I was wondering what to write about today and came across this article and thought this needs to be said. Quotes from this article are being used as it says it the best and I couldn't put it in any better words then what Mike did here. "It is a lonely horror for scores of patients across the country. The place where they are supposed to feel the most comfortable, where they are supposed to reveal their biggest secrets, becomes the place where they end up keeping their biggest and darkest secret. The thought that therapist abuse occurs is one that millions of counseling-going Americans don't even want to think about. If you can't be safe in the comfy confines of the office of the person you're spilling your most personal secrets to, then where can you be safe?" This is so true as a therapist office is where you feel the most comfortable so for them to do this is the worse thing they could do. Therapist are almost up there with your parents and when a parent does this to one of their children you think the same-the person that is suppose to be there for you no matter what has abused you in this way.
"A national survey of 1,320 psychologists discovered that more than half the professionals that responded reported treating at least one patient who had been sexually intimate with a prior therapist. Most cases involved female patients, most involved intimacies prior to the termination of therapy, and most involved harm to the patient. Harm occurred in at least 80% of the instances in which therapists engaged in sex with a patient after therapy sessions had been terminated." Really? That many have engaged in sex with their patients? I guess it means that it isn't as rare as others think.
"California is one of the few states that currently prosecutes therapist abuse. Under California law, “any act of sexual contact, sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, sexual misconduct, or sexual relations by a therapist with a patient is unprofessional, illegal, and unethical.” Under this breach of the duty of care the therapist is liable to the patient for all allowable damages under California law that the therapist causes. The California publication Professional Therapy Never Includes Sex details unethical and illegal contact within that state and what can be done to move forward." This should be the law in all states. How can you protect the ones that are doing the abuse? It is time to stand up to these people and help the victims. Maryland is one of those states that doesn't have the law and I think that is a crime in itself. Help us to make them understand why we need laws against this and to convict them for what they do.
To read the entire article by Mike Ricksecker go here: http://www.examiner.com/article/lynette-s-law-a-crusade-against-therapist-abuse
