Opinion ID: 776851
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Continuing Treatment

Text: 28 Specifically, the continuing treatment must have consisted of treatment two or more times by a health care provider. Joseph Sr. became depressed after his daughter's death in July 1994 and, initially, in his deposition, he downplayed the severity of his emotional problems. He insisted he talked to Dr. Brannon informally on various occasions and that [i]t wasn't an official visit. As for his visits to Dr. Fox, he claimed they were few and were off the record. Joseph Sr. said he viewed these sessions more as discussions with friends than as official counseling sessions. 29 Later, however, in his declaration, Joseph Sr. admitted to suffering from deep despair and depression. 7 He sought counseling and treatment from a psychologist and two psychiatrists. Dr. Brannon testified that her talks with Joseph Sr. began informally and over time evolved into formal counseling sessions to deal with his grief. When Joseph Sr. indicated he wanted to spend more time talking with Dr. Brannon after their initial informal discussions, she made that very clear that that would have to be in a psychotherapeutic realm and that we would have to set up a treatment plan and it would be a part of his record. She treated him for approximately seven months. Joseph Sr. was treated more than two times by Dr. Brannon alone and these formal counseling sessions qualify as continuing treatment by a health care provider.