Resources: Suggested Readings

This bibliography has been gathered from suggestions by members of the TELL network.  If you have found other books that you would like us to include, please send us the names of the authors, titles, publishers, cities of publication, publication dates, brief descriptions of the books, and why you found them helpful.
 

Babiak, P. and Hare, RD., Snakes in Suits: When Psychopaths Go to Work. HarperBusiness, NY, 2006.
Written for the business community, Babiak and Hare give an outstanding description of the ways in which psychopaths charm, connive, hide, and deceive their way into our lives to use, control, and destroy us in three steps: assess, manipulate, and abandon.  While not all psychotherapists who exploit patients are psychopaths, a major percentage appear to be. This book will help you understand how you were taken over and why it is so difficult to extract yourself from the psychopath's grips. 

Bates, CM and Brodsky, AM., Sex in the Therapy Hour: A Case of Professional Incest. Guilford Press, New York, 1989.
This early book includes a first person account of abuse by a psychotherapist and the analysis by the expert witness in the legal case of the extensive damage that was done.

Beck, JC., Psychiatry in Trouble: Narrative From a Damaged Profession, Intl. Psychoanalytic Books, Queens, NY. 2020
This book traces the changes in psychiatry over the almost six decades of the author's experience in private, community and hospital-based practices as well as in forensics, pharmacology, and teaching. Beck pays particular attention to the ways in which women, minorities, and members of the LGBTQ community have been diagnosed and treated.

Beutler, LE, Bongar, B. and Shurkin, JN., Am I Crazy, or is it My Shrink?: How to Get the Help You Need. Oxford University Press, New York, 1998.
Despite its somewhat glib title, this is a useful book for anyone looking for a psychotherapist and trying to decide how to evaluate treatment styles that best suit and serve one’s needs.

Bisbing, SB, Jorgenson, LM, and Sutherland, PK., Sexual Abuse by Professionals: A Legal Guide. The Michie Company, Charlottesville, VA, 2000.
This is the only truly comprehensive guide for attorneys handling therapist sexual exploitation cases.  If your attorney doesn’t have ready access to
this book, urge him or her to get it.

Bloom, JD, Nadelson, CC, and Notman, MT., Physician Sexual Misconduct. American Psychiatric Press, Washington, D.C., 1999.
This book contains a series of informative essays by professionals and victims/survivors on the ethical, legal, educational and therapeutic problems that arise when boundaries are crossed in physician-patient relationships.

Bridges, NA., Moving Beyond the Comfort Zone in Psychotherapy. Jason Aronson, Lanham, MD, 2005.
While written for therapists, this book may also serve as a resource for victims/survivors who want to understand the differences between therapy as a “safe place” and therapies that may be potentially harmful.

Campbell, TW., Beware the Talking Cure: Psychotherapy May Be Hazardous to Your Mental Health. Upton Books, Boca Raton, FL, 1994.
This author argues that mental health practitioners need to rethink their perceptions of their patients in order to do no harm.  The book is heavily footnoted and contains a list of questions for evaluating a therapist.

Carnes, PJ., The Betrayal Bond: Breaking Free of Exploitive Relationships. Health Communications, Deerfield Beach, Florida, 1997.
This book explores trauma bonds, i.e., powerful connections to abusive people created by a betrayal of trust. The author discusses how traumatic bonds are formed and strengthened, their devastating impact, and ways to dissolve them.

Cohen, E., The Empowered Patient, Ballentine Books, New York, 2010.
While not specifically dealing with psychotherapist-patient relationships, Cohen makes clear that patients do not need to accept rudeness, arrogance, and other inappropriate behaviors from their physicians (and insurance companies). She gives practical suggestions for finding the right treater, disagreeing with or challenging questionable diagnoses or treatments, and even "firing" treaters whose treatment is questionable or clearly inappropriate.

Curtis, S., Doctored: A True Story. Inanna Publications and Education, Inc., Toronto, 2010.
This book is a moving first-person account by a Canadian woman who was sexually and emotionally abused by her family doctor to whom she had turned for help with issues of anxiety caused by early childhood trauma. When she reports the doctor, she faces the frustrating and anti-female bias of the medical and legal systems—and prevails.

Dentz, S., door of thin skins (Emerging Voices), CavanKerry Press, Ltd. Fort Lee, NJ., 2013.

Using poetry and prose, Dentz describes how a sexually and psychologically exploitative psychotherapist undermined her understanding of herself, destroyed her intuition and defenses, and left her questioning her perceptions of her world.  Dentz’s 82 emotionally-charged pages inspire those who may want to use creative expression to describe their exploitation, to vent, and to heal. 

Dolnick, E., Madness on the Couch: Blaming the Victim in the Heyday of Psychoanalysis. Simon & Schuster, New York, 1998.    
This author, the former chief science writer for The Boston Globe, offers a damning indictment of psychoanalysis as unscientific and explores why and how it became popular.  The author suggests that despite good intentions, it is a practice that has destroyed many lives.

Dorpat, TL., Gaslighting, the Double Whammy, Interrogation, and Other Methods of Covert Control in Psychotherapy and Analysis. Jason Aronson, Lanham, MD, 1996.
This book explores the various subtle ways patients are indoctrinated and controlled in psychotherapy and analysis—using accepted methods—and without the clinician being aware that this is happening.

Edelwich, J. and Brodsky, A., Sexual Dilemmas for the Helping Professional. Brunner/Mazel, New York, 1991.
The authors explore the emotional and sexual complexities of the practice of psychotherapy in a text best-suited for interested professionals.

Engel, B., The Emotionally Abused Woman: Overcoming Destructive Patterns and Reclaiming Yourself. Random House, NY, 1990.
This book offers a step-by-step process for recovering from relationships that have been emotionally and physically abusive. The reader is given concrete ways of confronting her self-defeating behaviors and overcoming them.

Epstein, M.,  Advice Not Given: A Guide to Getting Over Yourself. Penguin Press, 2018.
If you have ever asked whether the trauma from having been emotionally and sexually exploited by a mental health professional will be with you forever (probably, yes) and what you can do to lessen its impact, then this book may be for you.  Epstein, a New York psychiatrist and a practitioner of Buddhist meditation, gives practical suggestions for managing the triggers and often debilitating effects of this kind of trauma.

Filip, R., He told me that only he could "save me": When therapy turns into abuse. PressOne, 2/13/2024.
This is the first in-depth article about therapy abuse in Romania. The author describes two severe cases that are currently under investigation and offers a trauma-informed psychotherapist's perspective on this kind of abuse as well as information about the Code of Ethics violations that are involved.
For Romanian Version click here
For English Translation click here

Forward, S., Emotional Blackmail: When People in your Life use Fear, Obligation, and Guilt to Manipulate You. Harper Paperback, NY, 1998.
This straight-talking book offers a clear picture of what emotional blackmailers are like, how they operate, and gives concrete strategies for dealing with manipulative people.

Fox, B., Coming to Voice: Surviving an abusive therapist (a memoir in 3rd person). Amazon Digital Services, LLC, 2018. 
This book is presented as having been written by "Emma," an alter of Bernadine Fox, a survivor of incest, child sex trafficking, and emotional and sexual exploitation by a widely known (and respected) feminist therapist, Pamela Sleeth, in Vancouver, Canada.  Fox describes in detail how she was groomed and exploited by Sleeth for over a decade, how she brought her alters under control, and how she healed and has gone on to live a healthy and productive life.

Friedman, J. and Boumil, MM., Betrayal of Trust: Sex and Power in Professional Relationships. Praeger Trade, Westport, CT., 1995.
Written by a lawyer and a psychologist for a professional audience, this book explores the abuse of power by health care professionals from those perspectives.

Gabbard, GO. ed., Sexual Exploitation in Professional Relationships. American Psychiatric Press, Inc., Washington, D.C., 1989.
A wide-ranging selection of short essays by some of the leading authorities in the field, this book gives a useful and interesting historical overview of the problem, how it happens, suggestions for treatment, and suggest approaches for rehabilitation of offenders.

Gabbard, GO. and Lester, EP., Boundaries and Boundary Violations in Psychoanalysis. Basic Books, New York, 1995.
This book opens with a forward that suggests that boundary violations occur less frequently in psychoanalysis than in other areas of psychotherapy, a suggestion absolutely not borne out by our experience.  Beyond that, the book attempts to present a difficult topic in a frank and honest manner.

Godley, W., Saving Masud Khan. London Review of Books, 23:4, 3-7, 2/22/01. (https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v23/n04/wynne-godley/saving-masud-khan)
In a classic essay, the writer describes what he characterizes as a "disastrous encounter with psychoanalysis which severely blemished my middle years."

Gonsiorek, JC., ed., Breach of Trust: Sexual Exploitation by Health Care Professionals and Clergy. Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, CA., 1995.
This book offers a thorough exploration of nearly every aspect of the sexual abuse of clients by health professionals and members of the clergy.  Contributors include attorneys, physicians, psychologists, social workers, ministers, victims and their advocates.  The best endorsement that can be made for this essential book—published ten years ago—is its relevance now.

Herman, E., The Romance of American Psychotherapy. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA, 1995.
This book puts into perspective the ways in which psychotherapy has gained enough power in our society to have a significant impact on our political and cultural lives and has thus been allowed to define what is normal, sane, and acceptable.

Herman, J., Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence—From Domestic Abuse to Political Power. Basic Books, New York, 1992.
Arguably the best book ever written on trauma and recovery. Herman is a clinical professor of psychiatry and practicing therapist who draws on extensive research and her own clinical practice to bridge the personal and political realities of surviving and healing from trauma.  If you are going to read only one book, this should be it.

Herman, JL., Truth and Repair: How Trauma Survivors Envision Justice. Basic Books, NY, 2023
This book is not about therapy abuse; however it does describe issues that are important to us. In the first part Judith Herman, author of Trauma and Recovery, gives a clear picture of the strengths and limitations of the criminal justice system and the civil suit system. This is useful information for all victims of therapy abuse. The second part gives views of what victims of sexual violence want, and the third part gives views about healing. Herman writes that the victims of domestic abuse and incest who she interviewed do not want revenge but rather are looking for admissions of guilt and apologies. In TELL's experience, this is not necessarily consistent with the views of victims of abuse by members of the mental health and health care systems, although to some extent, this varies according to where victims may be in their healing. The least interesting parts of this book for therapy abuse victims may be those about rehabilitation and prevention.

Jehu, D., Patients as Victims: Sexual Abuse in Psychotherapy and Counselling.  John Wiley & Sons, Chichester, England, 1994.
This book should be in every clinician’s library and provides a useful reference for victims/survivors as well.

Kelley, JL., Psychiatric Malpractice: Stories of Patients, Psychiatrists, and the Law. Rutgers University Press, New Jersey, 1996.
This book presents a series of first person accounts of abuse by psychiatrists.  Written for consumers and professionals, it includes an analysis of the victims’ malpractice cases, who won, and why.

Kerr, J., A Most Dangerous Method: The Story of Jung, Freud and Sabina Spielrein. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1993.
This book, which recounts the history of psychoanalysis and the questionable boundaries of early practitioners, may be best suited for professionals and scholars.

Leonard, M., Ruthless Love,  Independently-published (available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other on-line outlets), 3/28/2022
In stunning detail, Ruthless Love  describes the slow takeover of an analytic patient by a ruthless and self-serving psychoanalyst. The story is told from the viewpoints of both the sociopathic narcissist abuser and his victim, also a psychoanalyst. Under the pen name Marie Leonard, the author, a writer and research psychoanalyst, has used her personal experience of having been a victim of therapy abuse to write this excellent novel. This book will be of interest to victims of therapy abuse and to all therapists (even if not psychoanalysts). It has been dedicated to the TELL volunteer who guided the author along her path to healing.

Levine, PA., Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma. North Atlantic Books, 1997.
This book presents useful methods for working with trauma that has been internalized in the body.

Loring, MT., Emotional Abuse: The Trauma and the Treatment. Jossey-Bass, Indianapolis, 1998.
Written for subsequent-treating therapists, this book describes subtle and not-so-subtle forms of abuse of clients in psychotherapy and suggests ways to treat those clients.

Lott, DA., In Session: The Bond Between Women and Their Therapists. W.H. Freeman & Co., New York, 1999.
As a medical writer and journalist, Lott explores the dynamics that tie patients to their therapists and make them vulnerable.  A must read for anyone who has asked, “How could I have been so stupid?”

MacKenzie, J., Psychopath Free (Expanded Edition): Recovering from Emotionally Abusive Relationships with Narcissists, Sociopaths, and Other Toxic People. Penguin Random House, New York, 2015.
This book provides a guide for healing and growth for victims of the charms, manipulations, mind games, and other destructive actions of psychopaths.  

Martinez-Lewi, L., Freeing Yourself from the Narcissist in Your Life. Penguin Group, New York, 2008.
Written by a psychotherapist, this book explores narcissistic behavior including the narcissist's willingness to exploit others, the devastating impact of such behavior, and how one can recover from destructive relationships with narcissists.

Masson, JM., Final Analysis: The Making and Unmaking of a Psychoanalyst. Ballantine Books, New York, 2003.
This book presents a biting critique of analytic training and practice by an insider, including a look at transference from the analyst’s perspective.

Matsakis, A, I Can't Get Over It: A Handbook for Trauma Survivors. New Harbinger Publications, Inc., Oakland, CA, 1996.
This book gives basic information about the symptoms and biochemistry of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Three levels of victimization are spelled out: the primary trauma; the negative responses from family, friends, colleagues, etc. that comprise secondary victimization; and the tertiary form of "victim thinking." The author explores coping with triggers and triggering situations and makes many practical suggestions for healing. Although abuse by a health care professional is not specifically addressed, many have found this book helpful and informative.

McNamara, E., Sex, Suicide, and the Harvard Psychiatrist. Pocket Books, New York, 1995.
The author, a Boston Globe reporter, presents the story of Harvard Medical School student Paul Lozano and his relationship with his Harvard psychiatrist, Margaret Bean-Bayog, who has been blamed by many for his suicide.

Myers, WA., Shrink Dreams: Tales from the Hidden Side of Psychiatry, Simon & Schuster, New York, 1992.
This is a gutsy book by a psychiatrist who has been damned by his colleagues for exploring and exposing both his own sexual and abusive fantasies and those of his colleagues. He warns of what can happen when a therapist changes the focus of therapy from the patient’s needs to his/her own.

Noel, B., You Must Be Dreaming. Simon & Schuster, New York 1992.
Noel describes being drugged with sodium amytal and raped over an eighteen-year period by Dr. Jules Masserman, past president of the Illinois Psychiatric Society.

Penfold, PS., Sexual Abuse by Health Professionals: A Personal Search for Meaning and Healing. University of Toronto Press, Toronto, 1998.
This book offers an amazing combination of the personal and the professional. Not only does Dr. Penfold have the courage to come forward and describe her abuse in great detail under her own name, she also provides a professional framework for this type of abuse, including an explanation of the problem, the process, and the effects of professional sexual exploitation.

Percy, J., Paralyzed, The NYTimesMagazine, 22-29ff., 8/27/2023. In a feature story, Percy writes: "Rape often goes unpunished when victims fail to protest or fight back. But investigators, psychologists, and biologists all describe freezing as an involuntary response to trauma." Victims of sexual abuse and exploitation by psychotherapists may emotionally "disconnect" from their abusers in a similar form of "freezing." To read the article https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/27/insider/explaining-a-response-to-rape.htm> (Subscription Required)

Peterson, MR., At Personal Risk: Boundary Violations in Professional-Client Relationships.  WW Norton & Co., New York, 1992. Peterson explores the ethical basis for boundaries, the ways in which our society elevates professionals to positions of power, and the psychological impact of violations on patients/clients.

Plaisal, E., Therapist: The Shocking Autobiography of a Woman Sexually Exploited by her Analyst. St. Martins Press, New York 1985.
One of the few and earliest of the autobiographies of victims, this book reflects the anger and sadness that such abuse engenders.

Pope, KS. and Bouhoutsos, JC., Sexual Intimacy Between Therapists and Patients. Praeger, New York, 1986.
This is one of the early books that attempts to pull together the results of the available clinical studies of the time.  It is addressed largely to professionals.

Richardson, S., Cunningham, M., et al, Broken Boundaries: Stories of Betrayal in Relationships of Care. Lulu.com, UK, 2008.
This book is a collection of the compelling stories of seven victims of sexual and emotional abuse by health care professionals. Each story illustrates the victim's pain, suffering, and repeated losses as well as the absence of care and compassion by the health care community. In addition to helping victims move beyond their shame and self-blame, it may help families, friends and colleagues avoid re-victimizing sufferers. As with the TELL e-book, TELLing It Like It Is, (available free at TELL's website), Broken Boundaries is especially useful reading for student health professionals and those who serve on disciplinary bodies.

Rogers, AG., A Shining Affliction: A Story of Harm and Healing in Psychotherapy. Viking Penguin,  NY, 1995.
Recommended by several TELL Responders, A Shining Affliction is the true story of a psychotherapist in training who was greatly harmed by the broken boundaries of her much loved first therapist.  She recovers in the care of an excellent subsequent therapist.  Her personal story is interwoven with the story of the therapy she is providing to a five year old boy whose life parallels her own childhood traumas.  This is a beautifully written book that gives a complex view of both bad and good therapy.

Rutter, P., Sex in the Forbidden Zone: When Men in Power—Therapists, Doctors, teachers and Others—Betray Women’s Trust. Fawcett, Greenwich, CT, 1991.
This book has become a classic.  It combines a useful set of “war stories” with intelligent observations, analyses and thinking about the abuse of power by men.

Sands, A., Falling for Therapy: Psychotherapy from a Client’s Point of View.  Palgrave MacMillan, London, 2000.
“If the aim pf psychotherapy is to alleviate suffering, then the measure of its validity must be the extent to which it does or does not achieve that goal.  But who decides whether suffering has been alleviated, whether the well-being of the client has been promoted….” This book contains an extensive bibliography.

Schoener, GR. Et al., Psychotherapists’ Sexual Involvement with Clients: Intervention and Prevention. Walk-In Counseling Center, Minneapolis, 1990.
After a decade and a half, this is still the reigning “bible” of anyone who wants to understand the complexities and range of emotional and sexual abuse by psychotherapists.  It is more than 800 pages long and is available only through the Walk-In Counseling Center (if it is still in print).

Schouten, R. and Silver, J., Almost a Psychopath: Do I (or Does Someone I know) Have a Problem with Manipulation and Lack of Empathy? Hazelden Publishing/Harvard Health Publications,  Center City, MN, 2012.   
If you have been wondering how your abusive therapist could have done the things he/she did to you, despite his/her charm, intelligence, and professions of love, this book may hold some of the answers.  Written by two authors, one who holds both MD and law degrees and the other a former federal prosecutor and practicing criminal attorney, the book describes the confusing behavior of psychopaths and ‘almost-psychopaths’ and suggests that we cannot understand psychopathic behavior because we try to interpret it within the bounds of normalcy.  
For more information on psychopathic behavior, see: https://www.psychopathfree.com/articles/30-red-flags-of-manipulative-people.212/ & http://www.telegraph.co.uk/books/non-fiction/spot-psychopath

Sennett, R., Authority. WW Norton & Co., New York, 1993.
This book is useful to anyone seeking to understand the pathology of false forms of authority such as professionals who exploit patients/clients. Sennett characterizes such authorities as “seducers” who replace liberty with a false sense of security.

Shepherd, A., Mending the Shattered Mirror: A Journey of Recovery from Abuse in Therapy. Lexington, KY, 2016.