I asked my mental health care provider for the state license number of my therapist so that I could report my therapist for not doing a decent job. She asked me to send her an email so that she could follow up on my concerns.
I’ve just finished the email. I’m exhausted, shaking, dizzy, and pissed. So, I’m going to post the email here so y’all can read it.
It begins here:
This is difficult for me to relay but I’m committed to stopping this from happening to anyone else, at least at the hands of Cathy Soto.
I’m not sure when I first saw Cathy, I have an image in my calendar of a business card dated August 3rd with Cathy’s name on it. Btw, I’ll be ending sentences with prepositions at my leisure because this is already going to take forever.
My first appointment with Cathy was tedious, but similar to all ‘first’ therapy appointments in that many questions must be asked. The difference was her frustration that we didn’t finish answering all of those questions. I apologized, but also acknowledged the very complex nature of my problem to begin with. She assured me that we would finish up those questions at our next appointment.
Our next appointment came around and I had a pressing, anxiety riddled situation that she agreed to discuss with me then, that day. Pushing the remainder of the initial therapy questions out to a third appointment.
The third appointment occurs and she insists that we did in fact finish those questions. I can’t imagine any scenario where your therapist insisting you agree with their lie is acceptable. For the sake of trying to get the ball rolling, I stopped arguing with her.
She was amused at my frustrations. She actually asked me what could I possibly have going on in my life that could be stressful. Yet when I would try to bring up the great unanswered questions, she would smirk.
I mentioned moving furniture a lot. I was exhausted. I moved furniture everyday. I tried to explain that my house is little, a cute little mill house that I moved into in 1991. My husband and I have been renovating it. She, Cathy, insisted that I lived in a four bedroom house. She refused to hear/believe? that? I shouldn’t have to argue with my therapist about my reality!
Another example of her extremely confident but incorrect view of my world was when I was seeking coping skills for anger. She wanted to know what kind of anger I could have. Since she and I had discussed my anger, I was confused. She asked me if it pissed me off for someone to interrupt my shows!
Interrupt my shows?!?!?!? Are you kidding me? What? What?
Another complaint. If Cathy had even ever pretended to give a shit, I could keep my mouth shut about her looking at her phone during our sessions. But she is doing a major disservice to the entire field of behavioral health!
I went back to school full time and worked full time at 46, got an Associates degree in Computer Networking Systems with honors. I’m motivated. I’ve since learned that I might enjoy programming and have been diligently pursuing that. I have worked non stop since I was 15 years old! I started babysitting at 13!
I finally quit my job because I was having seizures and hallucinations. Undiagnosed brain tumor.
The doctor and Neurologist who missed this are currently under investigation by the state. Cathy Soto deserves no less scrutiny.
I asked Dr. Peluso three times for another therapist. Each time he would resubmit my request. I asked Nurse Jean for a new therapist, she submitted my request. Every call I made to Piedmont Mental Health included my checking on the process of when I would get assigned another therapist.
I spoke with someone who answered the phone one day asking if there were a best way for me to get another therapist. She said put it in writing and hand it to Cathy at my next appointment. That was in September. I’ll attach that request. It wasn’t kind and I won’t apologize.
I finally met my new therapist on January 30th. Just a little over four months from when I put my request in writing and handed it to Cathy Soto.
I’m supposed to be not getting worked up. This process has caused severe dizziness. And tears, and frustration.
I don’t care why Cathy decided I didn’t need the help that I was begging for. But I will not go away.
I need her license number so that I can report her to the state licensing board.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
Sincerely,
Michelle Logeman
Train Bumor 