How Therapists Experience and Manage Patients' Romantic and Sexual Feelings for Them

Many therapists will one day be confronted with a patient who develops romantic or sexual feelings toward them. Studies on this topic often remain theoretical in nature and less often focus on how therapists manage such situations. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate how therapists experience this occurrence and manage their feelings.

Eight focus groups were conducted with 36 participants in Flanders (Belgium). Both therapists-in-training and therapists-in-practice participated, having different educational backgrounds. The data were explored using the principles of thematic analysis.

Therapists indicated that they try to dissuade any further development of their patients' romantic or sexual feelings by using strategies such as emphasizing their personal relational status, adjusting their appearance, and avoiding any physical contact with their patients. Some therapists question their own professional behavior, feeling guilty, confused, or insecure, wondering if they may have, in some way, provoked these feelings. Therapists who are at an earlier stage in their careers experience more difficulties managing their patients' romantic or sexual feelings toward them and worry they will not be considered a good professional therapist if such a situation occurs.

Educational programs in psychotherapy should be more cognizant of the incidence of patients' developing romantic or sexual feelings toward therapists and provide more comprehensive and practical instruction on how to cope with such feelings.