An anonymous patient has taken to Reddit to share their concerns after sleeping with a therapist. The person asked the internet for advice since the situation happened
An anonymous patient claimed to have an inappropriate relationship with their therapist – and they’re unsure what to do next.
In a Reddit post, they confessed: “I never thought I’d be in this position, but here I am. I’m consumed with guilt and honestly a little confusion… idk what I’m going to do, I just needed to tell someone.”
The troubling situation allegedly kicked off just over a year ago when the nameless client visited the therapist for advice. With each session, their discussions became ‘more personal and emotional’, with the lines between professionally and friendship starting to blur.
They continued: “It started with longer eye contact and his comforting touch on my shoulder. After one particularly intense session, he hugged me for a little too long. The line began to blur, and I started to develop feelings for him.”
Unfortunately, this didn’t stop here. One evening, the anonymous patient casually told their therapist it’d be great to celebrate with someone about all the progress they’d made with their mental health.
Remarkably, the therapist then allegedly offered to come out and do just this, buying them a number of drinks. “I thought it was just him being kind and supportive,” the patient said.
“But in the back of my head I honestly hoped he’d confirm having similar feelings that I’d been having. We sat closer than usual, at one point he even reached out to hold my hand. I could feel the tension between us.
“He complimented my progress and told me how proud he was of me. That’s honestly what sent me even further into this intense feeling of lust. His words were soothing, and before I knew it, we were kissing. It felt surreal, like a dream.”
One thing led to another, and the pair soon allegedly slept together. In the UK, sexual relationships between patients and health care professionals are considered to be huge ethical breaches, according to the NHS.
But in this instance, the Reddit user didn’t disclose their location or the name of their therapist. Since it was shared on the forum, many people were left divided.
One wrote: “As a psychologist – please report him. It was his job to keep the therapeutic environment safe and instead he made several decisions to break those boundaries and take advantage of your vulnerability. You did nothing wrong and you deserve safe mental health care.”
Another added: “The client therapist relationship is complex and should be treated very delicately. You are right to have mixed feelings and many emotions. This was wrong and not your fault.”
If a healthcare professional has displayed inappropriate sexual behaviour towards you as a patient or someone you know, NHS outlined a dedicated complaints procedure. For more information, click here.
