My closest friend in the field, “Marcus,” didn’t have my restraint. He fell for a client—a man who came in for sex addiction therapy, ironically. Marcus told himself it was different because the client had already divorced. He told himself they were “two consenting adults.” He told himself the power differential was balanced because the client was wealthier and older.
I looked at him, and for a split second, I wasn't a counselor. I was just a woman who was also tired of being "the strong one." temptation confessions of a marriage counselor
That was cowardly. I knew it. I spent a week in supervision, admitted the attraction, and referred her to a female therapist. Lisa cried. I felt like a monster. But I also felt relief. The Unspoken Truths of Temptation: Confessions of a
Here is what the public doesn’t understand about marriage counselors: We are not gurus. We are not enlightened beings who have transcended desire. We are people who chose this profession often because we have seen the wreckage of infidelity up close—in our parents’ marriage, our own past relationships, our secret doubts. He told himself they were “two consenting adults