Sexual Relationship With Therapist
I have been seeing a social worker for martial problems. The therapist asked me all sorts of questions about my sexual history and found out that I had been raped when I was in college and that I have had a bunch of issues with sex since then. He came on to me and we have had a sexual relationship for the past four months. My husband just found out about it and is furious. I am now seeing a psychologist and having a bad time. The psychologist has said that it was professionally inappropriate for the social worker to have a sexual relationship with me. What are my legal rights?
Tennessee law would permit you to bring a malpractice case against the therapist for his conduct. You would have to prove that it was inappropriate for the therapist to have a sexual relationship with you, and would need the testimony of another therapist to establish that (unless the therapist admitted was he did was wrong).
The issues in these cases can become very complex. If you want to pursue this matter, contact an experienced lawyer as soon as possible. Tennessee has deadlines for taking legal action in this type of case.
Remember this: it is always possible that this claim might be resolved without litigation, but a lawsuit might be necessary. If a lawsuit is filed, your deposition will be taken and you will be talking about some very personal issues with strangers. Be sure that you have a candid conversation with your lawyer about this and understand what this litigation is all about before any lawsuit is filed on your behalf.
