Americans are still in shock after learning of a psychologist who was unable to do anything about her husband’s affair with a patient due to confidentiality rules.
Thanks to a plethora of mental health, relationship, and self-image issues, psychologists, therapists, and doctors have quickly become a highly sought-after commodity in the modern world. We rely on them for so much from helping us with panic attacks to following through on our decisions, and yet, it seems that care and compassion are not always reciprocated.
A horrible situation to be in
This horrible relationship story was secretly shared with podcast hosts Toni and Ryan (@toniandryanpodcast), who were able to reveal the situation without breaking the psychologist’s confidentiality clause.
Penning a letter, the therapist said: “I’m a psychologist, so please keep me anonymous as I can’t break confidentiality clauses. But I have to tell someone. My patient told me she is having an affair with a married man and the guilt was eating her alive.”
The patient said her secret hookup was going to leave his wife, but the guilt was keeping her from pursuing a real relationship with the man. At the same time, the psychologist was having issues in her marriage – can you see where this is going?
“Later on that week, my husband told me he is leaving me for a woman he has been sleeping with,” the hosts continued. “My husband was having a fling with my patient.”
Because of the pesky confidentiality clause, the health professional was unable to address the situation with her husband; she simply had to take the loss.
Viewers had a theory
For once, the internet was on the same size as they supported the psychologist through what must have been a particularly painful breakup. Considering the timing of the patient’s admission, viewers also believed there was something else going on.
One person explained: “She knew. she knew it was her and that was her way of relieving the guilt. She told her without telling her.”
“I would bet $1 million. The patient knew that was the wife the entire time. And she was testing her therapist to see if she would find out,” another person said, while a third added, “Wouldn’t it still be unethical for her to continue to treat this patient as she is personally involved.”
