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How effective are you?

Article Excerpt
Recently, I was watching a rerun of a legal-based television show, and in this episode, a wife was bringing a lawsuit against her deceased husband's therapist. The husband died by suicide, and it was her contention that the therapist helped the husband/client uncover old memories that were too difficult for him to deal with, resulting in his death. She further believed that had he just kept these old memories from his mind, he would still have been alive. The lawyers agreed not to go public with the lawsuit to keep from damaging the therapist's reputation.

The main issue the prosecuting attorneys presented as the basis for their case was the therapist's "failure to provide the client with informed consent." The question became simple to the therapist and his lawyer: Did the therapist inform the client that uncovering these memories could be harmful to him, and did he obtain consent for that? The attorneys also raised the issue of "duty to warn," to which the therapist had no response. The case was settled with the therapist not admitting to any wrongdoing,...

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