‘I was completely vulnerable’: woman tells of alleged abuse by ‘counsellor’

Sarah says she would have found it easier to file a complaint had therapy been better regulated

• Psychotherapists in England must be regulated, experts say, after abuse claims rise
• When therapy goes wrong: the problem of underqualified practitioners

Sarah* moved across the country to a new town in her late 30s after fleeing a decade-long abusive marriage. Struggling to make friends and fill her lonely evenings, she joined a church choir – something that quickly became her only source of joy.

Her new GP had diagnosed her with depression and she started to see a female therapist. But when she failed to see noticeable improvement, she decided to take up the offer of help from her charismatic choirmaster, who told her he was a qualified counsellor.