ACCOUNTS OF PROFESSIONAL MISDEEDS: THE SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF CLIENTS BY PSYCHOTHERAPISTS.

Sexual relations between psychotherapists and their clients are explicitly recognized as one of the most serious violations of the professional-client relationship and have a long history of prohibition. If caught, therapists who are involved in such transgressions can expect strong sanctions from both criminal justice and regulatory bodies. Psychotherapists accused of sexual intimacy with clients have a vested interest in accounting for their deviant and often criminal behavior. Their career, income, and professional reputation are very dependent on a believable explanation for such actions. Pogrebin, Poole, and Martinez examined the written accounts submitted to the Colorado State Mental Health Grievance Board by therapists who have had complaints of sexual misconduct filed against them by former clients. The authors found that discredited therapists attempt to project a normal self and attempt to view their wrongful behavior as atypical and not representative of their true selves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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