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Information for Victims and Victim Advocates on Sexual Exploitation by
Counselors and Therapists
Counselors Who Sexually Exploit Clients
 Almost every session
started with his saying that I was safe there, that nothing bad could ever happen when I
was with him. It felt good, but it kept me dependent and taught me nothing about
being responsible for myself!
Among the questions you may ask yourself are: Why did this happen to
me? Why did my counselor do that? What is wrong with me that I let this
happen? What is wrong with my counselor?
Sexual exploitation is not as rare as you might think. In one
self-report study, as many as 17 percent of responding counselors admitted to sexual
contact with clients. Eighty percent of those counselors were sexual with several
clients.
Research on what kind of counselor sexually exploits a client is new with
many questions still unanswered. Some counselors sexually exploit their clients
because they are having trouble in their own personal lives, and exploitation is a way for
them to feel loved and to get their needs met. Some lack knowledge of professional
standards and ethics, receive inadequate training and have little supervision.
Despite ample evidence to the contrary, some counselors claim that sexual contact is
therapeutic for the client. Some are very seriously disturbed individuals who focus
only on their own sense of power. Some are people who use people, not caring who
they hurt.
The most important thing for you to remember is no matter how troubled a
counselor's life may be, it is the counselor's responsibility to keep sexual exploitation
from happening. No matter what was said or done during the counseling relationship, sexual
exploitation is never the client's fault.
Copyright © 1988 Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault,
with edits by AdvocateWeb.
[ Intro ] [ Introduction ] [ Definitions of Sexual Exploitation ] [ Warning Signs ] [ If it is You ] [ Questions You May Be Asking ] [ Counselors Who Exploit ] [ Consider the Options ] [ You Don't Have to Do This Alone ] [ For Concerned Persons ] [ Choosing a Counselor ] [ Client's Bill of Rights ]
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Exploitation
