Anyone knows english speaking psychiatrist in Bern? I don't mind not bad english for normal doctors, but psychiatrist really needs to be able to communicate fully with me.
Thanks.
Hi,
I just googled this and it seems there are some that speak English although, I'm not sure how well.
http://www.bern-psychotherapie.ch/therapeuten.html
Look under "Sprachen" and give the person a call to see whether they're eloquent enough.
I don't know any in Bern...
But when I first came here I went to my general doctor, who gave me the phone number of someone at the nearest psychiatric hospital, who arranged for me to be treated by one of the psychiatrists based there who spoke English. You might have better luck going down the same route as there are more psychiatrists at a hospital so one phone call will produce a greater chance of finding someone.
I'm afraid I don't speak German so I can't help with a Google search...
If I have understood (after 2 years) the system correctly, most of the psychiatrists in the hospitals are actually completing their training. They then establish private practices when they qualify, either here in Switzerland or abroad. So the only disadvantage is that at some point a psychiatrist you see at the hospital is going to leave... thankfully mine hasn't yet!
Thank you for your replies. I'll check out that list, I wonder how I could missed that after searching for hours online.
Psychiatrist in hospital sounds very clinical. I'm sure it's not the case but I always associate them as those who perform lobotomy on their patients. I think I'll try to find someone more established and in a more friendly environment than in a hospital. Thanks for sharing your experience anyway.
Cheers.
No this is not the case at all. In fact, a neurosurgeon would perform a lobotomy (not sure that many are done anymore). And many hospital based - psychiatrists have a "private practice," where they see individual patients in an outpatient setting. In my experience, the physician matters, less so the setting.
You might check out the psychiatry department at the university of bern - although they could require a referral from your primary care physician. Or, you could check out the Lindenhofspital, Salem spital, or Sonnenhof - those are all good private hospitals and might have a decent referral service.
Are you looking for a psychiatrist or a psychologist? Psychologists cannot prescribe meds, but if you're looking for something less "clincal", I wonder that you are looking for a psychologist.
I'd second that... my psychiatrist isn't clinical at all - and at first I saw her in an outpatient clinic. I now go to the hospital, but only because the hospital changed their organisation so instead of the psychiatrists spending half their time in outpatient clinic and half their time at the hospital they now do one or the other 100%... mine was allocated to the hospital but she offered to keep me on.
Re. the psychologists... here you can't see a psychologist without being also treated by a psychiatrist. If you go to see a psychiatrist at a private clinic, they may send you for counselling or assessment to a psychologist who works under their supervision... but as far as I know you can't 'just' see a psychologist.
Thanks, I didn't realize that....