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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by no_rose_garden on August 15, 2008, at 14:44:04
I've started looking for a new T and called 3. One called back and said that she wasn't accepting new people.
It got me thinking...are the people without room better? Because if other people chose her and filled up her schedule, then she must be good...and m aybe the people without openings weren't chosen.
Am I destined to be with a T who's not as good (as they're the only ones with openings)?
This is discouraging :(
Posted by raisinb on August 15, 2008, at 16:32:31
In reply to Are T's without openings better?, posted by no_rose_garden on August 15, 2008, at 14:44:04
Well...depends on the therapist.
I had to get on waiting lists for both of the therapists I saw in Ohio. Neither was anything special, and the second (who was the most renowned and published) did some things that I now see are pretty major boundary violations. I'm not sure waiting four months for her was worth it.
I got in with my current therapist right away and I've been with her for 3 and a half years.
I think geography has a lot to do with it. I've noticed that even the most touted therapists where I live now often don't have waiting lists, when almost everyone did when I lived in Ohio.
However, I always have this niggling doubt that my therapist keeps me for financial reasons (even though she's in a group practice, and I have no idea if her salary even depends on how many clients she sees--and I also notice she's usually booked solid). But I still have this doubt. And sometimes it causes me to act out to test her.
Posted by Looney Tunes on August 15, 2008, at 20:35:23
In reply to Re: Are T's without openings better? » no_rose_garden, posted by raisinb on August 15, 2008, at 16:32:31
No. Insurance has a TON to do with it. Some therapist take any insurance, so that means they are able to see lots of clients. Other Ts that only accept a few insurances may get less people, simply because they take less insurance.
It does not mean anything. I saw a T who only had one opening. I tried working with him for 2 months and he was the WORST T I have ever seen. He had no time, could no respond to calls, had no additional openings, etc. He just took alot of insurance and mostly wanted to deal with "depressed/anxiety issues" which there are tons of people with.
My new T specializes in PTSD and Borderlines. He sees like 10 people and that is it. He is very-well respected and he does not take insurance at all. Therefore, if you want to use your insurance, he won't help you. He has openings, but very few people want to pay out of pocket.
So, no. It means nothing. Also, some T's work part-time or 3/4 time. So they may only take a certain number of clients.
Keep trying.
Posted by healing928 on August 15, 2008, at 20:58:07
In reply to Are T's without openings better?, posted by no_rose_garden on August 15, 2008, at 14:44:04
It really depends. My current t is great. He doesn't do it full-time, so his schedule is limited. He has set days for office hours. He tends to travel more than most because he belongs to organizations, and does workshops/trainings. He is not taking new clients because his schedule is so hectic. So a lot of it is timing.
I have had t's who had great availability; there wasn't a connection, and were not helpful.
It does take time and work to find the right t. Keep on calling other t's.
Good luck!
Posted by Lemonaide on August 17, 2008, at 5:16:40
In reply to Are T's without openings better?, posted by no_rose_garden on August 15, 2008, at 14:44:04
I am not sure, there are some T's who have so many clients, they can't fit another one in their day if they wanted to. More clients equal more money.
But I think the really good ones, in my view don't have a full load, so they can pick and choose who they want. My T had openings, and I consider him very good, he has a very successful track record in our city, with many years experience. He likes to do trauma stuff because he feels it is his specialty. He likes to keep openings for someone who really needs his help in this area.
So I don't know if you can tell by how full a T is or not. Some T's are cheaper so they fill up quicker because of that, there are so many variables.
Posted by wishingstar on August 17, 2008, at 11:57:23
In reply to Are T's without openings better?, posted by no_rose_garden on August 15, 2008, at 14:44:04
I dont think a T with no openings is necessarily any better than a T who does have openings.
I think there are three groups of therapists... really bad Ts (unethical, untrained, etc), really particularly amazing Ts, and "the rest", which is probably 90% of all Ts out there. The amazing and bad Ts together probably make up 10% or less of all the Ts out there. Most of us here, even those of us who love our Ts to death, probably see Ts that fall into that 90%. What makes them really great for us is the individual match. How the personalities of T/client match, the connection/relationship, that Ts experience dealing with your type of needs/issues, etc. In my opinion it's hard to classify Ts as "good" or "bad" overall (except for the small amounts) because what makes them good or bad is really specific to each individual. What makes a T good for you might make them bad for me. I've seen Ts highly recommended by others that I didnt like at all. So the bottom line is, dont try to hard to make judgments on a T based on factors like openings until you talk with or meet them. It's really just trial and error, but you'll find the right person. Keep trying. :)
This is the end of the thread.
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