Hi, I have been thinking how to answer this question since I have experienced special treatment that ended up devastating me.

Keep in mind, I didn't understand about "unethical" treatment at the time. I, indeed, thought he was treating me "special."
Pdoc one would dictate other patient's notes in front of me. I had a ride or two in his black corvette. He treated mr to lunch two or three times. He gave me a copy of his curriculum vitae to read- that included personal information about him and his family. He had me meet him at the courthouse saying we would meet after his court business was finished. He was a forensic psychiatrist, so that seemed to make sense to me at the time. I didn't know he was there because he was being *sued* by his former landlord for alleged damages his family had inflicted on his rental home. I didn't know his wife and baby we're going to be there. This was just supposed to a hospital follow up visit for me. He had just released me from a three week psych inpatient stay the week before. I didn't know he was going to ask me to sit with him and his family. I didn't know he was going to approach the bench without permission. I didn't know he was going to challenge the bailiff. The bailiff put his hand on his holstered gun and ordered Pdoc to leave the court room. There's more but I'll stop there. I liked him so much, I didn't want to see him as a questionable doctor. He did some real good for me, too.

Pdoc2- He began to give me the last appointment of the day so he would have more time to spend with me. He began giving long full-body hugs and infer he was reluctant to let me go. He would call me late at night, unbidden, and try to talk about our relationship. I remember he said, "I think I know the answer but...." And he would just trail off leaving me to guess what he was talking about. He told me I should let him hold $5,000.00 of mine because he was afraid I would spend it all. I never got it back. He told me having an intimate relationship with him would help me get out in the dating world. When he worried I would tell, he got my drivers license revoked by lying and saying I had seizures. That was special.

Current T- she allows me to contact her by email, office phone and cell phone. I think she allows other clients to do this, too, so I'm not sure if I would call it special treatment.

I did not have computer access in the 80's and 90's. Advocate Web did not exist. Not many scholars wrote about therapist exploitation at that time.