Has anyone ever reported a dodgy psychotherapist? Should I?

[anyonever]

He was registered with one of the main membership bodies. Happened less then three years ago so fits their criteria for investigation (I've checked),

I was a in a very bad place, very vulnerable. He manipulated me and convinced me to take courses of action I was not comfortable with that had significant impact on my life.

Promised we could be friends and then proceeded to have a weird 'friendship' with me, went for coffee etc straight after finishing therapy.

I long suspected that the 'friendship' was so he could keep an eye on me after I decided I didn't want to be his client anymore. So a deceptive friendship that was basically unboundaried therapy that I had not consented to.

I'm feeling fine now just annoyed that he might repeat this behaviour with someone else. There is more than I have said here but that's a very brief summary.

Oh dear, I’m so sorry this happened, it’s really not ok. And you were unwell too, really inappropriate.

I’ve never been in the same position myself but I think you should report it. Someone even more vulnerable might be spared very real harm.

Thank you for your support.

But just to clarify, I was not "unwell."

This doesn't sound appropriate at all, I think you would be right to report it. At the same time, if that will cause you distress and you're still struggling, I don't think you should feel obliged to.

Are they HCPC registered? If so you can report to them.

No, UKCP. And I can report them to UKCP should I choose to, it's whether I choose to.

100% report. That's what the professional bodies are there for - to check out and take action about any claims.

Thank you, this is the dilemma.

I'm fine now but don't really want the stress and drama this would bring up. The other side is that I think he was fairly close to retirement and there's a chance that making a formal complaint would tip him into retirement and that would be the problem solved.

I don't personally feel I need anything from the process, but I don't like the fact that he's still practising.

To give an example re: the manipulation...

I was very distressed over historic child abuse and he repeated over and over again that the only way to heal was to confront the parents who didn't protect me 😐 despite me having explained from the start that they had never had my back.

I eventually did tell them and they disowned me.

Good one. Thanks.

I would absolutely report him.

He should never have been telling you what to do. A counsellor/psychotherapist is there to listen and provide congruence and unconditional positive regard, offer support and help you work through your feelings.

He should never, ever have forced your hand on this.

Thank you, and I do know you are right.

He was very gaslighty. It's going to be so hard to prove this element of it, though, and it's the bit that troubles me the most.

The other stuff, the crappy boundaries and the 'friendship' I could easily prove with text/email records.

But it was the pushing and pushing me to confront my parents, actively telling me I would never recover if I didn't etc. Then - weirdly - once I was no contact with them (still am, it's a relief) pushing me to try and mediate and reunite with them.

He was an egotistical maniac but it was all wrapped up in this caring persona, typical cycle of abuse kind of stuff which I can see now. But could'n't when I was consumed with the abuse I actually went in there to seek help with.

They might not be able to do much around the feeling pushed into telling your parents, as the therapist could argue this was how you interpreted it and they never actually advised or suggested this (not in any way suggesting that this was what actually happened). However, they can absolutely follow up on how clearly he has broken ethical boundaries - meeting up for coffee, maintaining a friendship. This is an absolute no and so unethical. Therefore on this basis I would report to UKCP

Thanks, I can definitely prove all of the boundary violations.

To be honest there might well be stuff relating to his 'ideas' around how I could 'heal' in amongst it. It would just take a certain amount of emotional energy on my part to go back and read through emails etc, but perhaps it's worth it.

Ok well I've just searched quickly in my message history and there is this exchange from 2021

Me: I never really got your perspective on reconciling with my family I don’t see it as my job to reconcile with and tolerate misogynists.

Him: I certainly encouraged you to contact your father. I had made the false assumption a father would want to make amends, to connect to his daughter.

That's something, isn't it? I found that on a brief skim of messages but he's admitted trying to influence me right there.

Oh and

Him: Perhaps I was just naive. I didn't realise how bad your parents were when I was suggesting engaging with them.

Meeting you outside of appointments is of itself crossing a boundary which a therapist should not cross with a client. We get on very well with our family psychotherapist, sadly because we as we are his clients we cannot be normal friends with him beyond saying hello if we pass on the street. But those are the professional rules. He is very careful about this.
So for that alone your therapist is way out of line. Please report he could be doing untold harm by the sound of it given how he treated and you and how you felt obligated to act.

Thanks.

I'm not 100% sure that I was clear in my OP as reading back the wording looks muddy.

We didn't meet after individual sessions.

We met after termination of me being his client. But very soon after.

Hmm the impression I've received from my therapist is that this would still be questionable. There is a power imbalance due to how the initial relationship was formed. This is a good article about the ethics of it.

www.fullyhuman.co.uk/ethics/

Yes, the UKCP ethical code says that due consideration needs to be given to the length of time between therapy ending and a personal relationship beginning.

I'm grateful for the replies on this thread but I'm already familiar with the ethical framework and complaints process. It's rather I'm looking for experiences from anyone who has been through the process and how difficult they found it and there hasn't been anyone who has been able to help with that as of yet.

I've just googled previous complaints and it looks as though psychotherapists are represented legally at these things (I guess paid for by their insurance).

So it would be me versus their lawyer I guess, which really puts me off.

I work in mental health. Our professional body prohibits relationships with clients for at least 2 years after the termination of treatment. I would never go for coffee with a client unless it was an agreed upon part of treatment for something such as agoraphobia, and even then we would have ongoing discussions around boundaries and therapeutic process, to avoid confusion.

Additionally there are many ways to work through past trauma and difficult relationships that don't include confronting people in real life. I would never directly tell a client what I think they should do because I won't be the one experiencing the repercussions of their actions. I help them understand their options and support them in making decisions but never direct them.

Ultimately, I think the therapist you saw is either not great at their job, or worst case had dodgy intentions. Either way I think they need to be reported so that they can either be supported to retrain or if necessary, banned from working with certain clients.

Thank you.

I should probably add he is also a psychotherapy supervisor and trainer or long-standing. He really should have known better.