Citation

Nachmani I, Somer E. Women Ther. 2007; 30(1-2): 1-17.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1300/J015v30n01_01

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The present study was a result of an extraordinary opportunity to interview 23 women patients who had sexual relations with their therapists. The paper presents the phenomenological viewpoint of therapist-client sex (TCS) from the victims' perspectives. Patients were asked to describe their emotional experiences during the misguided therapy period. They depicted a sense of ambivalence towards TCS that included feelings of dependency, helplessness, and powerlessness, along with feelings of being chosen and achieving control over the therapist. The former victims' accounts revealed both short-- and long-term emotional harm.

Keywords

women; Psychotherapy; sexual exploitation; therapist-client sex