Filing a Complaint Against an Unprofessional or Unethical Counselor, Therapist or Social Worker
If there is any question in your mind about the behavior of the therapist and whether it was proper, you might want to consult some ethics
pages to review the standards that counselors try to uphold. For
Washington State residents, consult the Revised Code of Washington
RCW 18.130.180
dealing with unprofessional conduct.
You also need to recognize the limitations of confidentiality. You can not make an anonymous complaint, and the accused therapist is
not bound by confidentiality in his/her own defense.
If your therapist practices in the state of Washington, the Washington State Health Department, Health Professions Quality Assurance,
Counselor Programs web site has an on-line complaint form that you can complete to start the process.
For more information see the
Washington State Complaint and Disciplinary Process.
The "Provider/Facility Search" link will take you to the "Health
care provider" button and then to the "Provider Credential Search"
where you can verify a health providers licensure.
Since laws are not uniform between the states, you will need to determine what procedures are in place in your state. As state
licensure becomes the rule in more states, complaint procedures are also being established. Your state legislator should be able to advise you what state agency
regulates therapists in your state.
A secondary approach is to file a complaint with one of the certification agencies that have certified the therapist. Look at the professional
initials that the therapist uses after his/her name. For example: NCC is a certification of the National Board for Certified Counselors. Consult:
a. Dictionary of Initials and Acronyms Used by Counselors, and
b. Links to Professional Organizations
Read more
about misleading counselor credentials or counselor initials.
