Did they give you the "it's not you, it's me" routine?

Nothing wrong with that, as long as you think it'd be beneficial to you and they aren't just trying to get rid of you.

In all likelihood they're recommending you see an MD/DO (psychiatrist) because they think that you might benefit from a prescription in addition to therapy. Generally speaking most (not all) therapists are not medical doctors (or PAs etc) and can't prescribe. If they think a patient might benefit from a combination of medicate and therapy, they have to pass it along to someone who has been educated enough to decide if that's the case and what to use--a psychiatrist.

This Is actually fairly common. Therapists cannot legally prescribe medication, and often work in conjunction with psychiatrists when their patients need medical help in addition to talking things out. Similarly, a psychiatrist won't usually help you talk through your issues, but rather will focus on medication to help you become more regulated. So if you have anxiety a therapist will talk to you about what is going on in your life and the day to day issues while a psychiatrist will give you medication to prevent the anxiety from overwhelming you. Best analogy to this would be like saying "My dentist recommended I see an orthodontist." They are two different specialists who work in the same field.

That's funny, my psychiatrist recommended that I see a therapist.

OP - "Can I tell you a secret" Therapist - "Sure" OP - "Promise me you won't tell anyone Therapist - "I Promise" OP - (whispering) "I see dead people" Therapist - "Ohhk... alright" OP - "Can I tell you something else too" Therapist - "umm... go ahead" OP - "Jumby wants to be born now" ... And that's how you get an appointment for a psychiatrist.

If your therapist believes that you would benefit from medication he or she would recommend seeing a psychiatrist to evaluate that need and prescribe any medication you might need. I wouldn't call this an FML moment because your therapist realizes that he or she cannot give you all of the help you need and instead of totally abandoning you is giving you the resources to get as well as you can.

I promise that's not that strange - some people see multiple doctors for different reasons, it's no different with mental health! More importantly, a therapist can't prescribe medication and a psychiatrist can. I know there's a stigma around psych meds but when they work right, they just make you feel more like your old self and able to go about your day normally. Whatever the reason, I hope it works out for you.

This is really common. Psychiatrists help with medication. Therapists/Psychologists help with talk therapy. Many people need to see both.

I don't see what the FML is. Therapists do this all the time to people they feel would benefit from medication. I personally see both.