Sexual abuse, whether experienced in your childhood or adulthood, is a traumatic experience that can result in long-term emotional and mental distress, like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
When the abuser is a person you confided in or trusted, such as a therapist, it may feel as though you have nowhere to go for help. If you or a loved one was sexually abused by a therapist in Tucson, AZ, you may have grounds to file a therapist abuse lawsuit. Our team can pursue justice and fight for life-improving financial compensation on your behalf.
Mental health practitioners should be held accountable when they overstep boundaries and commit serious violations in their field. Our legal team at Jenner Law advocates for sexual abuse survivors nationwide. We can have a Tucson therapist sexual abuse lawyer build your case once you agree to have us represent you. To start, we offer a free initial consultation to hear your story.
Arizona Holds Mental Health Professionals to High Standards of Care
Licensing boards, plus state and federal regulations set the standard for mental health professionals in the United States. To maintain healthy therapist-client relationships, therapists must maintain appropriate boundaries with their patients, both in and out of the office. These boundaries might involve:
- Sticking to the time slots for each appointment session
- Refraining from any physical contact with the patient except for a handshake or appropriate hug
- Keeping their personal and romantic life out of the conversation so that the focus remains solely on the patient
- Refraining from seeing the patient outside of work or other intentional contact outside of the office
- Keeping an appropriate distance from the patient
If you ever feel uncomfortable with how your therapist is treating you, or if they breach these boundaries, you have a right as a patient to demand better boundaries or a change in therapist. Any complaints remain on a therapist’s professional record. As part of our investigation, our team will look into whether your therapist had prior complaints that should have been handled or screened by a mental health facility.
For a free legal consultation with a therapist sexual abuse lawyer call,
(888) 585-2188
Transference During the Therapeutic Process Can Be Dangerous for Patients
During the process of therapy, it’s common for patients to become attached to their therapists as they would to family members, friends, or romantic partners. This phenomenon, called transference, can be used in the patient-therapist relationship to meet goals during therapy. Therapists are trained to handle transference in a professional manner that protects the client from harm.
However, transference can go both ways. Sometimes, the therapist develops feelings for the client and projects unresolved issues of their own onto the patient. This is called countertransference. For someone in a vulnerable position (such as a patient experiencing the uneven power dynamic inherent in therapy), this is a dangerous place to be.
When a therapist experiences countertransference, they may exploit their power and the patient’s trust to groom them. Grooming is when an abuser prepares another person, particularly someone who is dependent on them, to become their sexual or romantic partner. As the patient has placed a great amount of trust in their therapist, they may be unaware that this is happening, or even that it’s unhealthy.
Grooming Is a Serious Violation of Patient-Therapist Trust
When a therapist manipulates the therapeutic process and the power dynamic of therapy to mold their patient into a romantic partner, they endanger and harm the patient. This kind of exploitation can put the patient in vulnerable positions that aren’t conducive to their mental and emotional health.
If you believe your therapist has been grooming you and abandoned your therapeutic relationship, they have severely violated the therapeutic process and owe you compensation for the harm you’ve suffered.
You May Qualify to Receive Compensation for Damages You Suffered
If you decide to proceed with your sexual abuse case, our legal team will speak with you to assess what kind of damages you might qualify to demand. In order to know how much compensation you might be entitled to, your attorney must list your damages, (the financial, physical, and personal losses you suffered as a result of the abuse).
Some examples include:
- Medical expenses
- Expenses for psychological treatment, both for the past and the future
- Emotional distress, which includes depression, PTSD, anxiety, and other stress responses (e.g., insomnia)
- Pain and suffering, which can include physical and emotional pain
- Loss of enjoyment in former activities and hobbies
This is not a complete list, as each sexual abuse case is unique to the individual who suffered it. We will listen to your story and estimate a fair range of compensation to strive for based on your damages. During this process, we may ask for any evidence you can provide to estimate what you are owed for your damages, such as invoices, photographs, and psychiatric evaluations.
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A Therapist Sexual Abuse Attorney Can Help You Build Your Case in Tucson, AZ
Our attorneys at Jenner Law work nationwide. Our attorneys build your case and represent you in legal appearances if it moves to litigation. We understand that many people fear bringing their case forward, but when you hire a Tucson therapist sexual abuse lawyer from our team, we handle the workload for you and fight to shield you from further harm.
By working with our team, we offer to:
- Organize a private investigation into your case
- Retrieve evidence materials on your behalf, like video footage, witness testimony, and expert analysis
- Communicate with all parties involved in your case, such as the defendant, their legal team, or court officials
- Fill out the paperwork and submit them by their deadlines
- Appear in legal meetings in and out of court
- Prepare your case for trial, if necessary
- Work toward negotiating a settlement deal if possible
Throughout your case journey, you can also reach out to our team for questions and answers. We provide legal counsel to all of our clients, but we leave the decision-making to you. We aim to be transparent with our advice and respect how you wish to move forward with your case.
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We Can Determine Which Deadlines Apply to Your Sexual Abuse Case
The statutes of limitations for therapy abuse and sexual abuse differ by state. In addition, your personal circumstances may alter the timeline you have to file. Our team can assess the statute of limitations for your situation, so we can protect your right to pursue justice by adhering to these important deadlines.
Call Jenner Law Today to Hire a Tucson Therapist Sexual Abuse Lawyer
If your therapist abused you, you may have grounds to sue for compensation. Alternatively, if your loved one, such as your child, was abused during therapy, filing a legal claim or lawsuit can be your path to holding the appropriate party or parties accountable for exploiting your loved one.
Our legal team at Jenner Law advocates for therapist abuse survivors of all kinds and ages. To learn more about how a therapist sexual abuse lawyer from our team can help, feel free to call our firm for a free consultation. We’ll listen to your story and discuss the next steps. We fight for justice. You focus on your priorities. Call now.
Call or text (888) 585-2188 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form