First Day Back

Tomorrow I start back to school--in earnest. Classes don't start for another week and a half, but I have other duties. Tomorrow is the masters students' clinical orientation all day. I get to tell them what is expected for four hours. What to do, what will happen if they don't do it, what I do, etc. I'm told that this year's students are exceptional and it will be fun to work with them. We are going to discuss what can happen when therapists don't take care of themselves and then slip a cog. Take this beaut of a situation that a therapist found himself in:

"Therapist called his patient and left her a message stating that he needed to raise money because his grandson had been in an accident. The therapist's appeal for funds made the patient uncomfrotable and caused her to terminate therapy [good move!]. Two months later, therapist picked up another patient and took him to a Western Union office and directed him to sign documents in connection with a financial transaction for the therapist's benefit.

One year previous to this, the therapist went to the home of the older brother of this patient and told him that his nephew had been involved in a car accident and he needed money to help cover medical expenses. Pursuant to the therapist's request, the older brother lent him $500. A few weeks later the therapist asked for more money and the older brother lent him an additional $100. The therapist agreed to repay the initial loan in two months, but failed to do so. One year later the therapist called the home of the younger brother of the patient and told him that his grandson had fallen. The therapist asked to borrow money for medical bills. The younger brother gave him $100. Two months later, the therapist told his patient that the he was on the verge of being evicted and needed rent money. He asked the patient for a loan and drove the patient to his bank where the patient withdrew $300 and lent it to the therapist. He promised to repay the money in one month but has not paid the money to date."

You will be relieved and happy to know that this young man lost his license and career before it went too far. Are you shocked? I was utterly horrified to read this. It is from The California Therapist (Volume 19, issue 3, May/June, 2007). It is from their list of disciplinary actions that get published each issue. So people who screw up get published with full disclosure of why they have lost their licenses. It prevents them from being hired on by unsuspecting employers in other parts of the state.

I'm thinking that this and other horror stories of people who lost their licenses because of unprofessional (and ridiculous) behavior illsutrate what happens when you don't attend to your own needs and feelings outside of the therapeutic relationship. Makes you want to run right out and get a therapist, right?

Hopefully, this story will serve as a good object lesson and deterrent from illegal and unethical behavior. And keep the students awake.