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Inner Space Traveler
Member Since May 2014
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#1
Shocking numbers- and likely under reported
Nine to 12 percent of mental health professionals have had sexual contact with patients - The Boston Globe |
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HD7970GHZ
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#2
It doesn't shock me because i thought/think the percentage was/is higher. It saddens me a great deal though because of the damage and devastation that a patient/client will have done to them but a professional who knows better but doesn't care. I actually get furious over it. Its a profession that is supposed to have strict boundaries and violations of those boundaries can literally kill someone.
__________________ "I carried a watermelon?" President of the no F's given society. |
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luvyrself
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Inner Space Traveler
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#3
Quote:
These numbers are merely percentages of mental health providers who admit to sexual contact with patients/clients. I’m certain it’s an underreported offense and there are many mental health providers who commit this offense but never admit to it. The actual percentages are unknown. |
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blackocean, luvyrself
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#4
Well that’s disturbing
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LonesomeTonight
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#5
Do you think they understand how damaging it is? do you think they just try to ignore it because they are selfish? I’m sure some are psychopaths but some must have empathy right? It’s confusing
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LonesomeTonight, precaryous
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Poohbah
Member Since Dec 2015
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#6
Glad I always look for doctors of my own sex, tho it is because I am more comfortable with women.
__________________ Bipolar 2 with anxious distress mixed states & rapid cycling under severe stress tegretol 200 mg wellbutrin 75 mg, cut in half or higher dose as needed Regular aerobic exercise SKILLSET/KNOWLEDGE BASE: Family Medical Advocate Masters in Library Science Multiple Subject Teaching Credential-15 yrs in public schools |
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Inner Space Traveler
Member Since May 2014
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#7
Thought this was interesting-
Sex Between Therapists and Clients Table 2 presents the results when participants were asked to try to identify the most attractive characteristic of the client to whom they were attracted. The hundreds of characteristics were sorted into about 20 major categories. With the following two fascinating exceptions, there were no significant gender differences between the male and female therapists in mentioning the various characteristics. However, female therapists were overwhelmingly more likely than male therapists to mention "successful" as a sexually attractive quality. On the other hand, male therapists were overwhelmingly more likely than female therapists to mention "physical attractiveness." Table 2 - CHARACTERISTICS OF CLIENTS TO WHOM THERAPISTS ARE SEXUALLY ATTRACTED Characteristics of Clients to Whom Psychotherapists Are Attracted The first number is for Social Workers . The second represents Psychologists Physical attractiveness 175 296 Positive mental/cognitive traits or abilities 84 124 Sexual 40 88 Vulnerabilities 52 85 Positive overall character/personality 58 84 Kind 6 66 Fills therapist's needs 8 46 Successful 6 33 "Good patient" 21 31 Client's attraction 3 30 Independence 5 23 Other specific personality characteristics 27 14 Resemblance to someone in therapist's life 14 12 Availability (client unattached) 0 9 Pathological characteristics 13 8 Long-term client 7 7 Sociability (sociable, extroverted, etc.) 0 6 Miscellaneous 23 15 Same interests/philosophy/background to therapist 10 0 The data about psychologists in the above table come from a national study published as "Sexual attraction to patients: The human therapist and the (sometimes) inhuman training system" by Kenneth S. Pope, Patricia Keith-Spiegel, and Barbara G. Tabachnick, American Psychologist, vol. 41, pages 147-158 The data about social workers in the following table come from a national study published as "National survey of social workers' sexual attraction to their clients: Results, implications, and comparison to psychologist" by Ann Bernsen, Barbara G. Tabachnick, and Kenneth S. Pope, Ethics & Behavior, vol. 4, pages 369-388. The findings of these and subsequent studies suggest that a significant proportion of therapists carry in their imagination sexualized thoughts, images, or fantasies of their clients, and focus on them when the client is not physically present. For example, in the 2 studies summarized in Table 2, 27-30% of male therapists, compared with 13-14% of female therapists, reported that while they themselves were engaging in sexual activity with someone else (i.e., not the client), they engaged in sexual fantasies about the client. |
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LonesomeTonight, SummerTime12
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Inner Space Traveler
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#8
Quote:
That’s a question I’ve tried to work out. Over time I’ve asked, didn’t the abusing Pdoc in my case have an Ethics course in Med School? He was asked this during deposition and responded that no, he’d never taken an ethics course. Probably a lie. At the very least he had to have known about or taken the Hypocratic Oath. There are many possible reasons questionable therapists disregard the damage this does to clients/patients. They certainly disregard how damaging it can be for themselves and their own families if they are discovered. Some therapists are sociopaths, and think only about themselves. I know of a few instances where the therapist not only exploited the patient sexually, but frauded them out of their money, as well. Some questionable therapists disregard the harm to patients because it’s a power trip for them. There are also questionable therapists who really believe they are ‘in love’ with the client/patient. I’ve read the term, ‘love-sick therapist.’ Some questionable therapists are ‘risk-takers.’ Then there are therapists who have impaired judgment due to substance abuse or mental illness. I think there are a multitude of reasons- sometimes the reasons are overlapping. |
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Inner Space Traveler
Member Since May 2014
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#9
Reasons Offered for Refraining from Sexual Intimacies with Clients
Table 3 lists the major reasons offered in order of frequency mentioned. Patterns were proportionately similar for male and female therapists except for two categories, fear of retaliation by clients and the illegality factor, which were offered only by male therapists as reasons for not acting out sexual feelings toward clients. Table 3 - Reasons Offered for Refraining from Sexual Intimacies with Clients Content category // Frequency Unethical 289 Countertherapeutic/exploitative 251 Unprofessional practice 134 Against therapists' personal values 133 Therapist already in a committed relationship 67 Fear of censure/loss of reputation 48 Damaging to therapist 43 Disrupts handling of transference/countertransference 28 Fear of retaliation by client 19 Attraction too weak/short-lived 18 Illegal 13 Self-control 8 Common sense 8 Miscellaneous 32 Sexual Attraction to Clients - The Human Therapist and the (Sometimes) Inhuman Training System |
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Grand Poohbah
Member Since Sep 2013
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#10
I want to thank you for posting this!!! I didn't see this until today!
Is it okay to link your thread with one of mine? Thanks, HD7970ghz __________________ "stand for those who are forgotten - sacrifice for those who forget" "roller coasters not only go up and down - they also go in circles" "the point of therapy - is to get out of therapy" "don't put all your eggs - in one basket" "promote pleasure - prevent pain" "with change - comes loss" |
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Account Suspended
Member Since Jan 2018
Location: Tainan, Taiwan
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#11
This is no surprise to me. All three theripst I had convince me do sex for them to get good reputation with my probation officer and court. I changed twice to avoid sex with old doctors every week but third one was same as other two.
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HD7970GHZ, precaryous
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Grand Poohbah
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#12
Quote:
I am so sorry to hear this! What a complete and utter abuse of power! If you would like, please feel free to private message me anytime if you need or want to share more and need support from a fellow survivor. Thanks, Hd7970ghz __________________ "stand for those who are forgotten - sacrifice for those who forget" "roller coasters not only go up and down - they also go in circles" "the point of therapy - is to get out of therapy" "don't put all your eggs - in one basket" "promote pleasure - prevent pain" "with change - comes loss" |
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Inner Space Traveler
Member Since May 2014
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Posts: 3,880
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#13
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HD7970GHZ
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Grand Poohbah
Member Since Sep 2013
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#14
Thank you, I will do that right now!
__________________ "stand for those who are forgotten - sacrifice for those who forget" "roller coasters not only go up and down - they also go in circles" "the point of therapy - is to get out of therapy" "don't put all your eggs - in one basket" "promote pleasure - prevent pain" "with change - comes loss" |
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precaryous
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#15
Who is the most likely target of sexual exploitation ?People with past sexual abuse? How do they decide who is “safe” to do this with
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Threadtastic Postaholic
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#16
Bergen County psychologist charged with repeated sexual assaults of a child - nj.com ( trigger)
I am not trying to equate therapy abuse or sexual assault with pedophilia or imply one is better than the other but it got me to thinking about the power imbalance that exists between any therapist and a client. I suspect that the sometimes those who are meant to help us as "professionals" are the sickest of all. __________________ "I carried a watermelon?" President of the no F's given society. |
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Poohbah
Member Since Dec 2015
Location: Phoenix
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#17
Precaryous, could you tell us how you sued a pdoc and how court ruled on it?
__________________ Bipolar 2 with anxious distress mixed states & rapid cycling under severe stress tegretol 200 mg wellbutrin 75 mg, cut in half or higher dose as needed Regular aerobic exercise SKILLSET/KNOWLEDGE BASE: Family Medical Advocate Masters in Library Science Multiple Subject Teaching Credential-15 yrs in public schools |
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precaryous
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Inner Space Traveler
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#18
Quote:
- Criminally- Even though he had just been arrested for doing something similar with another female patient and was released on $10,000 bond, I was told my criminal case was dropped due to lack of evidence. I have no knowledge that he was ever criminally prosecuted for anything. -Civilly- My civil case against him went on for more than a year. It was a long drawn-out traumatizing deal. I believe the other side hoped I would give up. I didn’t. It ended when it was shown he did not carry malpractice insurance for the time when he did the most egregious acts against me. He also claimed bankruptcy several times. There were no assets to attach. -Medical Board- The Medical Board case used testimony from three of his victims. The Medical Board ended up believing us. In the care of each of the three patients the Pdoc’s medical license was revoked due to gross negligence, incompetence, and sexual misconduct; In the care of each of the three patients he had engaged in repeated negligence , and; in his filing of false declarations in an Interim Suspension proceeding, he engaged in dishonesty. The Medical Board ordered his medical license revoked based upon each and every violation found. Having been found guilty of professional misconduct in another state, his medical license was revoked in a second state. States do not always have reciprocity. The second state revoked his license only after I found that second medical license and contacted that second state medical board. His second medical license was only revoked because *I* notified them of his first revocation. If something like this happens to you, you may have to search for all of their licenses throughout the different states and notify them. -Medicare- I contacted Medicare and Medicare revoked his ability to bill through them. -Medicaid- I contacted Medicaid and Medicaid revoked his ability to bill through them. In recent times, I found him listed as an ‘online psychiatrist or therapist’ through a few online therapy sites. I notified them of his license revocation and they responded by saying I must have read old information as they have no dealings with him. Sure. They listed his name and information on their online doctor website *for free* and didn’t know anything about it. Anyway, they removed his name. Last edited by precaryous; Apr 25, 2019 at 08:48 AM.. |
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LonesomeTonight
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Poohbah
Member Since Dec 2015
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#19
Wow, Precaryous, you are a warrior! I keep telling people in terms of regular medical doctors as well that we have to speak up and fight back in situations of inadequate care that have nothing to do w this kind of horrific abuse. However w regular medical doctors, rushing in those 15 min appointments enforced by many ins companies can cost patients their lives, or simply make their lives miserable w unresolved medical situations.
__________________ Bipolar 2 with anxious distress mixed states & rapid cycling under severe stress tegretol 200 mg wellbutrin 75 mg, cut in half or higher dose as needed Regular aerobic exercise SKILLSET/KNOWLEDGE BASE: Family Medical Advocate Masters in Library Science Multiple Subject Teaching Credential-15 yrs in public schools |
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precaryous
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Inner Space Traveler
Member Since May 2014
Location: on the wing of an eagle
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#20
I agree, we have a right to speak up about inadequate care we receive from Health Professionals. In recent times I’ve heard some hospitals have a ‘Patient Experience ‘ Department. I’m not sure if they really want to be helpful or if it’s just a fancy name for the providers to circle the wagons and cover their a**es.
—- As far as me being a ‘Warrior’...let’s just say that anger can be energizing. . . |
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