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Patient Stories

I have no faith in Kaiser’s ability to help me

Published Tuesday, March 26, 2019

I’ve attempted to receive mental help from Kaiser on multiple occasions, but they have failed me each time. The first time they referred me to an outside therapist, and then decided they weren’t going to cover it, forcing me to pay out of pocket hundreds of dollars and stop my therapy after only three sessions, as I couldn’t afford to continue. After a second unsuccessful attempt to receive care from Kaiser directly, I reached out to my local LGBT center for free counseling with an intern. This helped for a while, but I eventually needed someone with more experience. I found a therapist outside of Kaiser who had a sliding scale fee I could afford. I met with her for several months and it was very helpful, but even with the sliding scale it wasn’t maintainable long term. I have recently had a baby and was diagnosed with postpartum depression and anxiety, and am once again attempting to seek help. I have told the therapist and psychiatrist that I have no faith in Kaiser’s ability to help me through this. Seeing a therapist once a month, at best, is deplorable and almost pointless. If I injured my shoulder and had a physical therapy appointment once a month, I would not expect to get better. I don’t believe in Kaiser’s ability to heal anyone.

Alyska
Vista