[Salmon77]

My T recently mentioned something about having been arrested. It was the sort of thing that I would call "a youthful indiscretion" and it doesn't bother me.

But it got me thinking, what if T had a criminal history that was actually pretty bad? Like assault or burglary or whatever. I assume they do not have to disclose that sort of thing to clients. If I found out my T had committed a violent crime, even if it was a long time ago, I think it would bother me a lot.

Just a hypothetical question: if your T had a criminal record, would you want to know? Would it bother you to find out?

[zoiecat]

If I knew they were arrested for a violent crime I would not see them. As someone with a long history of abuse, I would not feel safe with them.

[ArtleyWilkins]

I would definitely want to know, and I would not knowingly see any professional who had a felony conviction. There are other fish in the sea as the saying goes. I completely realize I might very well not know, but given the information, I would look elsewhere.

[Lostislost]

It wouldn't bother me at all. Assuming it was just in their past and they had worked on themselves and changed for the better. I think they might even be a better therapist for going through something like that, everyone makes mistakes.
I would like to know about it, if they were comfortable telling me.

[stopdog]

It probably would not bother me -particularly if it involved drugs or something - I believe they should all be legalized. I don't think of therapists as good people to begin with.

[daisydid]

I can’t speak for all licensing bodies, but the board of counseling in my state won’t allow people with certain convictions to practice. I guess if the board would be willing to license my therapist taking their criminal history into consideration, I’d see them.

[Mountaindewed]

I googled mine awhile ago and it said she had arrest history but I had to pay to see more info. So I don’t know if it was legit or not. I mean, I can kind of understand why she’d have run ins with the law and if it’s what I think it might be, then good for her for sticking up for her rights. So I’m not concerned about it and I for sure won’t bring it up.

I did some dumb stuff when I was a teenager that I never mentioned to any of the 4 therapists I’ve had in the past 10 years.

[Salmon77]

Originally Posted by Lostislost

It wouldn't bother me at all. Assuming it was just in their past and they had worked on themselves and changed for the better. I think they might even be a better therapist for going through something like that, everyone makes mistakes.
I would like to know about it, if they were comfortable telling me.

Especially for addiction, it seems like a lot of therapists/counselors have suffered from addiction themselves and it's how they got motivated to help others. So I agree in that case, for sure.

For a violent crime, I think I might feel differently though. Fortunately my T didn't mention anything violent. But it's true that lots of people do dumb stuff in their teens and early twenties, and then they grow up and change or get into a more stable situation.

Daisydid, good to know that people with certain felonies can't get licensed. I'm not sure what the rules are in my state.

[daisydid]

So in my state it’s actually felonies or misdemeanors. It just depends on the nature of the conviction. Specifically convictions of “moral turpitude,” whatever that means.

[atisketatasket]

I would not see a therapist with a history of physical or sexual violence or domestic abuse. Too triggering to me and I wouldn’t trust them.

But I would also have concerns with someone who showed poor judgment. Like a DUI—drink as much as you want on your own, but don’t put other people at risk because of it. It suggests an inability to look past their own wants or to recognize their own weaknesses, which I don’t think is a good professional quality in a therapist.

[Gasplessy]

I admit I would probably look for another therapist, but it depends

If the therapy seems to work, it should be okay to go on
Maybe his/her life experience can be considered a plus, if he/she is genuinely well mannered today

You may also talk with him/her about this thoughts

[precaryous]

A Pdoc I used to see didn’t do anything illegal around me but, according to news sources, in later years he was arrested and sent to prison for prescribing without an exam, charging money for scripts... He even got into writing illegal prescriptions through a pain clinic in Mexico. The article said he was one of the biggest drug dealers in ____ County.

Also, one of his patients killed herself by overdose using two of his prescriptions..

His defense was he claimed to have frontotemporal dementia.
He might be out of prison by now.
Of course, his license was revoked.

Yes, I think I’d want to know if my therapist had a criminal record.

[susannahsays]

Certain convictions, like felonies, can bar a person from obtaining a license. If they already have one at the time of conviction, the board may revoke it.

I would only be bothered by certain types of crimes. I would not want anything to do with a rapist, domestic/child/elder abuser, etc. Drug offenses wouldn't bother me (although DWI might), nor would drunk and disorderly or prostitution. Human trafficking would be a hard no, as well as blackmail, extortion, or running IRS or similar scams.

I suppose my feelings about this are based on which crimes most violate my own beliefs as well as on which ones indicate (to me) that someone does not consider the wellbeing of others or worse, is willing to deprive someone else of wellbeing for their own gain.

[Rive.]

I guess it depends on what they did. If it is anything about hurting or abusing others, then I would not be able to work with them. This would completely change the way I see T.

[*Beth*]

Originally Posted by Lostislost

It wouldn't bother me at all. Assuming it was just in their past and they had worked on themselves and changed for the better. I think they might even be a better therapist for going through something like that, everyone makes mistakes.
I would like to know about it, if they were comfortable telling me.

I entirely agree.