A well respected psychiatrist at the hospital I use to work at had a relationship with and slept with a client after they terminated. They had only seen each other a couple of sessions. Well, after their affair ended, she reported him, sued him (she was an attorney) and his career was over. So at the age of 60 with a very distinguished career (Harvard prof and all), he turned over his license and though he can continue his research, he cannot have any client contact for the remaineder of his career.

When we received the press release via email at work I remember how baffled everyone was that someone would risk everything they've worked their whole life for to have an affair. Maybe it was love, but obviously things can change pretty quickly. A lot of people felt sorry for the guy (no previous allegations and a solid reputation in the hospital), but most people just thought he was an idiot.

The rules are in place for the protection of the professionals as well as the clients.