Something Lighter - Self Defense
(November 2005
, Volume 1)
… I once received a call from an angry patient who asked whether a therapist was permitted by law to physically strike a patient. When I replied: “it depends,” the patient was rather taken aback, to put it mildly. Some time later, I learned that the therapist had been charged by the licensing board with striking the patient and that the therapist ultimately prevailed when it was shown that the striking was warranted under the circumstances.
While the facts in this case involved the patient going “out of control” in the therapist’s office (knocking over lamps, pushing, screaming, breaking glass), there may be other cases where the patient more directly attacks the therapist physically, forcing the therapist to vigorously defend himself/herself. Not really very “light” stuff after all!
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