First and foremost, if you are feeling suicidal, call 911 or a crisis hotline.
National Suicide Hotlines
1-800-SUICIDE / 1-800-784-2433 or 1-800-273-TALK / 1-800-273-8255
24 hours a day/7 days a week
National Sexual Assault Hotline
www.rainn.org
1-800-656-HOPE
24 hours a day/7 days a week
There are additional crisis hotline numbers listed in the right sidebar under the heading Need Help Now?
Also, visit the MeToo website for an amazing list of resources.
WONDERING IF YOU’RE DEALING WITH AN ABUSIVE THERAPIST?
Read these pages:
Do You Need Help?
Treatment Abuse Checklist
THERAPIST REFERRALS
We do not provide therapist referrals. Getting a recommendation from someone you know can be helpful. There are also therapist directories you can use to search, such as PsychologyToday.com and GoodTherapy.org. If you can’t find someone locally, more and more therapists are providing teletherapy, via the internet, so that may be something to look into.
Click here for a blog post about looking for a new therapist.
LICENSING
You can check out someone’s license information online through their state licensing agency. This will tell you whether there have been any complaints or administrative actions taken against them.
For example, in California, Marriage and Family Therapists (MFTs), Social Workers, and Clinical Counselors are licensed through the Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS), whereas Psychologists (including PsyDs) are licensed through the California Board of Psychology. You can look up licenses and file complaints for any of the above through the California Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) BreEZe Online Services.
TAKING ACTION
Depending on the nature of the abuse, you may have three different options:
1. File a licensing/administrative complaint
2. File a civil complaint
3. File a criminal complaint
Please note: If you want to take more than one of these actions (for example, you want to file both a civil complaint and a licensing complaint), the order in which you file the complaints can be VERY IMPORTANT. Before you take any action, it would be wise to consult with an attorney.
Click here for a blog post about taking legal action.
LEGAL RESOURCES
For names of attorneys, check the Legal Resources page. If you don’t see an attorney for your area, call one of those listed, as they may know someone who works in your region.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
TELL – Therapy Exploitation Link Line at www.therapyabuse.org has articles and email responders who may be able to offer some support for victims.
For additional resources, websites and articles, scroll down the page and check out the right sidebar. There are many websites, blogs, and articles listed there that may be helpful.
