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Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

I have found evidence of an inappropriate relationship. What to do? Long. Sorry.

190 replies

separated · 13/02/2012 19:14

My husband is a therapist. He deals with fairly severe cases of depression and other mental health issues.

Background info. There is a history of his domestic violence against me. He was arrested once but denied it. My word against his. My son has recently become quite aggressive with me. An ongoing problem.

We are divorcing, his choice, and selling the house but we are still living in the house at the moment with our two teenagers. I have started several threads in the last few weeks. He ended our relationship at Christmas but assured me that there was no one else.

I have found evidence to the contrary. And the evidence proves without a doubt that it's with a client/former client. This is strictly forbidden. I confronted him about it. He denied it but asked me to jog his memory by showing him the evidence. I knew what would happen to it if I did so I have copied it and given copies to close friends until I decide what to do. He is a psychologist and incredibly good at appearing innocent. He is wily. He always used to say that he would never hurt me in such a way that there would be evidence.

For the first time in this increasingly twisted twenty year relationship, i actually have some solid evidence of yet another thing that he is denying. Essentially it's several sides of A4 paper with him weighing up various solutions such as: tell no one, admit it to his boss, discuss it with the BABCP which is his regulatory body or something or to continue the relationship (he sometimes refers to it as a friendship in this evidence) but make it non sexual for 2 years. I assume this two years refers to a period when a therapist cannot have a relationship with a client after treatment finishes. He considers drip feeding the information to his boss as another option.

I thought that he would admit what has happened. He hasn't. But this time I know. I thought that this would give me the space I need; it was bad enough finding out over Xmas that he no longer had feelings for me. And he didn't even leave for a few days to let the dust settle, instead he asked me to pretend that everything was normal, for the sake of the children. Which I did. I really thought, now that I know that he has started some sort of relationship, or thought about it, with a client that he should leave for a while. And he won't. It's so disrespectful. And it's actually wrong. He has crossed a line with someone.

Please do you have any words of wisdom? Really, he should lose his job. But do I want to be the person that makes that happen? I had intended to walk away from this marriage with a clear conscience. But would this just be revenge? Incidentally, this is what he told the police that it was when I had him arrested. He told everyone that and still maintains to everyone, including me, that that is what it was.

My other worry is that this could kick start his violence again. He hasn't laid a finger on me since he moved back in in August 2010 when we agreed to try again. Actually, when I agreed to try harder and he agreed to try to forgive me for his arrest(!)

He came back home at lunchtime today. He never does this. I thought that it was to explain to me about this woman. It wasn't. All he wanted was the paperwork that I had found (under his mattress). He accused me of stealing his property and asked to have it back. When I refused, he took my car keys. I only got the keys back because I said that he was frightening me, he was, and that I would have to call the police if he didn't let me leave in my car. Simultaneously, my sister phoned and I remained on the phone, with her listening, until I was safely in my locked car.

What a mess. But at least I know that this wasn't really about me. It's not my fault that the marriage has ended. He found someone else.

Any advice gratefully received please.

OP posts:
BayPolar · 14/02/2012 03:00

I'm sorry, but your h sounds like he's in the wrong profession.

You need to leave this manipulative man.

garlicfrother · 14/02/2012 03:47

I'm wary of piling on the cautions as you're probably quite traumatised already. At the same time, though, I'm concerned about the amount of minimising you're doing (we can see that, who've already been through the "fog" and come out again) so am offering you this caution for safety. Please try to read it coldly, as if you were playing a strategy game.

I stopped my first husband hitting me. He moved on to psychological-emotional abuse, which I was unable to identify at the time. Years later, we split. Just before I left, he came into the spare room, where I was asleep, and strangled me. I had to gouge his eye to get him off - I was about to pass out. There'd been no row; we were having a civilised breakup and he was already in a settled relationship with my replacement. From this forum, I now know that 'reformed' violent men have a tendency to go, literally, for the kill at the end. When we counsel caution, we're serious. Do not trust him. Be smart.

Please do talk to the DV people. And to anybody who can keep you grounded. You will come out this safely, with your children, and then you'll have the space to rediscover yourself and the everyday world. So will your children :)

BayPolar · 14/02/2012 04:46

garlicfrother
So sorry to hear of your experience.
Sad

KristinaM · 14/02/2012 05:51

Please stop usimg your time and energy to prove your husband is wrong. Stop having 25min conversations where you try to trap him. By trying to paint him into a corner and gettthing evidence, you are putimg yoursslf at risk. You dont need to prove this affair one way or the other. Your marriage is over for many other good reasosn.

Please concentrate on gettimg soemwhere safe to live while your house is being sold and your divorce finalised. Statistically, this is a very dangerous time, many women are injured by their partners when a relationship is ending.

Dont confront him any more. If he raises the topic, just say you were probably confused. Focus on keeping safe and gettimg the best possibel divorce settlement for you and your children. Take the focus off him and onto yourslef and your children.

Once thats sorted you can decide what to do with the evidence you have.

OnlyWantsOne · 14/02/2012 06:11

This thread needs to be moved some where with a lot less traffic

OP you need to get out of that house and away from him. When he leaves this morning you need to tell your children that they need to come too. Explain why.

Get your passports, bank details and all official paper work together, any thing important to you - any thing you need and LEAVE

catsareevil · 14/02/2012 06:27

Hope that you are OK this morning separated.

LadyPeterWimsey · 14/02/2012 08:42

Was thinking about you last night, separated. Hope you are ok this morning and got some sleep. Get that car fixed, get all your essential documents and belongings together, and get out. He will try to manipulate you, and if that doesn't work, he has nothing to lose by terrifying you or hurting you. If you're not there, he can't do it.

So sorry to hear what happened to you, garlicfrother - and thank you for posting it for separated.

separated · 14/02/2012 09:34

I am okay thank you.
My friend is due shortly to help with my car. My documents are safely stored.
Thanks for caring.

OP posts:
KristinaM · 14/02/2012 09:37
Smile
Eurostar · 14/02/2012 09:40

I'm sorry that I remembered you correctly Separated in that, I thought you were well on your way out of that relationship at the time which sounded like it had ground you down and played into you doubting yourself. Your DC also sounded like they were being very confused by it all and being go betweens at some points, suffering with it.

I think KristinaM gave good advice, tell him you were being hysterical etc.. and put this away until you are settled. This client of his could do with help, I'm sure, but you need to protect yourself too.

Wishing you strength to get through this.

JaceyBee · 14/02/2012 10:17

Hi separated, I don't have much to add in the way of advice I'm afraid but just wanted to offer my support. As a therapist (of sorts) myself I agree that he absolutely does need to be reported to his regulatory body in the interests of protecting his future clients. It never fails to amaze me how many therapists breach the ethical boundaries of appropriate relationships with patients, it is the most reported complaint to the BACP by miles. And yes, they are almost always men. Unfortunately my profession does tend to attract the rather narcissistic, above-it-all types who think the rules don't apply to them.

By the way just to clarify, the BABCP is the equivalent of the BACP for CBT therapists, the BACP is mainly for integrative, psychodynamic, humanistic etc practitioners. So if he's a CBT therapist he is probably with the BABCP. And if he works in the NHS too they will take an incredibly dim view.

I'm not saying this should be done immediately, I agree that your priority is to keep yourself and the children safe. I would definitely get something on record at this point either with the police or the DV agency you delt with before. Also, you know it's bollocks don't you, that the police were laughing at you and your 'middle class' version of DV. That's exactly the sort of thing that would make you doubt yourself, snd that's exactly why he said it.

It sounds as though this marriage has been absolute hell for you, I think him divorcing you has been the best thing he could have ever given you. Maybe you should consider some counselling for yourself to help you make sense of what has happened to you and see that it's not your fault, and maybe to help process the other horrible thing that happened to you before too. But I don't blame you if you never want to see another therapist again!

Please take care of yourself, you can pm me if you want.xx

spooktrain · 14/02/2012 10:29

thinking of you and sending you strength to get through this, separated

treadwarily · 14/02/2012 10:33

Hard.
I didn't report mine. I thought he would be more use to us living somewhere else and employed. That losing his marriage and home and job all at once would send him into a very dark place, mean no child support etc.

It worked for us in that he moved out, continued working, cleaned up his act and is now a devoted dad - much more so than when he lived with the children.

I'm not saying it's the right thing to do, but it did work for me. I think getting entangled in his work stuff is v tricky, you may have terrible trouble ever extracting yourself from it.

Maybe you could ask him to get professional help (does he have independent supervision?) and tell him that you genuinely wish him the best with resolving his problems. Again, I'm coming from the place of wanting to part on best terms possible as it will help you all as time goes on.

ihadonetoo · 14/02/2012 10:58

Oh separated.Sad

You're completely right in your analysis of your family's behaviour before your sister's wedding - and it's had exactly the impact they intended.

Can I suggest something? When you find yourself thinking, "mistaken", stop and replace it with "know an inconvenient truth".

Eg, "The consequences of me knowing an inconvenient truth could be huge for other people."

You can choose how to act wrt this inconvenient truth, but it never stops being true.

Btw, I'm with almost everyone else here:

  1. secure your own longterm safety
  2. report professionally - I shudder to think of this person loose on vulnerable patients.

Take care, and good luck.

separated · 14/02/2012 12:18

Just a quick reply as I am at Kwik Fit!
Yes, a CBT therapist.
Yes, I do kind of know that the middle class version of abuse was rubbish wrt the police attitude. Probably more likely that they could see that there was no evidence to charge him and they got him on side in order to advise him to move out for HIS protection, in order to help me. In my lucid moments I see it that way.
Tried to arrange CBT for myself as I am depressed and anxious at the moment - went to gp and did questionnaire. But CBT not appropriate for me until my newly acquired eating disorder is dealt with first. A diet that went too far trying to satisfy husband coupled with abnormal eating pattern since Xmas when husband dropped the clanger about end of marriage. And eating disorder intervention apparently is difficult to arrange in this county until it becomes severe.
I know I'm a bit of a mess at the moment, but I'll get there.

OP posts:
blackcurrants · 14/02/2012 13:08

you will. you are doing brilliantly.

Escaping abuse is one of the very hardest things anyone can do ... and you are doing it! You're amazing.

garlicfrother · 14/02/2012 13:41

You so are amazing :) I'm cheering from the sidelines! Hope your real-life support clicks swiftly into place.

JaceyBee · 14/02/2012 14:00

You poor thing, you really have been through it. There is something called CBTe which is CBT that has been enhanced/adapted for eating disorders but not all NHS therapists will have been trained in it. You're right the services for moderate ED's is severly lacking. Can you afford to go private?

Maybe try getting in touch with b-eat or EDA, see if they have any groups in your area?

MyNameIsInigoMontoya · 14/02/2012 14:28

If you are at Kwik Fit, please ask them about the puncture and whether it looks "natural" or deliberate... then at least you will have more idea what you're dealing with, and a record of it if necessary (though hoping it won't be!).

separated · 14/02/2012 14:32

It was a large nail in the tyre.

OP posts:
malinkey · 14/02/2012 14:42

What are your plans now separated?

Bogeyface · 14/02/2012 15:06

I had a large nail in my tyre and it was purely accidental, it can happen to anyone. I am a bit concerned about the scaremongering on here.

Yes he is clearly a vile and manipulative man but scaring the OP that her ex is planning or trying to murder her is a bit OTT! Yes she should be aware of her safety but constantly intimating that her life is in danger is not going to help her is it? she isnt stupid and knows how to keep herself safe.

BasilRathbone · 14/02/2012 15:42

Women don't get murdered because they're stupid Bogeyface.

They get murdered because the men they're with, decide to murder them.

No-one is scaremongering. It is absolutely well-documented, that women who are murdered by their partners are most likely to have that happen to them, when they are leaving the relationship and the man realises he is losing control of them. 2 women a week in this country are murdered in that way. It is not scaremongering for the OP to bear that in mind, particularly when she is dealing with such an extraordinarily efficient, ruthless adversary who has obviously been very fond of control. He manipulated her into coming back with him on the basis that she would make up for calling the police on him for his attack FGS - and is divorcing her on grounds of unreasonable behaviour for hearsay! That is formidably frightening behaviour and she now has something that could exert real power over him; this man is dangerous to her and although it's unlikely (most women after all, do not get murdered by their parnters) it is absolutely not unreasonable to treat him like the enemy he is.

MyNameIsInigoMontoya · 14/02/2012 17:08

Bogey I believe the OP herself mentioned upthread that she had wondered if the puncture was coincidental or not. So that was why I suggested getting it checked. And if it had been deliberate, it wouldn't necessarily have meant he wanted to harm her either, but he might still have been trying to prevent her leaving. Which would be bad enough. Thankfully it does seem to have been just an accident... but in the circumstances it seemed worth checking!

Bogeyface · 14/02/2012 18:59

I agree it was worth checking but all the talk above was very "soap opera".

The OPs case is very worrying but her best bet is advice from WA or the police, because I have noticed that deeply disturbing situations become dramas will full cast of extras courtesy of MN! I do wonder if some MNers have forgotten that this is real life and not Eastenders.

Calm and sensible advice is good, running around screaming "OMG he might murder you!!!!!!!" isnt.