Clients often place complete and total trust in their therapists. Exploitation of this trust, especially when a therapist uses it to groom a patient for a sexual relationship, is the ultimate betrayal—especially if the therapist abandons the client’s treatment. If this happened to you, you deserve justice. A Charlotte therapist abuse lawyer from our firm will help you hold your abusive therapist responsible and recover the compensation you need to cover your losses and expenses.
Call for our Charlotte therapist sexual abuse lawyers at Jenner Law today for a free consultation.
How Does Therapy Sexual Abuse Occur?
Therapy requires vulnerability. Clients must open themselves up, talking about difficult experiences, relationships, and feelings. This vulnerability and intimacy can lead to the development of something called “transference.”
The Role of Transference in Therapy Abuse
Transference occurs when a client projects his or her feelings about someone in their personal life onto their therapist. This phenomenon is normal and expected in therapy. Mental health providers receive training on ways to manage transference and use it to work through unresolved issues.
However, some therapists use transference for their own gains. They may use what the client thinks they’re feeling against them, breaching boundaries and grooming them for a sexual relationship. They may also develop countertransference, where they develop feelings for the client and let them determine how they interact.
A Therapist’s Failure to Create or Maintain Boundaries Can Make Abuse More Likely
To keep their relationship professional, mental health providers should set up something called a “therapeutic container.” It is a set of boundaries that therapists should make and maintain throughout their relationship with a client. Boundaries may include:
- No physical contact
- Sitting a professional distance away from the client during sessions
- Not initiating contact outside of therapy, aside from scheduling sessions
- Not commenting on a patient’s appearance
- Not making suggestive comments
- Not asking about a client’s sex life, unless it is for legitimate therapeutic purposes
- Not sharing details about their own sex life
A breach of these boundaries could be gradual, testing whether the client might be accepting of any advances. This makes it very difficult to determine if abuse is occurring. But you should trust your gut. If anything feels off, take note, and don’t brush it off.
For a free legal consultation with a therapist sexual abuse lawyer call,
(888) 585-2188
What to Do If You Think Your Therapist Groomed You for a Sexual Relationship
The first thing we want you to know is that this was not your fault, even if you think you consented to it. The power imbalance between you and your therapist means you were unable to truly consent. Your therapist exploited you and your trust and abused you. You deserve justice. There are a few things you can do to help obtain that justice:
- As we stated above, trust your gut. It can be difficult to determine whether your mental health provider groomed you for a relationship, but you should write down things that made you uneasy. This can help to establish a pattern.
- Work with a trauma-informed lawyer. Our team of trauma-informed lawyers has received specialized training to better serve those who have experienced trauma. We meet you where you are, ensuring that you have a safe place to discuss what happened and a team of people who hear you and believe you.
Our Trauma-Informed Lawyers Are Here to Help You Every Step of the Way
Several Jenner Law team members have become trauma-informed legal professionals to ensure that we make this experience as comfortable for survivors of trauma as possible. You can expect the following from us:
- We believe you and your story. First things first: we want you to know that you are working with a team that believes your experience. We don’t ever want you to feel as though we doubt what happened to you.
- We can recognize and understand trauma responses. This means we’ll know if and when you are being pushed too hard and may need a break. It also means that we can explain your reactions when discussing the abuse. For example, during a deposition, you may seem unaffected by the abuse you suffered. However, our team understands that this reaction is your response to trauma. We can explain that so the other party can’t claim that the “relationship” did not negatively impact you.
- We can identify and value your damages. We know that no amount of money can change what happened, but it can allow you to get the medical or mental health care you need, cover any lost wages, compensate for your anguish, and make the abusive therapist think twice before doing this again.
- Ensure you don’t have to speak with your abuser during this process. We know that seeing your abuser can be retraumatizing. We will protect you from your abuser and keep you away from them during this process.
- Negotiate for a fair value that covers your economic and non-economic damages. The other party may do what they can to give you less than you deserve. We won’t allow that. We’ll fight for what you need.
Call for our Charlotte therapist sexual abuse lawyers at Jenner Law today to see what else we can do for you.
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Resources for Sexual Abuse in Charlotte
Therapy sexual abuse is a traumatic experience. We know that getting help is a big step; we want to help make this process a little easier with local resources you can rely on:
- Greater Charlotte Hope Line: This resource, offered by Safe Alliance, is free and available 24/7. You can call (980) 771-HOPE(4673) or chat with an advocate online.
- Safe Alliance’s Sexual Trauma Resource Center: The Center offers counseling, crisis intervention, support groups, and ongoing advocacy and emotional support. The Center is open Monday through Friday.
- Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network’s (RAINN) Sexual Assault Hotline: The national hotline is free and available 24/7. RAINN also has other resources available.
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: If you are in crisis, you can call the 988 Lifeline for the support you need. All you need to do is dial 988 or chat online with a member of the 988 Lifeline team.
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Let Our Charlotte Therapist Sexual Abuse Attorneys Help You Seek Justice
Charlotte therapist sexual abuse lawyers at Jenner Law can also be a resource for you during this difficult time. We will help you build a case for justice and compensation.
Call us today for a free consultation. We handle cases on a contingency-fee basis so you don’t owe us for our time unless we recover compensation for you.
Call or text (888) 585-2188 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form