Eating disorder therapists are the valued “foot soldiers” in the community. They are on the front lines. They have the most interaction with those suffering from this illness. They are exposed to the ugliest aspects of this insidious illness. What an incredibly difficult career path.
And yet families should not just expect, but demand, that therapists always place their patient’s needs first and foremost. Therapists have the duty of good faith with their patients. Their patient’s needs must always come first. A patient’s recovery is the paramount goal.
The therapist’s job is maddeningly difficult. It requires intelligence, creativity, empathy, compassion, wisdom, strength, resiliency. It requires the therapist to not just listen, but to understand the complex relationship between their patient’s pain, the therapist’s seasoned experiences and knowledge of the latest technologies and evidence-based treatments.
Therapists have the ability to take a patient by the hand and walk with them on a perilous journey which hopefully leads to a future life filled with happiness and love. To accurately assess progress on this journey, a therapist must take and keep session notes. These notes constitute not just a foundational reference to rely upon for future sessions but also illustrate a path of recovery for those loved ones entrusted to their care.
However, what if a therapist fails in her duties?
What if that therapist for an extended number of years does not take any treatment notes for a patient?
What if that therapist then creates a dual relationship and employs that patient at the same time that person is receiving therapy from the therapist?
What if that therapist then misclassifies the patient as an independent contractor instead of an employee in an attempt to avoid taxes?
What if that therapist then also utilizes her patient to organize, edit and publish that therapist’s podcasts without even publicly recognizing that patient’s work?
What if that therapist then fires the patient from her employment position?
What if, as soon as that patient is fired by that therapist, the therapist’s podcasts were discontinued?
What if that therapist also abandons the patient by stopping her much needed therapy?
What if that therapist then admits to that patient’s subsequent therapist that she may have crossed the line?
What if that therapist also admits to that patient’s subsequent therapist she had not taken any session notes for that patient?
What if a failure to take notes is an obvious and blatant violation of Massachusetts’ statutes and code of ethics for therapists?
What if that therapist then attempts to draft session notes and a summary of therapy years after those sessions had taken place?
What if that therapist then transmits those falsified documents to the patient’s subsequent therapist?
What if that therapist then has the attorney assigned to her by her D&O insurance carrier transmit those “therapy notes and summary” to the attorney representing her former patient?
What if those “therapy notes” show the therapist submitted notes for only 54 sessions and invoices for 216 sessions?
What if those therapy notes were supposed to be representative of weekly sessions for over a ten-year time period and as such, were completely inadequate and deficient?
What if the aggrieved patient, pushed to the limit by her therapist’s wrongful conduct, then has to resort to litigation because of that therapist’s wrongful conduct, violations of Massachusetts tax laws and misclassification as an independent contractor?
What if that patient’s subsequent therapist deemed that therapist’s conduct so egregious that she files an ethics complaint with the Massachusetts licensing board?
What if that patient justifiably is in the process of filing a separate ethics complaint against her former therapist?
What if that therapist’s conduct exacerbated the patient’s mental health condition instead of improving it?
What if that therapist’s ego was such that despite not being a medical doctor nor psychiatrist, she named her practice which purportedly specializes in eating disorder care using her own name?
That is certainly a lot of “what ifs.”
So much so that one may wonder about and question the authenticity of those “what ifs.” And yet, those “what ifs” are true. Review the many “what ifs.” They are not speculation nor subject to vague interpretation. They are based upon a therapist’s past conduct and statements of fact.
As such, why would any family entrust their greatest treasure, their child or loved one, to that therapist? For that matter, how would families even learn about that therapist’s conduct? Conduct that is critical and is a crucial consideration for any family allowing them to make an informed, intelligent decision.
And so that therapist is now facing not just one, but two ethics complaints with the Massachusetts Bureau of Health Professions Licensure Agency.
But the troubles for that therapist do not end there.
Ethics complaints will also be filed with iaedp, MEDA and any other organization to which that therapist belongs.
Since significant tax issues are involved, complaints will be filed with the Massachusetts Department of Revenue and the IRS.
Although justifiably detrimental to that therapists, consequences for intentional wrongful conduct should have the ultimate impact of strengthening the eating disorder community. Certainly, families deserve so much more from therapists.
Oh, this therapist?
Karin Lewis and the Karin Lewis Eating Disorder Center.