sexual misconduct treatment in NYC

Professional Sexual Misconduct

A person in a position of professional authority who engages in sexual contact with a subordinate or client is committing Professional Sexual Misconduct.

In practice, this is often doctors and their patients, college professors and their students, clergy and their congregants, and supervisors and their subordinates. Any similar fiduciary and/or imbalance of power situation that becomes sexual. Sexual contact in these situations is the exploitation of a client, and is among the most serious of professional misbehaviors.

Sexual Misconduct Motivators

The arrangement or style of a professional practice or institution can contribute to these behaviors though insufficient supervision, a professional being asked to provide services which they are less professionally capable of, or worse yet an environment of generalized poor boundaries that predates the professional in question’s time there.

The offending professional may think and act in a style that is exclusively motivated by sexuality, with no emotional attachment to their victim, or they may go in the other direction and believe they’ve “fallen in love” with their client and have much loftier goals for the “relationship”.

The way Professional Sexual Misconduct is portrayed in products made by our TV and Film industry is concerning, and can further confuse any professionals with already poor boundaries. The media portrayal of Professional Sexual Misconduct would lead one to believe that sexual contact with a subordinate or client would lead to a life of “happy ever after,” when in reality the professional will have a very different outcome.

When person with little to no history of criminal or self-destructive behavior acts out,  there is always a build up phase, where that person “builds” or “moves” towards the behavior. This is a gradual internal change, they are not necessarily knowing their thinking is slowly becoming less rational. This change in thinking can sometimes be noticed by others, but usually it is not picked up until seen from hindsight.

Build up behaviors leading up to the Professional Sexual Misconduct can include:

• Scheduling clients at times so others are not around
• Meeting clients in not necessarily inappropriate settings but unusual or questionable from what is typical
• Meeting a client at a social setting or agreeing to have a meal or a coffee with a client when that is not at all customary for his or her field
• Giving gifts

Sexual Misconduct Consequences

While these are not always illegal, it is almost always against professional code. As a result, a teacher, doctor, or therapist may have his or her professional license revoked. The victim may also sue the professional, regardless of if one or both parties are motivated to engage in this sexual activity. In any clinical relationship, having sexual contact with the client even long after the professional contact has ended remains unethical for the professional, because of the client’s transference has not ended, and it is assumed that client’s transference to that professional never ends.

The professional committing the misconduct is often suffering from a personal or professional crisis. This can be a business/professional despair, a midlife crisis, the death of a someone very close, a marriage failing, or any other emotionally current traumatic event. Ongoing or newly developing mental health issues, (such as untreated psychiatric illness, mood disorder, personality disorder, active substance abuse, paraphilic urges, or a return to sexual addiction), can all leave the professional in a position to be more likely to break boundaries.