Is three a crowd? Clients, clinicians, and managed care

Abstract

How does therapy change when therapists work under managed care plans? To explore this question, the authors conducted in-depth, semistructured interviews with therapists. The interview texts were analyzed using a structured thematic coding system. A central theme in the interviews was a culture clash between managed care companies and these therapists. Working for managed care organizations demanded several practices that violated the therapists' standard of care and professional ethics. Also, participants reported that managed care personnel misrepresented the nature of psychotherapy to clients, thereby undermining the therapeutic work and the therapist-client relationship. If these therapists' experiences are representative, the growth of managed care has serious implications for the nature of psychotherapy, practitioners' integrity and morale, and the public image of the therapy professions.