This is not about me, it’s about my sister in high school; I really need some input please, anything helps.
So my sister has been suffering from anxiety for about 7 months now, she started out seeing this ‘psychologist’ (we’ll call him Dr. X). She seems to like Dr. X and doesn’t mind the therapy, even though she was opposed to seeking treatment first. Her anxiety got bad around a month ago, she was hospitalized and the doctors there prescribed her a medication plan and also referred her to a psychotherapist that can help her deal with the anxiety.
She met the psychotherapist but says she prefers Dr. X over the psychotherapist; the thing is, many fishy things are happening. My dad called the insurance company so that we’ll only pay copay rather than the full therapy fee, but the insurance company said Dr. X is not in their insurance records or ANY licensing records; what’s more, Dr. X would not disclose his license number to my sister’s school when she was undergoing therapy, AND said he wouldn’t deal with the insurance companies when my dad told him the situation. The insurance company called him but he hasn’t responded.
Do you think Dr. X is a fraud? I feel he may have been licensed but his license has expired and he’s not allowed to practice until it’s renewed. I’m not sure; I don’t want my sister going to him if he’s a fraud.
It is very easy for you to find out if the practitioner is licensed in your state. Look up the link for your state’s licensure verification site. Put in the practitioner’s name. Make sure to look for the name in the correct site. Establish whether he or she is calling him/her self a psychologist, psychiatrist, social worker or whatever. Then just check your state’s verification site for that name.
He/She does not need to be licensed if he she claims to be a “psychotherapist”. That is not a legal/protected term. Your dog could legitimately claim to be a therapist. Nobody would pay for it. But it would not be illegal.
@lostaccount So I should google license verification, find the official link, and I should be able to look him up (if he is licensed)? If his license is expired, will he still appear?
Some school based professionals are not licensed by the state but certified by the department of education. If that is the case then the services are not reimbursable. Further, most school based services are free to the enrolled students.
Yes if a person is only certified to work within the schools, then they can’t provide services outside that setting unless they call themselves psychotherapist-which isn’t a protected term but is rarely covered by insurance. The person can’t call him/er self a psychologist or psychiatrist either nor advertise as such.
Wether the person shows up on verification if the licensed isn’t updated probably depends on state and if certification and license are both depicted by the state or not.
I hope he returns some calls and this works out, since your sister seems to like him.
However, given that she has been hospitalized, it really is essential that she gets excellent care. If this doctor can’t prove his credentials in some way … I would recommend recontacting the hospital and asking for recommendations, it is OK to mention the odd doctor in this context, and if something is off, they will likely be able to pursue it with licensing boards.
Well intentioned or fraudulent amateurs are not a good idea around your sister at this time, she is still fragile.
Also you need to coordinate medicines and psychotherapy … so there needs to be a team.
The hospital likely has more recommended psychotherapists, one that may also click well with your sister.
If his license has expired, it should still show up as expired. But there are differences in each state and what their websites will show. The fact that he doesn’t work with insurance companies or would not tell the school his license number is not, in and of itself, a reason to worry. As a psychiatrist I have had insurance companies claim I am not on their panel when I have been for over a decade! And, if an insurance company that I did not accept called me about a patient, I would not return the call to the insurance company due to privacy issues. Without a release from the patient, we typically don’t return calls form anyone.
But since you are worried, I would verify his license! It will give you peace of mind.
I seem to remember one state, FL, I think, that has licensure for School Psychologists allowing them to practice in the private sector. Not sure what the limits of their scope of practice is, but they would still have to be licensed.
As others have said, it’s easy enough to look up your state licensing board and look for this provider’s credentials. Check linked In too.