I have had issues with the phycologist at the free mental health clinic. I have my own one that give me my medication and I see on a regular basis. Sometimes I have to see the one where my social worker. I have only seen the free clinic one 2 or 3 times. She was not happy with me and my emotion support cat at all….
The last time I went to see her she made me come in only to scold and belittle me. She knew I had a ESA. She wrote it in her file of me. EVERYONE I come into contact with at the mental health clinic knows I have a cat that comes with me. I have been going for over 5 years. My first social worker was the one who told me to ask my doctor’s about getting me one. I always make it well known before I go to a group that I will be bringing her. Just in case anyone has allergies I can go to an other group.
I wasn’t even sitting down in her office before the physiologist started into me. “I see you brought your cat. I was wondering if you would. Do you know how inconsiderate that is? What if I were allergic? (She wasn’t because the first time I saw her she was told I had one and she said she wasn’t! She did make sure I knew it wasn’t acceptable though when she saw me and my cat. I talked to her about it and thought everything was alright. Legally she has not a leg to stand on.) “I am going to have to ask you to rebook the appointment since you didn’t tell me about your cat. It is disrespectful to me and everyone else.”
When she started talking to was closing the door and had my back to her. I didn’t even make it to sit down in a chair that was maybe two feet away. I just stood there crying harder than I was from just being out. I didn’t let her finish her speal, as soo. As she told me to rebook and leave, I just open the door and left now full of anxiety rage and having a full blown panic attack. She was the one who called me! She picked the time and made sure to tell me when I got there that she was wondering the whole time if I was going to bring my cat. She was the one who told me she put notes in my file that I have a cat! Why didn’t she bring up the fact on the phone? Why would I tell her when I have met her before and we talked about how it illegal for her to tell me not to bring my actual SERVICE animal. ( where I am ESA have the same legal rights as a service animal. Basically just a different type of service. My cat is trained and most people don’t even notice her in the carrier she stays in.)
I waited until my next meeting with my social worker to bring it up to anyone at mental health services. The phycologist had clearly already told her side of the story to my social worker. My lovely social worker told me I was right and legally her co-worker had no standing or grounds to make me leave or refuse me service. The big boss lady got involved because I requested it. I was not depressed, or anxious about the whole situation I am still enraged by it. It makes me so angry that a mental health professional would ever treat someone like this. It took a few weeks but I was assured everyone would be getting all the information on the legal rights of ESA and how to treat patients with them.
I kept being asked if I wanted to talk to the lady who was so cruel to me. I said if it helps her, if she wants to apologize for being awful I will talk to her. I don’t need closure, her apology. I need her never to do it again and to realize how serious it is to do that to someone. What if I were someone else who doesn’t get enraged when their legal rights are being enfeinged on, or someone who doesn’t know the law? Something like that could be very damaging for them.
My social worker and the head of the department were scared I wouldn’t attend any of the groups the other lady was heading up as she is their main phsycolgist. It will not phase me one bit. I am already crying and having panic attacks in groups. I have more important issues to worry about than a small minded woman who is not tactful or very kind when she gets an idea in her head that isn’t true. I will go and I will bring my damn cat. God better help her if she says anything about ESA again to me. I only went to the department head. I will go higher and make more of a deal about it. Not just for me but for others who may get this same treatment too. It doesn’t seem like that will happen as she got spoken to and the whole place got memos on the laws on ESA and that they are 100% welcome and needed.