It is not uncommon for Las Vegas residents struggling with emotional challenges to seek out guidance from a professional. For many, the assistance of a therapist could provide the help they need. Unfortunately, not every interaction with a therapist is a positive one. In some cases, therapists may abuse their patient’s trust and groom them for a romantic relationship.
If you have faced abuse at the hands of your therapist, you might be able to hold them accountable through a civil lawsuit. Warning signs of therapy abuse commonly involve manipulation, inappropriate comments, and inappropriate sexual relationships. A Las Vegas therapist abuse lawyer could help you hold them accountable.
Call Jenner Law today to get started with a free consultation. Learn more about what our trauma-informed lawyers can do for you.
Do I Have a Viable Case Against My Las Vegas Therapist?
Whether or not you have a valid case against your therapist will largely depend on whether your therapist violated boundaries or ethics laws. Violating these strict standards could not only be a violation of the law, but it could also serve as the basis for an abuse case.
A therapist has an obligation to take steps to avoid taking advantage of the distorted balance of power they have with their patients. This involves a number of important boundaries designed to protect the patient and prevent even the semblance of impropriety. Some of these boundaries, known as a therapeutic container, may include:
- Maintaining physical distance from the patient
- Avoiding disclosure of their own issues on the patient
- Avoiding physical contact, aside from a handshake or friendly hug
- Avoiding any type of sexual relationship
- Abstaining from any form of business or financial relationship
- Ensuring sessions last for set periods of time and are held in an office
- Avoiding contact outside the office
- Not revealing any intimate details to the patient
The reality is that there is no easy way for you to determine if the case against your therapist is strong on your own. This area of the law is complex, and these cases are often convoluted. If your therapist has done something that made you uncomfortable, call us. Jenner Law can clear up the confusion and focus on the facts. With our Las Vegas therapist abuse lawyer, you could hold your therapist accountable for the abuse you have endured.
For a free legal consultation with a therapist abuse lawyer call,
(888) 585-2188
What Compensation Could Be Available for Therapy Abuse in Las Vegas?
There are different consequences that could be available in the aftermath of therapist abuse.
One of the consequences that you have control over is the potential for a civil lawsuit. By suing your therapist for the abuse they have committed, you might be entitled to a monetary award. The specific nature of these financial damages can vary.
For many people, suffering abuse at the hands of a therapist can send their life into a tailspin. The end result could be additional medical expenses related to emotional or physical harm. Compensation could be available for the cost of past and future medical care.
Damages related to your physical or emotional suffering may also be compensated. If your abuse involved physical injuries, the pain stemming from those injuries could serve as the basis for your compensation. Emotional pain and mental anguish could also lead to financial compensation. In many cases, therapy abuse survivors will have trouble trusting people, especially mental health professionals. This can make it difficult to get the help they need to move forward.
Many survivors of abuse are also unable to return to work. This can lead to severe financial strain, especially if it results in termination. You might be entitled to recover damages based on your lost wages resulting from your abuse.
What Is the Transference Phenomenon?
Transference is a common phenomenon that occurs during therapy. It occurs when a patient projects feelings they have about someone in their life (e.g., a parent or a spouse) onto their therapist. Therapists receive training on how to manage and even use transference safely as a therapeutic tool. However, this places the patient in a vulnerable position and the therapist in a position of significant emotional power.
To avoid conflicts of interest or abuse, there are boundaries that psychotherapists are expected to keep in place. Unfortunately, these boundaries are often broken. Once these boundaries are broken, emotional abuse, improper sexual relationships, or even physical abuse may occur.
The therapist may also weaponize the client’s transference and use it to groom the client into a romantic relationship. This can be especially problematic as the client may blame him/herself, thinking they wanted this relationship. However, it’s important to note that it is not possible to have a consensual, sexual relationship between a therapist and their patient.
How Can I Make a Case That I Was Abused by My Therapist?
The approach for establishing therapist abuse during the course of a civil trial is different compared to most injury cases. Instead of reviewing photographs of accidents or testimony regarding a car crash or slip and fall, the evidence in a case involving therapist abuse is likely to look very different.
To effectively litigate and pursue these cases, it can be necessary to rely on the use of expert witnesses. Most juries that hear cases regarding therapist abuse will not be familiar with the concept of transference or the duties a therapist has to their patient. To an untrained eye, an abusive relationship could look like a consensual one. As your lawyer, it is our job to show the jury that things were more complex than a typical consensual relationship. (And, as we stated above, there is no such thing as a consensual relationship between a therapist and their patient.)
Our firm will often build cases of therapy abuse on the testimony of expert witnesses. These witnesses can explain how misconduct on the part of your therapist was to blame for causing you emotional or physical trauma.
Our team understands what makes a strong, qualified expert witness. When we determine a specific type of expert is necessary in your case, we can rely on a network of professionals to evaluate your case and testify on your behalf.
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Get Help from Our Therapist Abuse Lawyers in Las Vegas With No Upfront Fees
You don’t need any more expenses to think about right now. That’s why our team handles therapy abuse cases in Las Vegas with lawyers licensed to practice in Nevada on a contingency-fee basis. This means you pay nothing upfront and only pay us when you recover compensation.
There is no risk when you work with us.
Talk to a Las Vegas Therapist Abuse Attorney Today
If you believe that you have been the survivor of abuse at the hands of your therapist, it is important to discuss your options with legal counsel as soon as possible. Even if you were involved in a sexual relationship you initially believed was consensual, it is possible that you were taken advantage of by your therapist. Dealing with abuse is never easy, but you do not have to do it alone.
A Las Vegas therapy abuse lawyer could help you pursue a claim for compensation against your abuser. The attorneys at Jenner Law, in conjunction with attorneys licensed to practice in Nevada, are ready to fight for you during this difficult and upsetting time. We look forward to serving as your advocate while holding your abuser accountable. We have several trauma-informed legal professionals on staff, so we can meet you where you are and make this process as comfortable as possible.
Reach out right away for a free consultation to learn more about how we could help.
Call or text (888) 585-2188 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form