My therapist told me to text her between sessions. She flattered me that some people, it bothers her receiving their texts, but she’s fine for me to do so. She feels it helps our sessions.
She then charged my insurance for those text messages as face-to-face sessions. When I called her out on it, she lectured me that therapy doesn’t have to be face-to-face, and can be flexible and delivered in many formats. On some days, the charges came through as a full hour of face-to-face therapy for a brief text saying I was leaving hospital and felt a bit better. Her responding a few words was considered worth charging $200, and she continues to feel entitled to this price.
What shocks me is how entitled she felt, and that her degree in social work somehow means a text of a few words is healing, deep, and helpful – if it comes from her. I will now have to fight to expose this fraudulent behavior. I was unwell at the time, it didn’t come out of my pocket, and I hadn’t checked every invoice.
Be careful who you hire as a therapist, and never assume that the end goal isn’t their profit and power.
-Sam, Australia