Therapists must abide by strict ethical rules to ensure they do not cause their patients additional harm. The relationship between a therapist and a patient relies on a high level of trust and vulnerability. When the therapist acts in an abusive manner, particularly when they cross professional lines, it can erode this trust and cause serious psychological injuries.
Our Virginia personal injury lawyers from Jenner Law know how to navigate these cases and pursue compensation for clients who survived therapist abuse in Virginia. We are currently pursuing justice in these cases. Contact us today to discuss your next steps with our team for free.
How a Virginia Therapist Abuse Lawyer Defines This Type of Abuse
There are several ways therapist abuse can occur. This includes:
- Crossing professional boundaries by creating personal friendships
- Grooming a patient for a romantic or sexual relationship
- Abandoning a patient after an improper personal friendship or sexual relationship occurred
Because a patient must be open and vulnerable with their therapist to achieve the desired improved mental health, they often feel as though they have built a friendship or intimate relationship with their therapist. This is known as transference.
On the other side of things, a therapist can experience countertransference. They must take specialized coursework to learn about these issues and how to handle them. When they fail to use the tools they learned to prevent the feelings from progressing, professional obligations are breached. This is never OK.
When a therapist exploits and abuses a patient through inappropriate touching, sexual acts, or an intimate relationship, it frequently causes significant psychological harm – particularly once the relationship is ended. The patient will require additional therapy and mental health care but is now much less likely to trust practitioners.
For a free legal consultation with a therapist abuse lawyer call,
(888) 585-2188
What Damages Can a Virginia Therapist Abuse Lawyer Recover in These Cases?
The recoverable damages available by a Virginia therapy abuse lawyer depend on the expenses and losses incurred by the victim. This focuses primarily on the emotional distress caused by the incident or ongoing abuse. However, it also includes several types of economic damages.
When our Virginia therapist abuse attorneys handle these cases, we document the economic expenses and losses and use them to calculate a settlement range for the non-economic costs. This could allow us to recover money for:
- Medical care for any physical injuries
- Mental health care as necessary for dealing with the abuse
- Income losses if they miss time at work because of this issue
- Pain, suffering, and emotional distress caused by the therapist’s actions
How Will a Jenner Law Therapist Abuse Attorney Handle My Virginia Abuse Case?
The Jenner Law team knows how to handle therapist abuse cases. We advocate for clients hurt physically or psychologically by their therapists and other mental health care providers. We fight to hold the at-fault parties responsible and recover compensation for our clients just like we have for nearly four decades.
We have an office in Virginia where we work with clients to get justice. We hold the at-fault parties accountable and seek fair compensation for every client. You can learn more about our recent verdicts and settlements during your initial case review with our team.
Our team has a no-win, no-fee policy. We work based on contingency, never charging any upfront fees. Instead, we receive a portion of the money we recover for the client. We only get paid if they do. Contact us today to learn more.
How Can a Virginia Therapist Abuse Lawyer Get Justice for Me?
At Jenner Law, our attorneys know how to handle these cases. We understand what it takes to document what happened, show how it hurt our client, and recover fair compensation based on it. We believe therapists should always uphold the ethical standards required to protect patients and not exploit them. When a therapist fails to do so, we will fight to hold them responsible.
When you hire a Virginia therapist abuse attorney, our team will handle your case from start to finish. This is not the type of case you want to try to manage on your own. They are difficult to document and often hard to win. However, our team is often successful in holding unethical, abusive, and exploitative therapists legally liable.
If you trust us with your case, you can expect our team to provide:
- A safe space to speak openly about your experience and how it affected you
- A compassionate team ready to listen to your side of the story and provide support as necessary
- Strict confidentiality and consideration of your needs every step of the way
- A discreet investigation into the abuse
- Preservation of the available evidence in the case
- Identification and documentation of your damages
- Strong advocacy throughout your claim or lawsuit
- Representation that prioritizes your best interests
What Evidence Is Available to Support a Virginia Therapist Abuse Case?
It can be difficult to identify, document, and organize evidence in a therapist abuse case. Many exploitative therapists hide their abuse well. However, our Virginia attorneys know where to look and how to preserve evidence in these cases. Some common evidence includes:
- Your recorded sworn statement (known as a deposition)
- Texts, emails, and other recorded communication between you and your therapist
- Documentation of a romantic relationship
- Eyewitness statements
- Relevant records, such as information about how often you had sessions
- Documentation of your related damages
Sometimes, we need to file a therapist abuse lawsuit to hold the accused party liable for their actions. In other cases, they settle before we take this step. However, our team is ready to take a case to trial when necessary. We will not back down when it comes to protecting our client’s rights and advocating for their best interests.
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Discuss Your Options With Our Virginia Therapist Abuse Legal Team
Jenner Law provides free initial case consultations for those hurt by an abusive therapist in Virginia. If you have questions or concerns about this type of case, or if you are ready to proceed with legal action, we are here for you. We will review your case facts and offer guidance.
Contact us today to get started. Act soon since the Code of Virginia § 8.01-243 generally states that victims have only two years to file a personal injury lawsuit.
Call or text (888) 585-2188 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form