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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 14 of 14. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by dancinbillie on December 10, 2009, at 10:35:48
Hello all. A former therapist, with whom I had a difficult end to therapy, admitted some time after treatment that she has Dissociative Identity Disorder, and states she has never been honest about her condition when applying for employment because, she says, "It would make me unemployable." Her disorder doesn't seem to be well-controlled, she doesn't take medication or participate in any personal therapy. Am I over-reacting to be concerned about her continuing to treat patients? Thanks much.
db
Posted by lingonberry on December 10, 2009, at 11:44:11
In reply to Mentally disordered therapist, posted by dancinbillie on December 10, 2009, at 10:35:48
No, I dont think youre over-reacting. Not at all! The fact that she reveals this kind of information to you shows her lack of insight. I think she shouldnt treat anyone under these circumstances. The problem is not her DID, its her resistance to treatment, her reluctance to acknowledge the effect this has on her, that she´s doing therapy in her condition. Unfortunately, I have no suggestions for you. I dont know what I should have done whit this information. Of course, its not your responsibility, but I do understand that you are concern.
> Hello all. A former therapist, with whom I had a difficult end to therapy, admitted some time after treatment that she has Dissociative Identity Disorder, and states she has never been honest about her condition when applying for employment because, she says, "It would make me unemployable." Her disorder doesn't seem to be well-controlled, she doesn't take medication or participate in any personal therapy. Am I over-reacting to be concerned about her continuing to treat patients? Thanks much.
>
> db
>
Posted by Phillipa on December 10, 2009, at 12:06:08
In reply to Re: Mentally disordered therapist dancinbillie, posted by lingonberry on December 10, 2009, at 11:44:11
Why would she even tell you this? I don't get it? Phillipa
Posted by dancinbillie on December 10, 2009, at 15:28:31
In reply to Re: Mentally disordered therapist dancinbillie, posted by Phillipa on December 10, 2009, at 12:06:08
> Why would she even tell you this? I don't get it? Phillipa
She didn't know that it was me she was talking to on the internet. Even so, I wondered why she would talk about such issues with someone she really didn't know, someone with whom she'd only chatted a few times. We ended up having an ongoing correspondence for several months, and she really enjoyed talking about herself.
db
Posted by sassyfrancesca on December 10, 2009, at 15:36:57
In reply to Re: Mentally disordered therapist, posted by dancinbillie on December 10, 2009, at 15:28:31
We had a discussion about this kind of thing in my (psych.) class. If I remember correctly, this is a big no-no........she needs to deal with her own issues, etc.
you can also contact the State she is licensed in and ask that question, etc.
Sassy
Posted by dancinbillie on December 10, 2009, at 16:01:52
In reply to Re: Mentally disordered therapist » dancinbillie, posted by sassyfrancesca on December 10, 2009, at 15:36:57
> We had a discussion about this kind of thing in my (psych.) class. If I remember correctly, this is a big no-no........she needs to deal with her own issues, etc.
>
> you can also contact the State she is licensed in and ask that question, etc.
>
>
> SassyHi Sassy, thanks for your reply. And Phillippa too, I was rude in not thanking you for your reply in my response to your post.
Anyway, Sassy, wondering what the "big no-no" part is to which you refer - that the therapist was confiding in the patient? Just want to be clear that she did not know it was a former patient she was sharing with.
On the other hand, she shared some stuff about herself with me while she was treating me, nothing like what I'm asking about, but boundaries were crossed here and there.
Thanks so much for your replies, I appreciate them a whole lot!
db
Posted by Phillipa on December 10, 2009, at 20:53:50
In reply to Re: Mentally disordered therapist, posted by dancinbillie on December 10, 2009, at 16:01:52
Your're welcome I do believe as Sassy that she should be reported. I wonder if due to her condition she was incompetent to practice hence the licensing board could investigate. Love Phillipa
Posted by sassyfrancesca on December 11, 2009, at 14:09:24
In reply to Re: Mentally disordered therapist, posted by dancinbillie on December 10, 2009, at 16:01:52
Hey, sweetie: That is okay! The no-no part(I think) is (as she told you), she would be unemployable if they knew of her problem. She shouldn't have been sharing this stuff....but for the right answers, you can contact the licensing board,etc.
PS. Oh, I just re-read your post and see she wasn't sharing that info. with a client....
Hugs, Sassy
Posted by dancinbillie on December 11, 2009, at 19:33:31
In reply to Re: Mentally disordered therapist » dancinbillie, posted by sassyfrancesca on December 11, 2009, at 14:09:24
> Hey, sweetie: That is okay! The no-no part(I think) is (as she told you), she would be unemployable if they knew of her problem. She shouldn't have been sharing this stuff....but for the right answers, you can contact the licensing board,etc.
>
> PS. Oh, I just re-read your post and see she wasn't sharing that info. with a client....
> Hugs, SassyHi Sassy, thanks for your reply. She shared the info with me, a former patient of hers, after our therapy had terminated, and she didn't know it was me, a former client, that she was talking to . . .
I learned this information about a year ago. She also believes she is telepathic; that she can astrally project; that she's a reincarnation of Venus, the Goddess of Love; that she has a "phenomenal" sexuality that she projects even when she doesn't want to or even know she's doing it (which, along with a hideously negative countertranference toward me, became hazardous to me and is why our therapy terminated); that nearly all other women have hated her all her life because they're afraid she's going to "steal" their man; that she has attempted suicide many times since she was 12 years old (now in 50s) and is frequently suicidal now; that she always fears an alter may get up in the middle of the night and take a bottle of pills or throw her off the roof; that she was programmed and still operates sometimes under "mind control" and is still vulnerable to "thought insertion" and could come over to my house any night and kill me, and never get caught; that she is actually not of the human species but comes from another planet; that she was for many years as a child Satanically ritually abused by her parents and other members of her family; that she was intended from birth to be a "breeder" for that cult . . . Sorry, just had to get that all out to someone! I'm extremely open-minded and I can't solidly dispute any of it, but to me it seems pretty far out.
During our therapy, she did share things with me like telling me that she loved me, that it would be extremely difficult for her when I left therapy and that she would simply "be mean" to me and "not talk to" me so that it would be easier for her, that she didn't want the other staff members to know how "deeply attached" she had become to me, and that our therapy was meeting some of her needs as well as mine. Perhaps you can imagine some of the negative effects such disclosures had on me later, though I was thrilled at first to be so "important," so "special" to her. So I do know first-hand that she's damaged at least one patient and has poor boundaries. Even if she had such feelings, I know she shouldn't have shared them with me, a current patient at that time (somewhat more than two years ago).
I don't want to wreck her life - but I don't want to see her wreck anyone else's life as a result of her undisclosed disorder. It also makes me feel uneasy that I personally know that there is a mental health practitioner lying about her own psychosis. She says she does "pretty well" when she's at work, so it's no problem . . . Seems to be another instance of poor judgment. As her basically anonymous email and phone buddy for several months in 2009, I tried to help her and encouraged her to seek treatment, but she said no treatment had ever worked except with one doctor many years ago who was able for about a year to speak with her alters, but then some of her alters shut it down, which she says happens with other health treatment a lot of the time, as well.
Really very sad, yet scary, I think, for those who come in contact with her as her patient. I've been torn by this knowledge on and off since I learned about it.
Thanks again,
db
Posted by Phillipa on December 11, 2009, at 20:42:38
In reply to Re: Mentally disordered therapist, posted by dancinbillie on December 11, 2009, at 19:33:31
Seriously I"d report her behavior to the licensing board this is rather scary to think someone is conducting theraphy this ill. Phillipa
Posted by rnny on December 14, 2009, at 23:08:28
In reply to Mentally disordered therapist, posted by dancinbillie on December 10, 2009, at 10:35:48
Well, ending therapy is a tumultuous time for people who say they have T's that walk on water! Other than the ending of your therapy, what kind of therapist was she? Did she injure you psychologically or sexually or any other way when you were her patient? Maybe she knew it was you emailing her and decided "two can play this game".
Posted by dancinbillie on December 15, 2009, at 13:35:19
In reply to Re: Mentally disordered therapist, posted by rnny on December 14, 2009, at 23:08:28
> Well, ending therapy is a tumultuous time for people who say they have T's that walk on water! Other than the ending of your therapy, what kind of therapist was she? Did she injure you psychologically or sexually or any other way when you were her patient? Maybe she knew it was you emailing her and decided "two can play this game".
Hi rnny, thanks for your reply. I agree that ending therapy can be a tumultuous time for those who say they have Ts that "walk on water." I have thought that about two Ts I've had - with the first, about six years ago, I told her of my thoughts, and she contained them and did not reciprocate. With this particular T, I believe she tried to contain my feelings but was unable to, and reciprocated. Please see my earlier post for a few examples. The therapy ended because the other staff, including her supervisor, saw that there was a problem with transference-countertransference and assigned me to a different T. I was told by the supervisor that this sort of situation had occurred before with the same T and that in her opinion I wasn't the first to have been damaged by this T's boundary crossings and violations. After that program was over, I was referred to a T in private practice whom I've been seeing for about two years. Both she and my med mgmt doctor also gave their opinions that I had been damaged psychologically and emotionally. Regarding the emails and "two can play this game," I'm not really sure what you mean. Play what game? Thanks.
db
Posted by Verloren on December 23, 2009, at 1:46:21
In reply to Re: Mentally disordered therapist, posted by dancinbillie on December 11, 2009, at 19:33:31
Hi Dancinbillie,
I'm so sorry you've had to struggle with this information by yourself for so long. You have been very strong and very supportive to her. Congrats on stepping outside of your role! However, I feel that you are definitely not overreacting with your concern.
This T really needs help and she has been lying to herself and to others about her situation. She even knows that she is wrong if she realizes that she would not be allowed to practice if they knew about her disease. That rule is in place for a reason; to protect vulnerable people like ourselves from being irreversibly and irreparably hurt. If she's only in her 50s then she can do a lot more damage before she finally retires or is discovered.
It doesn't seem like (imo) she respects the advice you've been giving her as her chat buddy. She seems self absorbed and deluded. Please, if you have the ability to help her save herself and others, I urge you to deeply consider doing so.
I think I would feel very guilty in your shoes for turning her in, but there are tests and rigorous forms they have to fill out to ensure they understand and accept the rules of being in a therapy practice. She knew the ramifications and chose to ignore them. She mentioned she talks about suicide. I would feel even guiltier when she eventually hurts herself and all her patients are stuck in limbo trying to find a new therapist.
So sorry for being so forward. I am really a stickler for rules most times esp when they are in place to protect people. Gosh, this makes me wonder about others in this field who should not be.
It's not the sharing this info that I think is upsetting. I'm glad she's actually talking about it with someone. It's that she seems to be in complete denial that this could affect her negatively. This seems like the equivalent of a surgeon who operates on patients while drunk. It might not damage anyone for a while, but why risk it over the long term.
How do you feel about her now? You mention transference and counter transference issues? Do you have any transference for her still? Would it make you reluctant to report her if you did? Do you worry that she would be upset at you or not able to talk with you any longer if she was turned in?
I'm generally very open-minded too. Maybe a few of these things she believes in, I might think yeah ok, but all of those combined into one person is (imo) very unrealistic and her line of thinking seems to be definitely a result of her illness. Seeing that she gets help would not wreck her life, rather give her a chance to start living one. After 50 years of never truly living there must be some part of her psyche that's been so suppressed, waiting to finally live. From what you've said, it truly sounds like her life is already wrecked. There is no sense in her wrecking others too.
So I would ask myself these questions:
1. Will any good, that overcomes the negative, come out of her continuing to treat people?
2. Aside from her needing to find a new and appropriate career choice, what consequences would happen if she were reported?
3. What is the likelihood she would hurt herself one night, or even physically hurt someone (a woman she thinks is jealous of her perhaps) else?I'm not sure if I've given you food for thought but I hope I didn't upset you. I really hope you don't feel offended, ok.
Take care
-Verloren
Posted by emilyp on December 28, 2009, at 0:26:17
In reply to Re: Mentally disordered therapist » rnny, posted by dancinbillie on December 15, 2009, at 13:35:19
Maybe I missed it, but how do you know for sure that the person that you were chatting with via the internet is your therapist? I also find it a little odd that the supervisor would even reveal to you that the therapist damaged other people. It would seem to me that would reveal a real liability (and thus she would not tell you something like that). Why do you think she told you this?
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