Has anyone had Dr. Steger as a psychotherapist in Lexington KY
i had Dr, Steger and he was very nice. I was real nervous because so much is riding on this appt. First, they take you in the room and set you down with a booklet and answer page like those college entrance tests you take. It is all multiple choice and very tricky. The same question will be asked over and over in a different way. Be VERY CAREFUL how you answe these questions. Sometimes it is better (if you want the surgery) not to spill your gut feelings to these guys. After the test, he takes you to his office and talks to you for about an hour. he wants to know how well you understand what the surgery consists of and not just that it restricts your eating. i had to tell him, "well they transect part of your stomach and leave this itty bitty pouch which holds about 2 ozs. then they cut your intestines and bypass a part of it and then bring it up and re connect it to your new pouch" You get the idea. I just told him, i was very nervous and had never been to a doc like him before. Think before you answer the questions when he is talking to you. he asks about your family and any issues you have with them. Like i said, some things are better kept to yourself. But all in all, he is very nice and trys to put you at ease. He will tell you at the end if he is going to pass you for surgery. Good luck!!!!!1
Yes, I had this particular gentleman for my psych screening. I felt that he was more interested in obtaining his fee than really anything else because he asked three times if I had gave the secretary a copy of my insurance card and that was during the "psychological review". 
I first went into the office and they gave me the test. I had finished about 50 questions when he came out and asked me to come to his office to be interviewed. 
He asked me about the surgery, about my family, my husband, and the kind of work I do. I told him the "truth" that my husband and I had been through some difficult times but had seeked counseling and worked through our issues. I also told him a outline of my childhood touching briefly upon the abuse issue and I again told him that I had sought counseling and felt that I had that issue under control. 
Then the dreaded question, "what will you do if you can't have the surgery?" I looked at him and said, "well, I truly don't know what I will do. I guess eventually my health will go downhill and will probably die before I'm 50. So, I guess I would be back at square one." 
His final diagnosis of me was, "I think that you need counseling for the little abused girl trapped in the fat woman's body who won't know how to react to being sexually attractive to men." My reply to him was, "Well, I didn't start out my adulthood this fat and I had no problem with being sexually attractive to any man. I actually felt good about myself when I was smaller(weighing 150 to 170 pounds)." 
Moral of the story when Karen Hillenmayer called me to set up my surgery date she said that the psychiatrist had given my evaluation rave reviews...I was "psychologically stable in the utmost sense". 
The whole interview and the thoughts of someone trying to probe into your mind, possibly twisting your words around to mean something else is all a bit unnerving for anyone. And yes, do read the questions carefully. 
Good Luck!!
Debbie
P.S. After the interview I let him know that I also was a Psych major in college. 
I first went into the office and they gave me the test. I had finished about 50 questions when he came out and asked me to come to his office to be interviewed. He asked me about the surgery, about my family, my husband, and the kind of work I do. I told him the "truth" that my husband and I had been through some difficult times but had seeked counseling and worked through our issues. I also told him a outline of my childhood touching briefly upon the abuse issue and I again told him that I had sought counseling and felt that I had that issue under control.
Then the dreaded question, "what will you do if you can't have the surgery?" I looked at him and said, "well, I truly don't know what I will do. I guess eventually my health will go downhill and will probably die before I'm 50. So, I guess I would be back at square one."
His final diagnosis of me was, "I think that you need counseling for the little abused girl trapped in the fat woman's body who won't know how to react to being sexually attractive to men." My reply to him was, "Well, I didn't start out my adulthood this fat and I had no problem with being sexually attractive to any man. I actually felt good about myself when I was smaller(weighing 150 to 170 pounds)."
Moral of the story when Karen Hillenmayer called me to set up my surgery date she said that the psychiatrist had given my evaluation rave reviews...I was "psychologically stable in the utmost sense".
The whole interview and the thoughts of someone trying to probe into your mind, possibly twisting your words around to mean something else is all a bit unnerving for anyone. And yes, do read the questions carefully.
Good Luck!!
Debbie
P.S. After the interview I let him know that I also was a Psych major in college. 
I had Dr. Steger for my psychological evaluation, too. Here's how the day went:
I walk into his office, and give the chick at the desk my insurance card. She gives me the booklet of a million questions, and I start to answer them. THEY ARE VERY TRICKY. YOU MUST, MUST, MUST READ THEM EXTREMELY, EXTREMELY CAREFULLY!!!!!!
I was about 20 questions into it when Dr. Steger called me back into his office. We talked for about an hour, I think. He asked about my family, my husband, about the surgery, what I would do if I didn't have the sugery, and some other stuff. He was nice, though. He then told me that I needed counseling for my "SELF-IMAGE ISSUES". (Wow. An obese person with self-image issues. Whodathunkit?!?!) He then told me that he thought I was an excellent candidate for the surgery, and that he was going to write in his report to St. Joe East that he recommends therapy for me. He gave me some names of therapists in Lexington, then I went out and finished the questions. When I got home, I chose one of the therapists and made an appointment.
Karen from St. Joe East called me a couple of days laterand asked if I was going to therapy. I told her I had an appointment but hadn't started going yet. She said they would go ahead and send my stuff to the insurance.
I went to the therapist, and have been going to her weekly for 10 weeks. She wrote a letter to St. Joe telling them that I have been attending therapy. I was approved by the insurance 2 weeks after they sent the stuff to Humana 
. So....my advice is to READ THE QUESTIONS VERY, VERY, VERY CAREFULLY!!!!
Oh yeah, when I walked out of Dr. Steger's office, I found that I had locked my keys in my car. Justin, my husband, had to drive all the way from Clay City (an hour drive, each way) just to unlock my car. Boy was I mad!!! 
) He then told me that he thought I was an excellent candidate for the surgery, and that he was going to write in his report to St. Joe East that he recommends therapy for me. He gave me some names of therapists in Lexington, then I went out and finished the questions. When I got home, I chose one of the therapists and made an appointment.
Karen from St. Joe East called me a couple of days laterand asked if I was going to therapy. I told her I had an appointment but hadn't started going yet. She said they would go ahead and send my stuff to the insurance.
I went to the therapist, and have been going to her weekly for 10 weeks. She wrote a letter to St. Joe telling them that I have been attending therapy. I was approved by the insurance 2 weeks after they sent the stuff to Humana . So....my advice is to READ THE QUESTIONS VERY, VERY, VERY CAREFULLY!!!!
Oh yeah, when I walked out of Dr. Steger's office, I found that I had locked my keys in my car. Justin, my husband, had to drive all the way from Clay City (an hour drive, each way) just to unlock my car. Boy was I mad!!! Most Active
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