When a therapist takes advantage of a client’s trust and engages in behavior that exploits or harms them, the therapist engages in therapy abuse and malpractice. Therapy abuse may present in many ways.
If you or a loved one have experienced abuse at the hands of an Atlanta therapist, you may be able to file a lawsuit to claim damages for the injuries you experienced. Jenner Law’s therapy abuse attorneys can provide a free case evaluation and determine your legal right to compensation.
How Therapy Abuse Occurs
Successful therapy requires clients to make themselves open and vulnerable to their therapists. In some cases, clients may feel as though they have developed an intimate or sexual attraction to their therapists. Clients may also feel as though they have developed a friendship or familial attachment to their therapists. These can be signs that the client is experiencing the transference phenomena.
In some cases, therapists may also develop what is known as “countertransference,” which is when a therapist projects their own unresolved trauma onto the therapy client in response to the client’s transference.
Therapists are trained on ways to appropriately handle transference and countertransference if it should occur. While it can be used as a tool to help clients resolve issues, some therapists misuse or abuse the phenomena and exploit or harm their clients in the process. Therapists have used the transference phenomena to exploit clients by taking advantage of them financially, emotionally, and sexually.
Therapy treatment inherently creates a power imbalance between the therapist and the client, with the therapist in control of the treatment process. Therefore, it is especially important that therapists do not use this inherent imbalance to exploit their clients and cause harm. The malpractice attorneys from our firm have experience with therapy abuse cases in Atlanta and can help you decide how best to move forward with your case.
For a free legal consultation with a therapist abuse lawyer call,
(888) 585-2188
When to File an Atlanta Therapy Abuse Lawsuit
In Atlanta, therapists and counselors must conduct themselves professionally, consistent with the state regulation and code of ethics for their licensure. However, some therapists use their power and their clients’ vulnerability to “groom” their clients and take advantage of them. If your therapist uses their position to exploit you, they are committing therapy abuse.
Some examples of therapy abuse are:
- Emotional manipulation
- Personal contact outside the office or normal office hours
- Violating physical and psychological boundaries
- Soliciting business
- Overcharges or fraudulent charges
- Requesting or giving excessive gifts
- Misdiagnosis and unnecessary treatment
- Encouraging dependency
- Violation of patient confidentiality
- Sexual communication or contact
- Engaging in dual or multiple relationships with the client
- Exploiting the client financially for the therapists own gain
Common Damages Claimed in Atlanta Therapy Abuse Cases
If you experienced therapy abuse at the hands of your Atlanta therapist, you can seek damages for the injuries, expenses, and losses you sustained. Damages you could claim include:
- Medical costs and related expenses for treatment
- Long-term treatment for PTSD and trauma
- Mental anguish
- Pain and suffering
- Reduced quality of life
A therapy abuse lawyer with Jenner Law can analyze your case and determine which damages you can claim in Atlanta.
Actions to Take If You Have Experienced Therapy Abuse
Our compassionate attorneys at Jenner Law know that each client’s situation is different. If your therapist exhibits abusive behavior toward you, you can take the following steps to protect your right to just compensation:
- Call emergency services: If your therapist is physically harming you or you feel unsafe, don’t hesitate to call 911. You should never feel like you are in danger because of your therapist’s words or actions.
- File a complaint with the licensing board: Once you are safe, you can file a complaint with the Licensing Division of the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office.
- Obtain a second therapist’s opinion: As a patient, it can be difficult to determine if your therapist’s behavior is abusive. Although you should not usually see multiple therapists at once, you can seek a second opinion from another therapist if you believe your regular therapist is acting in an unethical or abusive manner.
- Compile medical documentation: Compile copies of your medical records, notes, photographs, written communication, phone logs, and other evidence to support your therapy abuse claim.
- Hire an Atlanta therapy abuse attorney: A lawyer who handles therapy abuse cases will help you contact the right authorities, compile evidence, and file a lawsuit against your abusive therapist.
Complete a Free Case Evaluation form now
Atlanta Statute of Limitations for Therapy Abuse Lawsuits
Victims have a limited window to file a therapy abuse lawsuit in Georgia. The amount of time you have to file can vary depending on the details of your case.
Even if you think you have years to file a case, it is important to contact an Atlanta therapy abuse lawyer as soon as possible. Your lawyer will need time to compile documents, establish your claim’s value, and file a complaint with the court before the cutoff date. If the abuse occurred more than a year ago, your attorney may have significantly less time to file. By contacting an attorney right away, you give your legal team more time to fight for a favorable settlement.
Benefits of Working With an Atlanta Therapy Abuse Attorney
With decades of experience handling personal injury and medical malpractice claims, the attorneys at Jenner Law understand that each case is unique and deeply personal. Our therapy abuse lawyers confidently represent victims of therapy abuse through every step of the legal process.
When you work with Jenner Law, you can rest assured that we will handle even the most complex legal aspects of your case, so you can focus on recovering. Our committed legal team will thoroughly examine your claim to establish a fair value for your losses.
We will file your legal complaint with the appropriate court and actively work to obtain communications, medical records, testimony, and other evidence to solidify your claim. You can trust us to communicate clearly with you throughout your lawsuit, so you will always know what to expect. You can learn more about our services by calling for a free consultation.
Why Choose Jenner Law for Your Therapy Abuse Case?
Our team has demonstrated their expertise by getting results for their clients, including a $1,000,000 settlement for a client whose therapist abused them. Our results are just one indication of how hard we fight for justice.
Our testimonials are also a clear indication of the quality of our services. Here’s what one of our former clients had to say about working with our firm:
- “My case was exceptionally sensitive, and she was so compassionate toward me, every step of the way, as she helped me get to a resolution in the case against my former therapist. I considered Katie part of my support circle, during a really difficult time – she’s a fantastic attorney, and she’s also simply one of the best people I’ve met. I would recommend her and Jenner Law to anyone, and especially anyone in the same situation of mental health practitioner abuse.” – Identity Hidden
Call Jenner Law for a Free Consultation About Your Therapy Abuse Case
If you suffered injuries as a result of therapy abuse in Atlanta, our therapy abuse attorneys will vigorously pursue justice and compensation on your behalf. We handle all of our cases on a contingency basis, so we will only accept payment as a percentage of the compensation our lawyers secure for you.
Reach out to Jenner Law today for a free consultation. Our team will review your case and provide an honest assessment of your circumstances so you can make an informed decision about how to proceed.
Call or text (888) 585-2188 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form