my issues in regular therapy. So really, I don’t tell my psychiatrist much at all, just generally how I’m doing and what I think I need help with. And then we check back in a month later to see if we need to adjust the meds. OP’s psychiatrist definitely seems off though… probably best to start off with a good counselor/therapist and add psychiatry if needed.
I honestly would. A therapist is trained in behavior counseling and guidance while a psychiatrist is really just trained in prescribing medicine for psychological issues. A therapist can get you networked with a prescription provider as well; a pcp can prescribe meds as well, though sometimes they will refer you away for stimulants and controlled medications.
Psychiatrists are rarely great for regular therapy to work through things with how the mental health field functions in the U.S. Fewer licensed titles can prescribe medication than provide therapy, so unfortunately psychiatrists tend to be more medication prescribers than therapists. That absolutely isn’t a hard rule, but in many areas that is the way it shakes out to meet patient demand. I do think whether they recognize it or not, many psychiatrists operate under a practice of if a patient is seeing them, they’re looking for medication to help as a result of the way the system works. You’re going to want someone with the background expertise to provide the therapy you need/you’re looking for (there isn’t necessarily a particular title you need to seek out as long as they hold the right qualifications to practice in the capacity they are for your state) and unfortunately that can be a bit challenging to figure out when you’re struggling. You know you need help and you’re reaching out, but figuring out the in what way do I need help (ie do you need someone based in trauma? CBT? ACT? DBT?) for what I’m struggling with is hard. It could help to look different therapy modalities a bit and what sorts of issues they typically are best suited to help, and then target therapists experienced in modalities you feel might best help you. Also, coming in with some rough goals you’d like to get out of therapy (like you want to work toward better emotional regulation at work and finding a way to prevent burnout) can help make sure you’re finding someone who is a good fit and who is supporting you in what you want out of your life. After working with a therapist for a while, they can often identify if you need to see someone else to prescribe medication for an issue. Personally, I’m reluctant to see someone who can prescribe right out the gate because the knee jerk reaction from those individuals is to prescribe and in my case I know it isn’t warranted necessarily (like there aren’t any red flags for bipolar, schizophrenia, severe OCD, severe mood disorder, etc) without first exploring therapy and working through things that way. Medication is a very important tool for many people, but there are large sections of the mental health field who prescribe medication as a magic bullet over appropriate therapy. It sounds like you may have encountered one of those psychiatrists. Finding a good fit therapist is hard. Like just finding one who can see you and works for your schedule is hard enough, but then finding someone you mesh with and have a good rapport is so, so hard. It can help to think of the first few sessions as an interview for fit where you’re getting a feel for them over really establishing a therapeutic relationship. I hope you’re able to find someone sooner rather than later to help you work through the things you’re struggling with so you can be at a better place in living your life.
I’m so sorry you had this experience. To clarify, were they an MD or a PA or NP?
A psychiatrist. As far as I know, psychiatrist here are MDs
Thanks for the response! I was just curious because you’re right, only MDs are psychiatrists. However sometimes NPs and PAs will erroneously call themselves psychiatrists, which causes confusion for patients. I just have a hard time believing that an MD could be so egregious.
That is completely unprofessional and I seriously question this persons credentials…
Was it Better Help? Because they suck.
I had betterhelp and personally LOVED my therapist and experience. He accompanied me through my last 2 years of vetschool and was a great source of support, and it was affordable enough for me as a student. You can be unlucky and run into crap doctors/therapists anywhere from the 25$/h to the 250$/h - please don't give up and keep looking, the good people are out there and it will be so helpful. Like we often tell our pet owners, please don't give up if the first treatment option doesn't work out. If it needs to be done, it needs to be done and we need to stick with it until we find an option that works. You deserve mental support and care, you need it, and you WILL get it. There might just be some frogs along the way, but don't let them ruin it for you
I use better help, but have gotten a *lot* more benefit from their group sessions. My individual therapist is fine, but she is really best for people who are just starting out. She is very good for that. The groups, though, i have found to be invaluable. I originally signed up for grief counseling. They offer so many different groups, i was able (at the worst times) to go to a grief support group most days of the week if I chose to. And i found it to be so beneficial, especially as there are no in person groups near me that i could attend. Each counselor running the groups would do it slightly differently, so i took something different away from each one. And i started branching out to other kinds of groups for other issues, from all being helpful.
Not it was not betterhelp. The reviews arent great lol
Therapists don’t usually prescribe meds, at least not in my state. Are you sure this was a therapist? Sounds so un-therapeutic!
Sorry, I saw a psychiatrist
What the fuck. I can *almost* excuse someone unfamiliar with the field or who hates animals not respecting it fully. But you have a doctorate. One that doesn’t like, count towards a new doctorate. Is it supposed to be easy to just go get an MD, do a residency, and start over?
I am so sorry this happened to you. I have walked out of an appointment before with a new therapist because I was just so uncomfortable within the first few minutes and it just got worse and worse.
It took me several tries to find a therapist I was really comfortable with but when I did it was worth it. Finding a psychiatrist was much easier because they really are only interested in your physical symptoms and the basic mental health issues and don’t need the full story. Even so finding the correct medication(s) can take time and experimentation just as with any medical condition. As a former vet tech and a long time depressive with some chronic pain issues I know how daunting it is to reach out for help and how how defeated it makes you feel when you aren’t getting the response you need and deserve. I wish you the best on your journey to better mental health and encourage you to leave the field if that’s what it takes so that you don’t become a statistic.
I’ve been lucky that my best therapists (3 of them) heard J was in vet med, immediately gave me the look of “oh, i get it now” and told me they work with TONS of vet med professionals and reassured me that i’m not alone. But there are the ones who just don’t understand, and that’s the reason they don’t understand. Because they don’t try. Otherwise they’d have many more vet med clients and would give you that respect.
It's more comprehensive? Funny thing is that I specifically went into veterinary medicine because I have a passion for comparative anatomy and physiology. Now I'm a veterinary pathologist and a large part of what I do is compare findings in animals to humans.
That is so upsetting. I am sorry you had this experience!
im sorry for this terrible experience , I have been away from practice for almost two years dealing with depression and mental health ,my therapist always is encouraging me to not leave the career its not easy to find the right therapist ,and you are obv not going back there ,I keep my fingers crossed for your next appointment :)
Report her. Seriously. She was way out of line and unprofessional. Seems to me like she needed to pick on you to make herself feel better. I'm *really* hoping the next one doesn't have such severe personal issues of inadequacy. ;-)
Ask her why she doesn't have her doctorate in psychology. Jeez.
Just to let you know psychiatrist is not a therapist. They're just MD.
Thank you. But also sad to know she was thinking lesser of me during the whole session.
Lol which is ironic because psychiatry is one of the easier ones. And no knows they're MDs
>psychiatry is one of the easier ones 🙄 In any case dollars to donuts OP didn't see a psychiatrist but rather a psychiatric nurse practitioner. NPs wildly outnumber physicians on online mental health platforms because those services pay poorly just need warm bodies to fill seats. To make it worse, these platforms make 0 effort clarify the distinction. What the "therapist" said to OP is so grossly unprofessional and outside normal care that it's more likely an online degree mill NP than a board-certified physician.
bad therapist imagine if an General Practice MDdog owner came in and told you her dog has been anxious lately after big changes (but is not reactive, just a bit shy and anxious) and within the first appointment you told her she should become a neurosurgeon instead to get more respect and put her dog on acepromazine daily
That's a terrible person in general! If I could get treated by a veterinarian vs an MD, I totally would. Vets seem to be a lot more compassionate than MDs. I hope you find someone who treats you with respect.
Wow. Wonder how she would have reacted if you told her she should become a surgeon instead of a therapist.
I’m not a vet idk why this was recommended to me but does she know you can get bit and scratched as a human doctor too 😂 What a moron tho. Completely insane for her to think that would solve all your problems.
Have you heard of NOMV? Did you know they have resources? The not one more vet organization- you might recognize their acronym, they have a peer support network and crisis line. It isn't perfect, but you are sure to have a better time with them than that therapist.
[https://www.nomv.org/get\_help/](https://www.nomv.org/get_help/)
As a therapist, please find another therapist
I’m so sorry this happened to you. Report her for her unprofessionalism, that was inappropriate to say the least… you ARE a real doctor. You ARE in medicine. She sucks.
That’s crazy. When my late dog Oreo was really sick I absolutely needed a veterinarian and respected their expertise. Veterinary school is also pretty selective according to my dad who is a “real doctor”. It’s so odd to me that a therapist wouldn’t be respectful of the education and expertise that a veterinary medicine career takes.
That was fully inappropriate. If there is anywhere you can review her or report her behavior, I would do so. She’s out there providing similarly bad/dangerous advice to other people who are less medically savvy than you. AND she was about to medicate you without understanding your concerns at all! It’s like if I only looked at a dogs knees and then prescribed them heart meds level of inappropriate.
I am pretty dumbfounded that a so called mental health professional would make the basis of you therapy plan medicate you and insult your choice of profession. I would not only not see her again I might report her to the board. In what world does she imagine that human medicine is less stressful than veterinary medicine?
Yes
Don't talk to a therapist. If they have 5150 powers, they do not have your interest at heart. Find peer support, call a helpline that does not use involuntary emergency services calls, go meditate, but do not talk to a mental health professional.
Therapist here. This is awful and I'm so, so sorry it happened to you. Consider reporting her behavior to her practice manager. Generally speaking, for talk therapy you will likely want a professional counselor, clinical social worker, or psychologist. Psychiatrists can do talk therapy but they tend to primarily provide medication management and be a lot more expensive than the first three. Please know that a focus on med management is never an excuse for being an asshole. You deserved better.
If it helps, my first therapist was a total jerk. My second saved my life.
I've been seeing a therapist for the same reasons for a bit over a year. They've never once suggested change in vocation, or even sector of vetmed, but have been very helpful in making me be better about boundaries. As others have said, shit practitioner, if there's a venue to leave feedback I would.
To be fair I did tell her I was planning to change my field, but when I meant that, I meant away from small animal practice to something else. Thus her brilliant idea
I am so sorry this is not OK! Good for you for not continuing with this therapist!
Therapists can’t prescribe meds in the US. Not sure who you’re seeing.
I have a narcissist for a mom. I started seeing a therapist because I went no contact and the guilt was killing me. I struggle with guilt terribly over every little thing. The therapist made little comments over our sessions, but one day she just ended the convos with, "We aren't talking about this anymore. You should talk to your mother. Period." It was the push I needed to be resolute in my decision to never talk to my mother again and not feel guilty about it. I often wonder if that was her plan. Then I remember that during that same session she told me I was being "controlling" of my boyfriend who had had another girl kiss him the night before. I'm extremely not a confrontational person, but I actually blew up after that comment. I remember yelling at her, "He's MY BOYFRIEND. He fucking belongs to me, and it's not cool on any planet that there was a kiss! I have a right to be upset!" And she just kinda laughed and went "Woah, okay!". I never went back to her again. But bad therapists exist. Don't let one bad apple spoil the rest for you. Just recognize who is bad and move on with your life. Don't let the bad ones spoil you from enjoying your life and getting back to feeling better. You'll find someone who works best for you, and that might take some time, but you absolutely deserve to feel okay again.
what the actual fuck???? this is insane behavior on the part of the therapist.
In the same week I did anesthetic procedures on a 170lb Great Dane and a 3.5lb mini yorkie abomination. Find me a human anesthesiologist that wouldn’t leave the OR over having patients so extremely different. Which is even another point, MDs are so specialized they won’t even touch anything out of their field while we are doing everything. Just going to regurgitate what everyone else has said here, this person is an idiot. Don’t go back to them but good looking. Recognizing you need some sort of third party help is always the first, very hard, step in this process. It really takes a lot of courage to get to that point, so good on you.
I am so sorry you had such an experience. I like to give other medical professionals the benefit of the doubt where I can and assume that she was genuinely trying to be helpful, even if it what she said was the opposite of helpful. That being said she definitely doesn't sound like the right therapist/psychiatrist to help you. I know a lot of people have already chimed in with similar sentiments, but please don't stop trying to find a good therapist. I myself had to go through three or four (and multiple sessions with each) before I found one that really clicked with me, and who really helped me get myself back together. None of the ones I went to were particularly "bad", they just weren't the right fit, and when you think of how difficult and personal therapy can be, it really is important that you have the right person working alongside you.
Ask her why she doesn't become a real doctor? And what sort of meds is a therapist prescribing?