Therapy can be a truly healing experience to reclaim your life by working through difficulty and trauma. A good therapist will guide you and give you tools along your journey of self-improvement. However, therapy can be extremely damaging when a professional violates the ethical boundaries between therapist and client.
At White Law PLLC, our Lansing sexual abuse lawyer understands how difficult it is to come to terms with such a profound violation. We provide free, confidential consultations so you can feel safe to communicate your experience openly.
With more than 20 years of combined experience, our Lansing therapist sexual abuse lawyer will help you seek the justice you deserve.
How a Therapist Sexual Abuse Attorney in Lansing Can Help
Patients have the right not to be abused or neglected and can pursue civic action against an abusive therapist. The abusive therapist should be reported to law enforcement in order to establish their actions and level of abuse and aid in determining disciplinary action. This is where a Lansing personal injury lawyer can help.
A lawyer will investigate the abuse according to Michigan reporting requirements (the rights of individuals receiving mental health care in Michigan) and establish whether the therapist’s actions are a class I, II, or III abuse and/or a class I, II, or III neglect. An investigation into the event must be completed within 90 days. A lawyer will also gather all relevant documentation to be used as part of your case.
Our Lansing therapist sexual abuse lawyer will also remain by your side through the entire legal process, shielding you from having to relive the experiences and protecting you from claims made by others, including the therapist or insurance company.
You can expect our legal team to remain vigilant to help protect your rights throughout all aspects of this challenging case. Expect us, too, to remain your confidential ally in this fight to recover damages owed to you for the losses someone else caused.
Your Fight Is Our Fight
How does Michigan Define Therapist Sexual Abuse?
Michigan defines sexual assault and abuse as any unwanted contact or advances of a sexual nature from another person. This could show up as inappropriate touching, sexual advances, lewd jokes, and more.
Therapist sexual abuse is usually indicative of a strong power imbalance with someone in authority when this type of abuse is present, and examples include:
- Stalking with sexual intent
- Sexual assault
- Drug-associated assault
- Elder abuse sexual assault
- Coercion
- Sexual exploitation
In situations where you believe that your therapist has abused you or you are not sure, we encourage you to reach out to our attorneys immediately.
Let us investigate what happened and determine your rights to pursue compensation for your losses. We are dedicated professionals you can count on throughout this process.
We know how to get our clients the results they need in the toughest legal arenas.
Signs of Therapist Sexual Abuse in Lansing
While therapy can be immensely beneficial, it is a deeply personal experience that allows the patient to be vulnerable about their life and mental health.
When a therapist crosses proper therapy boundaries and a patient is in a vulnerable state, the resulting power imbalance creates an abusive environment. In order to find a path out of the unhealthy relationship, it is important to be aware of the warning signs of an abusive counselor:
- Shame or blame
- Sexual advances
- Taking advantage of you financially with pressure to engage in sexual acts
- Talking about other clients in detail
- Unwanted role playing
- Use of medications
- Physical abuse
If you experience any type of incident in which you do not remember your session or you feel you were mistreated in any way, it is critical to discuss your case with your legal team.
Our Lansing therapist sexual abuse lawyer can guide you in fighting for your rights. As your advocate, you can expect us to explore exhaustively all evidence available to ensure you become one of our successful case results.
We understand that you may be going through a difficult situation and we are ready to help however we can.
The Three Phases of Sexual Abuse by a Therapist
According to the Therapy Exploitation Link Line (TELL), there are three common phases in the relationship progression between an abusive therapist and their patient. Each phase builds on the other and is intended to control the patient completely. The three phases are:
- Grooming is identified by special favors, gifts, attention, and/or contact designed to win over the patient in order to gain control of them. An abusive therapist may also make inappropriate contact, isolate the patient from loved ones, and/or make the patient feel responsible for the therapist.
- Exploitation can take the form of emotional, financial, sexual, or physical abuse. When a therapist exploits a patient, they use their client’s resources at the expense of the client.
- Termination is the most dangerous phase when dealing with an abusive therapist. If a therapist loses interest or feels threatened by the patient, the therapist may employ threats, abusive tactics, and/or revenge in an effort to maintain control.
We have helped survivors navigate the difficult process of holding their abusers accountable. We encourage you to pursue legal action now so we can protect all evidence in your case and begin the process of seeking compensation. You deserve the support of a dedicated legal team.
Life After Therapist Sexual Abuse
Leaving an abusive therapist may leave you with a heavy mix of emotions, struggling to cope, and having difficulty trusting others. However, finding an ethical therapist who is trained to help victims of therapist abuse is the first step toward healing. Another important step to take is to let a therapist sexual abuse lawyer in Lansing help you get justice.
End a Therapist Relationship with Care
Leaving an abusive therapist should be handled with care so you don’t come to further harm if they attempt to retaliate. When trying to escape the situation, you can report them to their licensing board or association and even file a civil or criminal lawsuit.
We can help you report therapist abuse in Michigan and discuss the steps you can take to protect your privacy during a sexual abuse lawsuit.
You will always work directly with your attorney throughout your case.
Get Justice with the Help of White Law PLLC
If you have suffered the devastating effects of an abusive therapist, let a Lansing therapist sexual abuse attorney help you through this difficult time.
At White Law PLLC, our experienced attorneys provide you with answers and advice, open communication, strategy, and, most of all — compassion. Reach out to us for a free consultation, and let us represent you today.
We’re Experienced. We Care.
We Exceed Client Expectations.
