THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PSYCHOTHERAPIST AND PRESCRIBING PSYCHIATRIST- SOME CONSIDERATIONS

The increasingly common arrangement of nonmedical psychotherapist and prescribing psychiatrist collaborating in the treatment of patients wi th psychiatric symptoms or disorders, prompted in good part by managed care's impact on the mental health field, poses several challenges. T his paper examines practical considerations, clinical and legal risks, and transference and countertransference issues that are relevant to this arrangement. The economic ramifications of shrinking reimbursemen t and reduced patient availability reflecting the direct influence of managed cave on treatment can also contribute to tensions in the relat ionship and are discussed.