Lafayette Therapist Abuse Lawyer

Lafayette Therapist Abuse Attorney

It can be devastating when a therapist breaches the trust you placed in them and exploits your vulnerabilities. Therapist abuse and other ethical violations can cause mental, physical, and emotional damages that affect several aspects of your life. A Lafayette therapist abuse lawyer can help you determine your options for holding your therapist responsible for their failures and offenses. A transference & countertransference attorney can help you address negligent care.

Protecting Your Rights and Interests With Sanchez Burke, LLC

Therapist abuse can range from emotional manipulation to physical and sexual abuse. These constitute ethical violations and may also be criminal offenses. By working with an attorney who understands malpractice and therapist abuse, you can assess your situation and make an informed choice. At Sanchez Burke, LLC, our attorneys have more than 60 years of collective experience. Our team can determine if you have the grounds for a civil claim.

The abuse of a therapist can harm individuals who are already at a very emotional point in their lives, furthering the trauma they are dealing with. If you or someone you love has dealt with therapist abuse, our firm can help you take action and potentially recover financially.

What Are Common Types of Therapist Abuse and Negligence?

Many individuals in Lafayette take the brave step of getting therapy. Of the adults in the U.S. who had received any mental health treatment in 2019, the majority were between the ages of 45 and 64. While many therapists uphold their ethical obligations and provide their patients with diligent care, not all therapists do.

Therapists and counselors in Louisiana had 236 adverse action reports filed against them between 2020 and 2024, and most of these were related to certification and licensure. Social workers faced 153 reports and psychologists 19 reports. Therapists and counselors also saw 16 medical malpractice payment reports, and the majority of these reports were under $50,000. However, two of the payment reports were valued between $500,000 and $1 million.

Therapists can harm patients in many ways, from negligent care to physical or mental abuse. Some forms of therapist abuse include:

• Emotional manipulation. This includes gaslighting, breaking patient boundaries, and dismissive or overly critical behavior.
• Transference. This becomes abuse if the patient’s transference interferes with their therapy and the therapist fails to address this or take steps to refer them.
• Countertransference. This occurs when a therapist projects their own unresolved emotions or personal experiences onto a patient. It can become abusive if the therapist fails to recognize and manage these reactions, such as over-identifying with the patient or prioritizing their own emotional needs over the patient’s well-being.
• Breaches of confidentiality. In addition to violating professional standards, this can become abusive when blackmailing the patient, exposing information, or sharing with the patient’s family members.
• Sexual misconduct. Flirting, suggesting meetings outside of therapy, sexual intercourse, or sexual assault are not only unethical and a violation of standards, they are abusive and present grounds for a claim.

Depending on the type and severity of conduct, patients may take multiple different actions. This includes filing a complaint with the board, filing a civil claim for damages, and/or filing criminal charges. An attorney can help you determine the right steps for your situation.

What Damages Can You Get in a Claim for Therapist Abuse?

You may have the grounds for a civil claim for therapist abuse when your therapist breached the duty of care to you, and this breach caused you to suffer actual and legally recognized damages. When you have the grounds for a civil claim, you could recover numerous damages that you suffered, including:

• Medical costs, if the abuse left you with physical or psychological injuries that need treatment
• The costs of finding a new therapist
• Any wages or earning capacity lost due to the physical or psychological damage done by therapy abuse
• Pain and suffering, emotional trauma, and other physical and psychological damages caused by the abuse
• Loss of companionship or consortium, if the abuse impacted your relationship with your spouse or other close person in your life
• Impact on your reputation, often from confidentiality breaches

An attorney can help you gather evidence of these damages, improving the chances of a successful claim and recovering compensation for them. It can be difficult to find evidence to prove intangible damages like mental trauma and reputational impact, but an experienced attorney has the resources and experience to help with this process.

FAQs

Q: What Can I Do if I Have Experienced Therapist Abuse?

A: If you have experienced therapist abuse, you can file a complaint with your state’s licensing board for therapists. This complaint outlines the ethical violation, illegal action, or negligence of the therapist. The board will review the complaint and investigate it, determining what administrative actions should be taken. This could include the revocation of the therapist’s license. You can also file criminal charges in some cases, as well as a civil claim for damages.

Q: What Is Therapist Malpractice?

A: Therapist malpractice occurs when a therapist fails to uphold the professional standard of care they owe their patients. There are several ethical violations, such as therapist malpractice, sexual misconduct, or a breach of confidentiality. Other actions, such as failing to notice and address a dangerous issue or prescribing prescriptions improperly, may also be considered negligence and malpractice, depending on the circumstances.

An attorney can help patients identify malpractice and determine the next steps they can take.

Q: What Are Types of Therapist Abuse?

A: Therapist abuse can occur in several different ways, including:

1. Emotional abuse and manipulation, through actions like demeaning comments, minimizing the concerns a patient has, victim blaming, or gaslighting
2. Confidentiality breaches, when there is no legal cause for it, and a therapist discloses sensitive information, including blackmail
3. Sexual abuse and misconduct, which can include inappropriate sexual comments, touching, or sexual intercourse

These are violations of ethics and the law and may be criminal offenses.

Q: How Does a Malpractice Attorney Help With Therapist Abuse?

A: A malpractice attorney can help patients who have suffered therapist abuse by assessing whether they have the grounds for a civil claim and determining what actions a patient can take. This includes filing a complaint and/or filing a police report. If you have the grounds for a civil claim, you are more likely to recover the maximum damages possible when you work with an attorney. They can also help you meet the applicable deadlines and negotiate on your behalf.

Contact a Dedicated Legal Team to Address Therapist Misconduct and Malpractice in Lafayette

It can feel isolating and overwhelming to deal with therapist abuse. You don’t have to address it alone. Contact Sanchez Burke, LLC today to understand your options for financial recovery after the negligence and misconduct of a therapist has affected your life.