Publications
Professional Therapy Never Includes Sex – California Department of Consumer Affairs (pdf)
You can also find this document on the Consumer Resources page of the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.
For Your Peace of Mind – A Consumer Guide to Psychological Services – California Board of Psychology (pdf)
You can also find this document on the Forms and Publications page of the California Board of Psychology.
In Wisconsin, Treatments Never Include Sex (pdf)
This was authored by one of our readers, who is a survivor of therapist abuse. Much gratitude and appreciation to her for creating a resource for Wisconsin residents!
What About Me? – A Book for Men Helping Female Partners Deal with Childhood Sexual Abuse
by Grant Cameron
What About Me? is for men who are helping female partners recover from the trauma of childhood sexual abuse. The book is unique because it’s the end result of the traumatic and trying times Grant Cameron encountered while helping his wife, Liz, deal with her abusive past. If you are a partner of someone who was abused as a child, you will find this book enlightening. It takes you into the world of a child sexual abuse survivor and explains in laymen’s terms how to help, deal and cope with the survivor’s anger, grief and pain. Grant covers important subjects like the inner child, the necessity for breaks and how to be a support.
The book is available for download at: helpforpartners.wordpress.com
First Aid for the Soul after Heartbreak by Sandra Lee Dennis, PhD
Articles on Therapist Abuse
These first three articles are from the TELL website. There are many excellent articles on TELL, and I highly recommend checking out the site.
I really could use some resources for my husband to understand what happened to me. I “fell in love” with my therapist and then “she fell in love with me” – it led to rapid termination of therapy and an outside sexual relationship. She recently lost her license as someone else turned her in. I now am coming to grips with how much I was victimized, but also needing to deal with my husband who still feels like I had a classic affair. He “gets it” but isn’t sure he “buys it” that I was anything less than completely responsible for my behavior. I “must have known what was going on” – I am a physician.
I am feeling both victimized and incredibly guilty for what I did to my husband and marriage.
thanks
That’s such a difficult situation! But it’s true that a lot of people don’t understand how the therapist-patient dynamic makes true “consent” impossible. I have some books on my Books & Media page that might be helpful for both of you. I also highly recommend the articles on TELL (http://www.therapyabuse.org) and AdvocateWeb.org. I think there might even be one written by the husband of an abuse victim. One book that talks a lot about consent is Marie Fortune’s Sexual Violence – The Sin Revisited. It’s primarily about clergy abuse, but if you are okay with the religious content you may find a lot of value in it.
With time and understanding, you’ll feel less guilty about what happened. Remember that it is ALWAYS the therapist’s responsibility to uphold ALL BOUNDARIES. You were not responsible for the therapist’s actions and choices. It can take a while to really get that and understand that you were not to blame for what happened, so just be patient with yourself. You’d probably be surprised how many victims of therapist abuse are, themselves, therapists. Your being a physician is irrelevant—you were just as vulnerable as anyone else. I think you’d really like the articles on the TELL site, because many were written by therapists who are also survivors.
All the best!
I am an advocate for Lynette’s Law and have started my own blog on wordpress.com I would like to add this to your list of places that people might find stories and/or information.
Would also like to get this one blog out about giving a second chance to a counselor who lost his license a year ago. If you would allow this on your page I would appreciate it.
https://frstperrygrl.wordpress.com/2015/03/30/virginia-professional-boards-thinking-of-giving-a-second-chance-to-mental-health-professional/
Thanks,
Margaret
Hi Margaret,
Thanks for the link to your article. I’ll be happy to add you to the list of websites.
~Kristi
Hello. I am a journalist writing an investigative piece on psychotherapist abuse. I am seeking victims who are willing to speak to me on or off the record. You can see my other work here: https://www.vice.com/en_us/contributor/elizabeth-brown