By divine appointment I ended up seeing a phyciastrist who had been a visitor at a mission centre where I was previously. I did not recognize him at first, but he recognised me. I was seeing him for depression from my experience with the abusive mission group.

Well, we got to talking, and he [i:1bd8d75fc7]knew[/i:1bd8d75fc7] about my situation at the mission centre overseas and also knew some details of it. After talking to me for 10 minutes, he claimed I was bipolar. At the next follow up appointment, when I told him I was going off the medicine that a previous doctor had prescribed because it was making me drugged, he exploded and accused me of not being under his spiritual authority and refused to listen to me.

I asked him what his relationship with the mission group was and how he knew about my situation, and he refused to tell me. He accused me of being defensive when I tried to talk. He asked me if I wanted "to learn about spiritual authority, because I can teach you about spiritual authority!" Needless to say, I was livid, but I managed to keep my cool.

[b:1bd8d75fc7]My question for everyone is this - do you think I should ask for my $275 dollars back? Do you think I should file a complaint with the local professional psychiatric board?[/b:1bd8d75fc7]

He never did give me a prescription. I wouldn't have taken any drugs he would have prescribed anyway after having him be so verbally abusive. I still can't believe what happened!

Definitely don't see this guy again! He has control issues and it's quite possible he obtained access to your personal information from someone in your religious group.

I doubt you can get your money back, but filing a complaint with your state's medical board is not a bad idea. It sounds like he's being seriously unethical.

Always feel free to complain about any professional. His thumbnail diagnosis is inappropriate under the nonprofessional atmosphere as long as you did not ask him for one.

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Always feel free to complain about any professional.....

I totally agree with this that we need to feel free to complain about any professionals, however I think we should always examine our own roles in the matter. Once, 'eons' ago, I slept with my sons' therapist - it was a dreadful experience. During this one night experience he smoked pot and tried to get me to smoke. I was very naive and this frightened me. At the time I was too frightened to complain. But I've looked back on this so many times and wished that I had had the courage.
maggie

I don't really understand your position.
Who is responsible, really, in a case like this?
As far as I know, the therapist steps out of line when he sleeps with his patient; this would seem to me to be a betrayal on the part of both the parent and the therapist. The pot-smoking seems rather irrelevant to me in the face of the greater betrayal.
I'm not sure that there would be anyone to "complain to" in this case.
Are there any legal or ethical guidelines pertaining to sexual relations between the parent of a client and his therapist?
Perhaps an apology to the son would be appropriate, provided he was old enough to accept it and if he had some knowledge of it. If he has no idea of what happened, the more humane thing might be to forget the incident and not allow it to happen again.
A new therapist might be in order as well.