Psychotherapy in the #MeToo Era: Ethical Issues

The #MeToo movement has heightened awareness of sexual assault and harassment, causing victims. perpetrators, observers, and loved ones to reflect on what constitutes sexual coercion and what signifies consent. These new conversations have had powerful effects: Survivors who were once silent have raised their voices; hundreds of men in powerful positions across the United States have been dismissed from their jobs; and societal norms related to sex and gender are being reconsidered. It is no wonder that the "national reckoning" enters the world of psychotherapy. This article explores three vignettes that consider therapeutic facilitation of apologies/reconciliations, psychotherapist values and advocacy, and men and #MeToo using the American Psychological Association Ethics Code as the basis to understand coercion and consent in this new cultural zeitgeist. The ethical, legal, and clinical ramifications inherent in these vignettes are highlighted as a way to assist psychotherapists in beginning to deal with #MeToo as it presents in psychotherapy.