I'm thinking it's time to find a new therapist.
A therapist is like a good wingman. If you don't click, you sure aren't gonna share your fears and secrets with them.
Journaling/notekeeping is a good excercise but not a substitute for a good therapist. You don't know what you don't know. Fresh perspective is often just what we need.

My regular MD is a pretty good listener. She knows a lot about cardiology so I don't have to explain over and over every procedure and medication I have. Also, she was in a car accident when very young and she lives with constant pain, so her empathy level is extremely high. Plus, she has no problem with prescribing depression and anxiety meds for me. I will discuss all this with her next month and my next psych appt is in November, so right now, I am collecting thoughts and opinions.

Having 26 years of dealing with various members of the psychotherapeutic profession, I say the majority with M.D.s are assholes. If you've bonded with your regular GP, most of the stuff you discuss with the shrink has to deal with the heart stuff AND you have enough time during your appointments with the GP to discuss your issues, I say stick with her.

We got a referral to a psychiatrist for my youngest daughter a while ago after she had seen a psychologist a few times about her behaviour which we believed stemmed from bullying at school. The psychiatrist spoke to us (her parents) for one session without daughter, then saw her for one session (during which time she spoke maybe two words to him). At the end of that session, he provided a firm diagnosis of severe clinical depression and told my partner that 'people who are diagnosed with severe depression this young almost never live very long. We could try cognitive therapy, but I think it's a complete waste of time'. It's lucky I wasn't there at the time, or I'd likely be facing an assault charge now. Needless to say, we didn't and won't be seeing him again. He refused to believe that the problem was related to bullying in any way, insisting that all kids get bullied and she must have other issues (which could be true, but at least explore what they might be before handing down a death sentence on a 9 year-old, for fuck's sake).

I'm sure there are good people who work as both psychologists and psychiatrists but, after a psychologist who wanted to give my daughter letters written by one of his other clients expressing her desire to suicide and detailing how she was going to do it (with her name still on the letters) and this arsehole, I'm very dubious.

Largely because of the stress this issue has caused (but also a few other things), my partner has started seeing a (different, for a few reasons) psychologist, who was appalled and horrified that a psychiatrist would speak like that, much less make such a pronouncement like that after barely speaking to a child. My partner is very happy with progress so far, so maybe there is some hope for the profession (one out of three is still a fail, in my book, though). She's also validated our decision to give up on the school system doing anything about the bullying two of our kids are experiencing and teaching them to start giving back as hard as they get.

I really, really like my psychiatrist. She's absurdly expensive, but she's provided a ton of much needed perspective and talk therapy (not to mention a fantastic titration of meds that had me feeling basically no side effects) this past year. I absolutely could not have worked through my issues/situation on my own, and I think the decision to see her has been one of the keys to me not melting into a pile of self-loathing, depression, and anxiety.

So FWIW, the good ones are out there.

I have really never met a psychiatrist with whom I felt I really connected. Most of them have been glorified medication dispensers. The last one I had was pretty good, but there was a weird cultural disconnect. I was living with my now-husband before we were married, and he didn't say anything directly but seemed disapproving of this arrangement. Sorry dude, that might be taboo where you come from, but it is not exactly uncommon in America.

I loved, loved loved my last therapist, though, but she's not on my new insurance plan and there is no freaking way we could afford anyone who's not covered.

Nah, you're hopeless, don't bother.

unsurprising, that's so awesome. I didn't know there were any psychiatrists who still provided talk therapy.

Ardiril, sounds like you have the perfect backup plan, but don't forget to mention the failed psychologist relationship to the MD.

Huh. I have... 3 friends who are psychiatrists, and they all provide talk therapy. All are happy to rant on about over-medication too, and all the issues with psych meds. Sucks that so many ppl have had bad experiences.

I have a love/hate relationship with my therapist and therapy in general. I love that we're actually really getting down to brass tacks now. I hate that I've been in therapy for three years and doesn't seem as if there's an end in sight.

Often, I wish my therapist were a psychiatrist or worked the way other peoples' awesome therapists/psychiatrists do. But then again, mine has me paying out of pocket on a sliding scale in the middle of Manhattan, so that's awesome.

Holy shit, dg.

I'm a therapist in the middle of Manhattan (well, actually, the East Village) and I try to charge as little as I can get away with, so it's not impossible. My experience is that good psychiatrists are the exception. They get less training in therapy than non-MDs, for example. I could go off now on a rant about the field as a whole but I'll save it for some occasion when I feel more like ranting.

The son of friends of the family was put on the antidepressant meds which initially increase suicidal tendencies and has just hung himself.

My psychiatrist has the personality of a brick.

Throw him through a window.