Therapists help people through the struggles of life, mental illness, and trauma. They play a crucial role in assisting people mentally and emotionally.
Therapist-client trust can be broken as therapists sometimes use their position of power to abuse their clients. Therapy abuse is serious, and so are the legal ramifications. A Phoenix therapy abuse lawyer from Jenner Law can help you with your case.
Boundaries in the Therapist-Client Relationship
Therapists offer counsel and advice to help a variety of clients. They can help people manage mental illnesses and work towards a state of emotional and mental well-being. For example, they can help people work through trauma and relationship problems.
According to the Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, all medical professionals, including therapists, must respect certain boundaries in their relationships with their clients. They must be professional and maintain patient confidentiality. A good therapist will hold the following limits:
- Keeping your information confidential: What you say in therapy is private. Your therapist should not share your personal information unless necessary for your safety or legal reasons.
- Conducting therapy sessions on time: You should have set appointments with your therapist with clear start and end times.
- Maintaining appropriate physical distance and using only appropriate touch: Physical touch is an essential component of human interaction, but it should be reasonable within a therapist-client relationship. Appropriate touch may include interactions like handshakes.
- Keeping the relationship professional: Sessions should focus on you and helping you through your struggles. Therapists should not share information about their personal lives. Therapists also shouldn’t contact you outside of the professional setting.
When therapists break boundaries, it can harm clients and lead to further abusive behavior. If you ever experience something inappropriate in your sessions with a therapist, you may have legal options. Our Phoenix therapist abuse lawyer can help you seek justice.
For a free legal consultation with a therapist abuse lawyer call,
(888) 585-2188
Components of a Therapist Abuse Lawsuit
In therapy, a client is vulnerable. For example, clients often share personal information with therapists and spend time in one-on-one sessions. Abuse can happen if the therapist exploits that vulnerability.
Any form of abuse can constitute malpractice on the therapist’s part. When a therapist fails to provide the expected level of care, you may have a case against them. We will investigate the details of your case to help you in your pursuit of justice.
Therapists May Groom Patients Through Transference
When clients seek help from a therapist, they share a great deal of personal experience with their provider. Clients typically expect that they can do so safely. Unfortunately, some therapists take advantage of that vulnerability and use it to control or harm the client. One way that this happens is through abuse of transference.
In therapy, transference occurs when the client starts to project their own emotions and traumas onto the therapist—and may begin to form an intimate or romantic attachment to their provider as a result. Good therapists should know how to deal with this situation and maintain healthy boundaries with their clients. However, some therapists use transference to exploit a patient, grooming them through emotional manipulation for their own sexual, financial, or other emotional ends.
Countertransference happens when the therapist projects their traumas and emotional needs onto the client when their patient experiences transference. Countertransference may lead to abuse, including sexual abuse. Our legal team can listen to your situation and tell you if you could have legal options against an abusive therapist.
You Can Take Legal Action to Receive Compensation After Therapy Abuse
Abuse is a serious issue, and there are a few different legal options you have after you experienced abuse in a therapist-client relationship. Sometimes, you may be able to take action in civil court to recover compensation for damages.
Other times, your case may open up criminal investigations. A therapist may face jail time or other legal consequences in a criminal case. A civil lawsuit could allow you to get compensation for your abuse-related losses. These may include:
- Medical bills: If you had to attend doctor’s appointments or pay for prescription medications after your abuse, you can receive compensation.
- Pain and suffering: Your physical pain and suffering is compensable in a therapist abuse case.
- Mental anguish: Therapist abuse can take a mental toll on survivors. You can seek compensation for the mental anguish you are going through.
Consulting an attorney can help you understand your legal options after experiencing therapy abuse.
How Can a Therapy Abuse Lawyer Help You?
The therapy abuse lawyers at Jenner Law have experience handling therapy abuse and malpractice cases. We understand the specific laws that apply to your case and the precise boundaries of the therapist-client relationship.
A therapy abuse lawyer can help you in the following areas:
- Review the specifics of your case to determine what happened
- Go over your legal options based on the nature of your case
- Help you pursue legal action and represent you in any proceedings
- Help you gather evidence to support your case
- Answer questions you have throughout the legal process
- Communicate between any involved parties in any legal proceedings
Our team will manage your case for you. We won’t hesitate to take your case to court to help you reach a fair settlement.
Costs of Hiring a Lawyer
At Jenner Law, we operate on a contingency-fee basis, so we don’t receive payment unless we help you get compensation. We can help you explore your options and give you legal counsel.
You don’t have to be worried about the financial strain upfront. You can explore your legal options and determine your next steps. We’ll help you.
Complete a Free Case Evaluation form now
Jenner Law Testimonials
We have helped others with their therapy abuse cases. We are honored to serve our clients in the Phoenix area. Here’s what just a few of our clients have had to say:
- “Rob Jenner and his firm are the model for caring, compassionate, and effective lawyers… Rob is a listener. Especially for clients, Rob will make sure he hears you, understands you, and that your voice will be heard. I have worked with him on many cases over the years, and I wholeheartedly recommend him.” – [Identity Hidden]
- “He [is] easy to work with, not just a lawyer. More concerned about you than a dollar sign. Polite and courteous, extremely knowledgeable about laws and our rights as consumers.” – [Identity Hidden]
Our Phoenix Therapist Abuse Lawyer Can Prove Liability
There could be more than one liable party in your case, including:
- The therapist
- The therapist’s employer
- The company the therapist works for
- Any party who knew about the abuse and did nothing to stop it from happening
When you work with Jenner Law, we will review every detail of your case to prove you deserve compensation.
Contact Jenner Law for a Free Consultation Today
You don’t have to go through the legal process alone. We are here to help you. We take therapist abuse seriously. Our team is ready to answer your questions and help you take legal action.
Call us today for a free consultation.
Call or text (888) 585-2188 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form