Can I bring a civil, criminal or licensing board case against a therapist?
In a situation in which there is sexual abuse during treatment, a civil, licensing board and criminal case can all be maintained by the patient. In a civil case the patient can seek compensation for monetary damages. In the licensing board case the patient can attempt to have the licensing board revoke or suspend the therapist’s license. In a criminal case the patient can seek to have the state fine the therapist or even imprison the therapist. The decision to pursue one or all of these cases should be made after consulting with an attorney who specializes in therapist abuse cases. The cases can dramatically affect each other and pursuing a licensing board case or a criminal case, under certain circumstances, can destroy a patient’s ability to recover damages in a civil case.
