When Yes Isn’t Consent: Unpacking Coercion, Power, and Therapy Abuse

Dec 19, 2023

This podcast explores the complexities of consent in therapy abuse, discussing the dynamics of abuse, attachment and self-blame in therapeutic relationships, power dynamics and coercion in therapy sessions, and the flip side of therapy and transference. It emphasizes the importance of understanding consent, recognizing power dynamics, and maintaining ethical boundaries in therapy.

Ask episode

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

Introduction

00:00 • 3min

The Confusion of Consent

03:07 • 12min

The Dynamics of Therapy Abuse and Client Confusion

15:18 • 2min

An Examination of Attachment and Self-Blame in Therapeutic Abuse

17:15 • 3min

Power Dynamics and Coercion in Therapy Sessions

19:47 • 2min

Understanding the Complexity of Consent

21:20 • 9min

The Flip Side of Therapy and Transference

30:13 • 3min

Transference in Therapy

32:47 • 6min

The Role of Consent in Therapy Abuse and the Importance of Unions for Young Workers

38:46 • 2min

Power Dynamics and Vulnerabilities in Therapy

41:01 • 21min

Conclusion and Contact Information

01:02:01 • 2min

When Yes Isn’t Consent: Unpacking Coercion, Power, and Therapy Abuse

TRIGGER WARNING: Talk about Therapy Abuse, Sexual assault, and what is consent. Some of this material may be very difficult and we ask that you do what you need to take care of yourself in this hours.

In this episode of Re-Threading Madness, we take a deeper look at consent between adults in the context of therapy abuse and ask a difficult but necessary question: when is a “yes” not “yes”?It can feel like we’ve only just arrived at the clarity of “no means no.” In this program, we ask you to stretch your thinking further and consider how power/authority over, dependency, and coercion can shape a “yes” that isn’t freely given. It may seem like a lot to hold at first, but by the end of this episode, the importance of this distinction becomes clear.Through survivor testimony and expert insight, we explore how grooming, transference, and emotional reliance can blur the boundaries of consent within therapeutic relationships. We also examine BC’s new Health Profession and Occupation Act, including its latest revisions around what protections it may offer, where it remains unclear, and how the absence of a clear definition of consent continues to create risk.Additionally, we unpack the ongoing concerns around the 2–3 year post-termination clause adopted by some professional associations, which allows for intimate relationships between therapists and former clients and the systemic vulnerabilities this creates.Featuring interviews with:

Audrey Bedolis, lawyer specializing in psychotherapy malpractice
Amy Avalon, retired therapist
Amy Nordhues, survivor of therapy abuse

This episode challenges us to move beyond surface definitions and confront the realities of coercion, power imbalance, and institutional gaps around the therapist/client relationship while centering clarity, accountability, and survivor experience.Content note: This episode includes discussion of therapy abuse, sexual exploitation, and childhood trauma. Please engage in a way that supports your well-being.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/rethreading-madness--5675300/support.