After Counseling Fails, Many Sue Therapists

The fear of litigation is especially high among therapists who get tangled in messy custody disputes and get blamed for the loss of child custody. 'They are in the most dangerous environment in America ' and that's getting in between parents and their children,' said Eric C. Marine, vice president of claims for the American Professional Agency, which provides malpractice insurance to mental health care professionals. Marine, who is writing a white paper titled 'The Cleavers Have Left the Building,' believes that the breakdown of the family has pushed more people into therapy and, consequently, has triggered more suits against therapists in recent years. He should know. He sees the therapists' malpractice claims, and often gets phone calls from them upset about a lawsuit or a complaint. 'When I was young, nobody ever said anything about seeing a shrink. And even if you were seeing one, you didn't tell anyone. Today, I think that's why there are more lawsuits because therapy is now mainstream,' Marine said.