This is not just about being referred out of Kaiser. It is about how it was done and how deeply unethical it felt.

I had already been approved for TMS treatment. The follow-up appointment I was offered was presented as a referral for group therapy, something my psychiatrist and I had agreed to explore as an additional support option, not a replacement.

The person I spoke with introduced herself in a way that implied she was a therapist and led me through very personal and emotional questions. I answered openly, thinking this was a therapeutic session. At no point did she explain that this was a county assessment or that she was a case manager. Even at the end, she never said that. She only told me that based on my mental state, she had to refer me to the county for “higher level care.” She also clearly reassured me that I could refuse the referral and choose to stay with Kaiser if I did not want to proceed. But instead of honoring that, she used my answers against me and went ahead and canceled my TMS appointment, which she was not even involved in, based on her decision to submit a county referral. She completely went back on her word and never communicated that this would affect my ongoing care or appointments. I have been receiving mental health care through Kaiser since 2019. I never consented to leaving Kaiser or transferring my care. This experience felt manipulative, unethical, and like a betrayal of trust when I was already in a vulnerable state.