Why Therapists and Psychiatrists Need Each Other (and So Do Our Clients)
Guest Post by: Tessa Zadorsky
Here’s the honest truth: siloed mental health care is still the norm—and it’s failing people.
Too often, care feels fragmented—not because psychiatrists and other providers don’t care, but because the system makes it hard to stay connected. A client might finally get a psychiatry appointment after months of waiting, but the psychiatrist hasn’t been part of their therapeutic journey. The therapist knows the patterns, the backstory, the subtle shifts—but they’re not in the room. And so, the client becomes the bridge, trying to summarize months (or years) of therapy in a short session with someone new.
As a therapist, I’ve felt that discomfort—knowing a client is about to walk into a psychiatric consult carrying the weight of our work on their own, while navigating fear, shame, or confusion. It feels like abandonment. It’s no one’s fault—it’s how the system was built. But it doesn’t have to stay that way.
And it goes both ways. Without a psychiatrist I can consult with or bring into care, I’m left holding unanswered questions:
- Is this the right diagnosis?
- Could medication help?
- Are we missing something medical?
It’s like trying to build a house with only half the blueprints. Therapists and psychiatrists are trained differently for a reason. We see different angles. Together, we can offer care that’s both comprehensive and personalized—deep and wide, yet compassionate and precise.
Collaboration Changes Everything
In the collaborative model I work in through Psychotherapy Matters, here’s what’s different:
I don’t just refer clients to psychiatrists and hope for the best. I arrange a psychiatric consultation through PMVC, where the client and I meet together (sometimes virtually, sometimes in the same physical room) and connect with the psychiatrist online. I share what I’ve seen in therapy; the psychiatrist brings their expertise, and the client gets a comprehensive plan—not a fragmented one.
When I’m part of the consult, I can bridge the emotional and the medical. That context transforms the psychiatrist’s ability to help, and the client’s ability to move forward.
When therapists and psychiatrists collaborate, the benefits ripple outward:
- Reduced Wait Times – Psychiatric support often within weeks, not months.
- Fewer Misdiagnoses – Context from therapy improves assessment accuracy.
- More Effective Treatment – Plans grounded in both psychological depth and medical insight.
- Empowered Clients – Clients are active members of a team that sees the whole person.
Talia: A Real Example
Talia came to therapy saying she was anxious and burnt out. But something didn’t sit right—her energy spiked unpredictably, she crashed into shame spirals, and nothing I tried was sticking.
Through a PMVC psychiatric consult, the psychiatrist (with my input) diagnosed Bipolar II—something she’d never considered. That changed everything. Treatment shifted, she began mood stabilizers, and therapy moved from stress management to deeper work.
She stopped blaming herself and began to understand herself.
She told me, “That diagnosis didn’t label me—it freed me.”
For Therapists: You Don’t Have to Carry It Alone
Therapists often carry both the emotional weight of client stories and the uncertainty of unanswered clinical questions. Collaboration means you no longer have to hold it all. You gain medical insight without giving up your role. You stay grounded, supported, and able to focus on your lane—knowing a colleague is covering the rest.
For Clients: You Deserve Integrated Care
You shouldn’t have to wait eight months to see a psychiatrist. You shouldn’t have to repeat your life story to someone new. You deserve a plan that makes sense—built by people who see the whole picture.
Final Thought
Healing isn’t just about medication. And it’s not just about talk therapy. It’s about having the right people in the (virtual) room, seeing the whole human, and making decisions together.
Collaboration isn’t extra. It’s what healing actually requires.
To learn more about Tessa and her work:
Check out her PM Profile
Visit her website: https://calmwaters-psychotherapy.ca/
The views expressed in these blogs are the author’s own and not necessarily reflective of those of Psychotherapy Matters.
Information provided here and elsewhere on PsychotherapyMatters.com is for educational purposes only and should not be used to guide the treatment of clients/patients.
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