Complaining against a Clinical Psychologist

Last updated on Jun 21, 2022

You can complain to multiple forums regarding the misconduct of clinical psychologists. The violation of any of the general duties of a psychologist can be grounds to take action against them.1 Some of the forums include:

Rehabilitation Council of India

The Rehabilitation Council of India is the forum that oversees the work of a clinical psychologist. You can lodge a complaint against a professional on the ground of ‘Professional Misconduct’. The Council can order the removal of a psychologist’s name from the register of Rehabilitation Professionals (permanently or for a specified period of time), if found guilty. 2

State Commissioner of Disability/ Chief Commissioners of Disabilities

If you are a person with a disability who was treated by a clinical psychologist who violated their duties/ethics, you have the option to complain to the State Commissioner of Disability or Chief Commissioner of Disabilities, Government of India. You can find the list of State Commissioners here.

Mental Health Review Board/State Mental Health Boards

You can approach three main authorities if you have been treated by a clinical psychologist at a mental health establishment for mental health issues:

  • Central Mental Health Authority – It is the central authority under the law, which has functions including registering all mental health establishments under the Central Government, maintaining a register of all mental health establishments in the country, developing quality/service norms for mental health establishments under the Central Government, supervising all mental health establishments under the Central Government, receiving complaints about deficiencies in provision of services, etc.
  • State Mental Health Authority – It is the authority at the state level which has functions including registration of mental health establishments in the State, developing quality/service norms for mental health establishments in the State, supervising all mental health establishments in the State , receiving complaints about deficiencies in provision of services, etc.
  • Mental Health Review Board – It is the authority at the district level under the law, which has functions to register, review, alter, modify or cancel an advance directive, to appoint a nominated representative, to adjudicate complaints regarding deficiencies in care, etc.

As of now, the authorities, particularly the Central Mental Health Authority and the Mental Health Review Boards are functioning. However, some States, such as Delhi, Kerala, etc. have constituted the State Mental Health Authority. You should seek information about the functioning of these authorities from your respective State.

  1. Regulation 15, The Rehabilitation Council of India (Standards of Professional Conduct, Etiquette, and Code of Ethics for Rehabilitation Professionals) Regulations, 1998[]
  2. Section 21, The Rehabilitation Council of India Act, 1992[]

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Comments

Kal kadyan

August 13, 2022

I took sessions from psychologist Dr.Sheetal Sharma few years ago. I am asking her a diagnosis letter and and stating that I took sessions with her. But she is denying to give it. I don’t know what to do about it?
Is she entitled to give me those details and can someone help me with it .

Nyaaya

August 22, 2022

A clinician / psychotherapist is not obliged to write a letter because a patient requests it. The can decide to write a letter or not write one depending on their assessment of the patient, and whether or not they do this kind of thing as part of their practice.

Some clinicians have a policy to not write letters, and others are fine doing this. Often patients requests letters from clinicians because it serves their agenda, whether or not it makes sense from a mental health perspective..
It is assumed that an integral part of working with a therapist involves receiving a diagnosis, but that’s not necessarily the case. A therapist can decline to write a letter for a variety of reasons, I would think, in answer to your question. Therapists are not required by any legal or ethical requirement to do something just because someone asks them to, and never if it violates their principles or policies.

Santosh V

February 10, 2024

I was affected by some hallucinations and auditory hallucinations due to my past trauma on the year 2020 . And a local gynecologist referred and recommended to take treatment online from her friend k.r. subhashini rangarajan and kind hearted subhashini rangarajan accepted to treat me and recovered my mental state to normal in 15days. After that I had thoughts of past dreadful incident in my life so i continued treatment with her. In the middle as of my past trauma and kindless environment around me. I asked her to accept me as her Little brother. She agreed to call her sister. While appointment she will kindly talk and helped me to create website for Sanskrit tution and suggest me to get healthy food from canteen while a hungry in chennai.and i share her everything thing in my life with her via WhatsApp but she will not reply. Asked her whether it is annoying to you because iam texting but she said no problem. Suddenly after 2year of treatment she stop taking my call during appointment day. One see took her phone and said she got margarine and hospitalized so anyother psychiatrist and cut the phone. After some days my mother pardon her help she said sure but denied after reasoning her PhD and new job. Till the day i don’t know am diagnosed with and how long to take medicine. I trusted her she will take care of me like her Little brother. Mam during my hallucinations days i was in totally fear and panic mode. She calm me by her words her kindness was like mother’s kindness to me so was attached to her more and i thought she will also because she was psychiatrist she can understands my longing for affection from someone . In my past before meeting her I was harassed and tortured by m.v ananthapadmanabhan the famous vaishnavite discourser .at first he was kind and asked me to join him . So I showed all affection and love as his disciple. But he didn’t recognise me as his disciple and harassed me in many ways. After leaving him i got his hallucinations. As iam fatherless boy i got my mothers love only.So mind is longing for love and affection from people who are nice to me . So I asked her to be open and free and take all rights as her brother. But she didn’t. I already asked her that I have fear of showing love and affection towards anyone because i fear they will leave me . For the her answer was not all people are same but she itself left me. Even after knowing all my condition she didn’t treat me atleast as patient. Consultanting another psychiatrist is not a solution. After religious scholar torturing iam fearing to get near God and his disciples . Now I hate doctors and any women except my mother beacause of subhashini rangarajan. I hate to socializing with people beacause of subhashini and ananthapadmanabhan. I am take her same prescription for 2year without changing dosage. If stop taking it am getting fatigue and wing flopping sound in my ears.after some day i got information from her friend doctor that subhashini husband is cause for my treatment stopped. If he don’t likes be brother and sister atleast letting her finish my treatment as a psychiatrist. You all took Hippocrates oath right then as said in it any personal reasons must not stop treatment in middle right. But i think you all forget it. And before getting recovered by my past she wounded again by same way as the discourser did. You want to know that i attempt to drinking sanitizer because all are hating me . As by force vomiting i practically lost my eyesight. Got suicidal thoughts and tried to attempt again by dorning in a river but some word of my mother changed me temporarily. Daily getting these questions why everyone are avoiding me ?Is getting used to elder as a sister is sin ?Is accepting my affection as sister only for simply hear my problems is that difficult? Iam worthless to treat me atleast as a patient . And doing some research is worthless. Mam I begged her to treat me but she blocked me in WhatsApp and contact.i tried to contact her by mail but no reply. Conclusion iam not willing to see anyother psychiatrist because thinking of a doctor or a psychiatrist only subhashini rangarajan will come in my mind. And you cant undo anything . And don’t trust anyone in this world than my mother now . All people are fake people don’t know meaning of love and affection . I stopped taking medication given her because of extreme drowsiness and hindering my daily life . Without medicine and by extreme incident in my lifes I am always angry and restless. I got some help from some astro psychiatrist for meditation but subhashini’s medication hindering my meditation and can’t either calm myself with meditation nor take medication. Ok iam complaining about her because without complaining i don’t know want she will do next to whom by hearing her research scientist husband words by forgetting her Hippocrates oath. It’s your choice to give me justice by anymeans and your choice to teach her and gentlemen husband as memorable lesson. But i am severely injured mentally i don’t have hope of recovery. Hope you will give some justice to me thanks for reading it with pateince.please tell subhashini rangarajan yo answer this questions.Because this question can be only answered my her only not by anyother psychiatrist. Open your mouth and talk break the silence.even you shout upon me its ok to me . I was in patience for a year. Only questions I have in my mind .why you people neglected my affection and brother hood ? .lWhat can be harm to you and your husband of being affectionate to me as a sister and sister’s husband.ok if you can’t be a sister atleast you have convinced me slowly to understand it and continued my treatment. Ok what is my mental disease you diagnosed me . And my condition is getting serious i can’t accept any affection around me who enter new in my life my brain think all are same.if i close my eyes , during meditation you four of them are coming in my mind .Because of your impoper guidance towards my medication. I mean same took dosage for two years . Which causes me to sleep in meditation. I stop it for a week but can’t get into deeper state in meditation beacause of my disability and my heart all feeling for the rejection of affection by you all. I can’t throw all out of my mind and succeed in meditation and life either or Because of my mother can’t even die also. Your husbands gave me pain a trauma than that Anantha padmanabhan vip. So break all you silence and speak to me face to face. I you truly loved psychiatry you will not leave a patient in middle of treatment.and. Ok past is past answer my questions and leave my life. I mailed her these questions but no reply and she is continuously blocking all whatapps i messages and declining my call . and I moved in many way even contacting director of nimhans .They are safeguarding their fellow psychiatrist. And My final decision about my life . As for my mother and new person in my life who adviced to get divine love for God through meditation and you will be trapped in middle without anyone help if you suicide .i changed my mind earlier. But lately iam unable to get proper progress in that too. Iam prefroming a special Pooja for obtaining gods love and affection for 2 months.if i didn’t get obtain thee love in that.i will sucide for sure. i will never bother about getting trapped in middle somewhere without love and help. Because its not new to me . You can think why i am saying you this because i definitely going to write a letter about my cause of death and post in social media. Many cause is my relative,anathapandanabhan and subhashini rangarajan. her doctor Registration No is
89609.

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