Therapists help people in a variety of ways. They counsel clients to help with emotional and mental healing. Therapists have the opportunity to do immense good, but the power dynamic can also lead to abuse.
If a therapist has abused you, you are not alone. You have legal options. A San Antonio therapy abuse lawyer can help you with your case.
Abuse in the Therapist-Client Relationship
Clients are vulnerable when they visit a therapist. They often reveal personal information in a one-on-one setting. This power imbalance can lead to abuse.
According to the Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, therapists may manipulate their clients and break the boundaries of the therapist-client relationship. Appropriate boundaries include:
- Maintaining confidentiality: Your therapist should not share your personal information. There are only a few exceptions to this. For example, suppose you tell your therapist that you plan to kill yourself. In that case, they will need to disclose the information for your safety.
- Not sharing their personal information with clients: This relationship is one-sided. The therapist should help you talk about and deal with your struggles—not the other way around.
- Maintaining a professional relationship: A therapist is a professional, and your relationship with them must be professional. They shouldn’t try to harbor a friendship with you outside of therapy. Any romantic or sexual relationship between a client and a therapist is also inappropriate.
- Using only appropriate touch and maintaining physical distance: While physical contact is vital to humans, only some forms of it are reasonable in the therapist-client relationship. For example, brief hugs and handshakes would be appropriate forms of touch. In contrast, extended hugs or any sexual touch would be inappropriate.
While not all boundary breaches are abuse, they are always inappropriate. And any instance of abuse is a breach of appropriate boundaries.
Types of Abuse
There are several types of abuse, and more than one can happen in a therapist-client relationship.
- Sexual abuse: This includes any inappropriate sexual contact.
- Physical abuse: This consists of any action that inflicts physical damage or pain.
- Emotional or mental abuse: This includes verbal abuse or acts that cause you emotional or mental harm.
Abuse can severely impact your life, causing both physical and mental damage. However, you can heal; you also have legal options available to you.
For a free legal consultation with a Personal Injury lawyer call,
(888) 585-2188
What Legal Options do You Have in a Therapy Abuse Situation?
Every case of therapy abuse is different. Sometimes, a case can involve a criminal investigation. An appropriate investigation must occur so that a therapist doesn’t do the same thing to someone else.
For example, if a therapist sexually or physically abuses you, the therapist may face imprisonment or other punishment.
Sometimes it can be difficult to prove abuse in a therapy situation. The burden of proof is often lower in civil court than in criminal court. If you choose to pursue a civil lawsuit against your therapist, you may be able to get compensation for damages. What action you take will depend on your specific circumstances. An attorney can help you decide what path may be best to take in your situation.
How Can a Therapy Abuse Lawyer Help You?
Consulting an attorney after experiencing therapy abuse can be a helpful step. An attorney with experience in therapy abuse cases will know what laws apply to your situation and offer advice about handling your case. They will be familiar with the laws that apply to your situation and the area where you live. They understand that your situation is complex and can respectfully help you seek the truth.
A therapy abuse lawyer can:
- Review the facts of your case to determine what happened and what damages you suffered
- Gather evidence to support any claims
- Offer you advice about your legal options
- Answer any questions you have about therapy abuse cases
- Communicate between any involved parties throughout legal proceedings
- Estimate how much you may be able to get in compensation
- Make sure you don’t miss any deadlines for filing a lawsuit
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Cost of Hiring a Lawyer
You need time to heal after any abuse or other traumatizing situation. You need time to focus on what matters. The last thing you need to be worried about is the cost of hiring a lawyer.
At Jenner Law, we work based on contingency fees. This means we don’t get paid unless we help you recover compensation. You can explore your legal options without any costs to you upfront.
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Jenner Law Testimonials
We have helped others through their therapy abuse cases, and we are proud to serve our clients in the San Antonio area. We want to help you, too. We believe in connecting with our clients and helping them pursue legal action.
As Rob Jenner says, “We take pride in the relationships we develop with each of our clients. Through the power of our collective voices, we can make a difference.”
Here’s what just a few of our clients have had to say:
“Jenner Law is a great firm. The owner, Rob Jenner, treated me like a person, not a payday. He provided me his personal cell phone number so I could contact him directly if I wanted to. His staff [was] always polite and willing to help me with any questions that I had.” -Jennifer.
“The people here are very polite and they take the time to speak with me and answer all my questions.” – Candy.
Schedule a Consultation Today
Abuse is a serious issue, and you don’t have to take legal action on your own. We can help you decide what legal action to take and help you work toward getting the compensation you deserve.
We are ready to talk and answer your questions. Call us today at (888) 585-2188 for your free consultation.
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