Idaho Psychologist Accused of Rape

I am a huge believer in therapy. I am so grateful that I found the right person to help guide me through this crazy thing called life. Unfortunately, there are some very bad apples out there. This Idaho psychologist stands accused of rape and claiming these sexual acts to be therapeutic. 

The extremely inappropriate acts actually happened in California, but Heath Sommers has a long history in Idaho.

His license was permanently revoked on November 4th by the Idaho psychologist licensing board. He was accused of ethical breaches between 2010 and 2013.

According to an article on eastidahonews.com that goes over his history in more detail, while his court cases were playing out in Idaho, Heath Sommer was practicing at Travis Air Force Base where he was allegedly sexually assaulting his patients.

He was found guilty of sexually assaulting female patients between 2014 and 2016 and he presented it to his clients as "exposure therapy" for prior sexual trauma. (How messed up is that?!)

Sommers' will be sentenced January 25, 2020, and is facing over 11-years in prison. He was charged with rape, sexual battery, sexual assault, and oral sex by fraud.

Keep in mind that exposure therapy is an established form of psychological treatment for patients with PTSD that uses exposure in safe settings to slowly lessen the negative reaction to a traumatic event, but it does not involve re-enacting the trauma and would never ever be used in this manner.

Sommers' treated more than 100 patients before he was suspended in 2016.

Nothing disturbs me more than when trust is violated by a person of power or someone that you put your wholehearted faith in.