Mind Games

I was recently reading about Colin Bouwer, the infamous psychiatrist in New Zealand who was convicted of slowly poisoning his wife to death with insulin. In addition to murder, Dr. Bouwer had a few other psychopathic credits in his pathological portfolio; he was a pathological liar, prescription drug abuser, and a skilled manipulator. He was accused of having sex with at least two of his patients, who alleged that, during the course of therapy, he had told them that he had not had marital relations with his wife for months because she was dying of cancer.

While no one would tout Dr. Bouwer as the poster boy for psychiatry, he is, unfortunately, not alone in his alleged willingness to sexually exploit his therapy patients. Between 7 and 12 percent of mental health practitioners (psychiatrists, social workers, psychologists, etc.) in the U.S., 80 percent of whom are male, acknowledge having had erotic contact with a client. Given that these statistics are based on self-reports, it’s a pretty safe bet that the real number is higher.

Certainly, most mental health clinicians have clear boundaries and their clients’ best interest at heart. Therapists often work hard and long hours, consult with colleagues if needed and do their very best to help their clients. In spite of the fact that therapy takes place in a 1:1 setting and involves intimate sharing, the vast majority of mental health professionals would never take sexual advantage of a client.

However, the psychological toll of a sexually exploited, already-vulnerable client can be severe. In…