Victim urges tougher regulation for therapists

A woman who successfully sued her therapist for raping her during a therapy session has called for stricter regulations on therapists and counselors.

Ella Janet Ordered to pay more than £200,000 in damages Her civil case took place in June after the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) decided not to charge her therapist, Michael Lozada.

Janet has now started a campaign calling on the government to introduce legal regulations.

The Government is urging people to use practitioners on the voluntary register who are accredited by the Health and Social Care Professional Standards Authority (PSA).

Warning: This article contains details you may find disturbing

Janet, who waived her right to anonymity, visited Lousada’s clinic in Belsize Park, north London, in 2016.

She told the court that she had been abused as a child and had come to see him after having a panic attack during consensual sex.

The High Court heard a therapist said his penis was “like a laser beam” and could “burn out trauma” during a £750 session.

The court also heard that Ms Janet had not asked for or consented to the use of penile penetration as a “therapeutic technique”.

When CPS chose not to prosecute Lozada, Janet filed a complaint in civil court for “trespassing upon persons.”

After eight years of fighting for justice, Janet says she now wants to campaign for a new regulatory body to “keep the public safe from therapists who abuse their power over their clients in therapy”.

She said: “It is shameful that the responsibility for keeping us safe now falls on the public.

“Now is the time to address this issue, and the voices of victims must be at the center of this change.”

Now anyone in the UK can call themselves A therapist, psychotherapist, or counselor who does not have standardized qualifications or training.

Governments can bring certain professions under legal regulation, but introducing new professions to this level of oversight requires a statutory three-month consultation and parliamentary process.

Ms Janet said it was time for the therapy and counseling sector to “agree to be legally regulated”.

This week, her lawyer Leigh Day chaired a meeting to launch the campaign.

“Private consultations brought together key stakeholders, including professional bodies in the UK, to discuss this issue and seek support,” the company said in a statement.

The report said many agreed that the Coalition should move forward with the need for government-regulated registration of therapists, which was discussed.

Leigh Day attorney Kat Rubens said the conference “really highlighted the need for better regulation of care.”

She added: “Counseling should be a safe space.

“Strengthening regulations will ensure that steps are taken to protect the public from harm.”

A government spokesperson said he praised Janet’s “courage to speak out”.

“Taking advantage of those in need when they are most vulnerable is reprehensible and we urge those affected to come forward so those responsible can face justice.

“Everyone seeking treatment has the right to have confidence and trust in their health care professional, which is why we recommend registering a qualified doctor who is PSA certified.

“To meet the standards for PSA accreditation, organizations must focus on public protection and robust processes for handling complaints against practitioners.”

If you have been a victim of sexual abuse or violence, help and support is available in the following ways: bbc action line.