Kaiser, Don't Deny

Therapists on referral lists don’t accept new patients

I have never experienced such difficulty in finding mental health care since joining Kaiser in 2020. I did an intake with a Kaiser therapist, who seemed entirely uninterested. I tried for over a year to find a therapist with no luck. Eventually my referral ran out. I went through all these processes again, being clear about my experiences in the past. This did not help me find a therapist. I was given another list of providers. Once again, no names on the list were accepting new patients. When I called Kaiser back to see if they could help get me in to see a therapy I was told “if providers aren’t accepting new patients there is nothing we can do.” The same person also told me that “no one wants to live in Santa Rosa or work for Kaiser.” I feel utterly defeated. I have multiple chronic illnesses, diagnosed PTSD, Borderline, and treatment-resistant major depressive disorder. I’m the kind of person who needs to be in therapy. The pain caused by Kaiser’s lack of support is debilitating.

Lauren
Santa Rosa