Group psychotherapy for women exploited by health care providers

Professional misconduct among health care providers is often a confusing issue for providers as well as patients who suffer from its effects. Research is largely anecdotal at present. Group therapy appears to be an effective treatment modality for patients exploited by therapists. Professional misconduct may include a range of boundary violations and may be sexual or nonsexual. This paper gives an account of the author's experience as coleader of a therapy group for exploited patients. The group was co-led by a male licensed clinical psychologist, under the sponsorship of Nashville Psychotherapy Institute. Observations from the author's experience of providing individual therapy with such patients are also included. The paper looks at treatment goals and techniques as well as special problems encountered in working with this patient population. Additional research and treatment questions conclude the article.