Sexual abuse by a therapist, counselor, or clergy-counselor is a profound betrayal. These are people you turned to in your most vulnerable moments, people trained to help you heal. When they used that trust to harm you instead, what happened was not your fault. Rhode Island law recognizes the serious harm these violations cause, and in 2026, the state took a significant step to give survivors more time and more options to seek accountability. If you were abused by someone in a position of therapeutic or spiritual authority, you have rights, and a sexual assault attorney at Sommers Schwartz can help you understand them.

Table of Contents

• How Therapists, Counselors, and Clergy-Counselors Abuse the Trust of Survivors
• Rhode Island Laws That Protect Survivors of Counseling and Clergy Abuse
• Rhode Island’s 2026 Child Sexual Abuse Law Creates a Two-Year Window for Time-Barred Claims
• How the Diocese of Providence Used “Approved Therapists” to Control Survivors
• What Survivors of Therapist and Clergy-Counselor Abuse Can Do Right Now
• FAQs About Therapist, Counselor, and Clergy-Counseling Abuse in Rhode Island

How Therapists, Counselors, and Clergy-Counselors Abuse the Trust of Survivors

Abuse by a mental health professional or clergy-counselor operates on a specific kind of exploitation. You came to them for help. You shared your fears, your history, your pain. They used that access to harm you. This is not a gray area. Rhode Island law treats sexual contact between a therapist or counselor and a client as a serious violation, precisely because the therapeutic relationship creates a power imbalance that makes genuine consent impossible.

Clergy who serve in a counseling role occupy an even more layered position of authority. They hold spiritual power over their congregants, and many survivors report that abusive clergy used that power deliberately, telling victims that God sanctioned the conduct or that disclosing the abuse would bring spiritual harm. The Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 investigation into the Diocese of Providence found that some accused priests used exactly these tactics, exploiting victims’ faith to secure compliance and silence.

Grooming is central to how these abusers operate. The process begins long before any physical contact. A therapist might gradually blur professional boundaries, extending sessions, sharing personal information, or creating emotional dependency. A clergy-counselor might single you out for special attention, offer financial support, or position themselves as the one person who truly understands you. These are deliberate tactics, not accidents of over-involvement.

The harm that follows is serious and lasting. Survivors of therapist or clergy-counselor abuse frequently report post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, difficulties with intimacy, and a profound loss of trust in helping relationships. Many find it nearly impossible to seek mental health care afterward, which compounds the original injury. You deserve to know that your experience is recognized, your pain is real, and the law is on your side.

Rhode Island Laws That Protect Survivors of Counseling and Clergy Abuse

Rhode Island law addresses sexual abuse in therapeutic and counseling relationships through several overlapping provisions. Under R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-37-2, first-degree sexual assault includes sexual penetration accomplished through the victim’s incapacity to consent, which courts have applied in contexts where a professional relationship creates coercive conditions. Under R.I. Gen. Laws § 12-12-17, there is no statute of limitations for criminal charges involving first-degree sexual assault or child molestation sexual assault, meaning a criminal report can be made at any time.

On the civil side, Rhode Island law under R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-1-51 gives survivors of childhood sexual abuse significant time to file a lawsuit. The clock does not start running until the survivor turns 18. From that point, survivors have 35 years from the date of the abuse, or 7 years from the date they first discovered or connected their injuries to the abuse, whichever deadline is later.

Rhode Island also recognizes professional licensing consequences for therapists and counselors who engage in sexual misconduct. Licensed mental health professionals in Rhode Island are regulated by the Department of Health, and a complaint can trigger a license investigation independent of any civil or criminal action. These parallel tracks matter because they create multiple avenues for accountability.

Institutions, supervisors, and organizations that enabled or covered up abuse face their own liability under Rhode Island law. A practice group, counseling center, church, or diocese that knew about misconduct and failed to act can be held responsible in civil court. This is a critical point for survivors whose abuser worked within a larger organization, because the individual abuser is rarely the only party with accountability.

Rhode Island’s 2026 Child Sexual Abuse Law Creates a Two-Year Window for Time-Barred Claims

On June 11, 2026, Governor Dan McKee signed legislation known as H-7200A/S-2616A into law. The law amends the statute of limitations for claims of sexual abuse of a child and creates a two-year window for victims to bring otherwise time-barred claims against institutions and supervisors accused of enabling or covering up sexual abuse. The new law takes effect on July 1, 2026.

The new law establishes a two-year civil revival window that opens from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2028. During this 24-month period, survivors can file civil suits even if the statute of limitations on their claims had previously expired. For survivors who were abused by a therapist, counselor, or clergy-counselor as children and believed their time had run out, this window is a direct opportunity to act.

The law reaches beyond individual abusers. The new law specifically targets institutions and organizations such as churches, schools, youth programs, healthcare facilities, and sports leagues, as well as supervisors. That means a counseling practice, a diocese, a religious order, or any other organization that failed to stop known abuse can now face a civil claim during this window, even if the underlying abuse happened decades ago.

In 2023, the Rhode Island Supreme Court ruled that the 2019 law only applied to suits against individual perpetrators, not the institutions or supervisors who enabled them. The 2026 law directly addresses that gap. Survivors who could not sue an institution under prior law now have a defined period to do so. All time-barred claims must be filed by June 30, 2028, or they may be forever barred. The window is real, but it is not permanent.

How the Diocese of Providence Used “Approved Therapists” to Control Survivors

The Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 report on clergy abuse in the Diocese of Providence revealed a troubling pattern that directly intersects with the issue of counseling abuse. When survivors came forward to report abuse by priests, the Diocese did not simply offer neutral support. It attempted to direct victims toward therapists from a pre-approved list, therapists who had documented ties to the institution accused of enabling the abuse.

According to the Attorney General’s report, the Diocese maintained a list of approved therapists beginning around April 1995. The list was provided to survivors as part of the Diocese’s offer of counseling assistance. Diocesan records confirm that at least three providers on this list had also treated priests accused of sexually abusing minors. One provider had characterized a priest’s accuser as a “profit seeking sociopath” in a letter to the Bishop. Another provider on the list was a psychotherapist who simultaneously served as the Diocese’s Minister for Priests, responsible for providing advocacy and support to priests accused of misconduct.

This is not a minor administrative oversight. Directing a survivor to a therapist with institutional loyalty to the accused organization creates an environment where the survivor’s account may be minimized, doubted, or reported back to the institution. The report described this practice as, at best, poor judgment, and at worst, a calculated attempt to direct victims to providers who would be skeptical of their accounts.

This pattern matters for any survivor who sought counseling through a church, religious organization, or institution-affiliated program after reporting abuse. If the therapist you were sent to had ties to the organization you were reporting, your experience in that counseling relationship may itself be part of a broader pattern of institutional misconduct. A sexual abuse lawyer at Sommers Schwartz can help you evaluate whether that pattern affects your legal options.

What Survivors of Therapist and Clergy-Counselor Abuse Can Do Right Now

If you were sexually abused by a therapist, counselor, or clergy member acting in a counseling role, you have several options, and the right path depends on your specific circumstances. A civil lawsuit is one option. A report to the Rhode Island Department of Health or the relevant licensing board is another. A criminal report to law enforcement is a third. These paths are not mutually exclusive, and pursuing one does not prevent you from pursuing the others.

For survivors whose abuse happened in childhood, the 2026 revival window under H-7200A/S-2616A is the most time-sensitive consideration right now. If your civil claims were previously time-barred, you may be able to file against both the individual abuser and the institution or supervisor that enabled the abuse. That window closes on June 30, 2028. Acting sooner gives your legal team more time to gather records, identify witnesses, and build the strongest possible case.

Many survivors worry about being believed, about reliving the experience, or about facing a powerful institution alone. These fears are understandable. Trauma from abuse in a counseling or spiritual setting often runs especially deep, because the relationship was built on the promise of safety. The Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 report found that many survivors waited years or even decades to come forward, held back by fear, shame, and threats from their abusers. Waiting is not weakness. It is a recognized trauma response.

Sommers Schwartz represents survivors across Rhode Island, including those abused in therapeutic, religious, and institutional settings. Our team approaches every case with the seriousness and sensitivity it deserves. If you are ready to talk, or even just to ask questions, we are here. Contact a sexual assault lawyer at Sommers Schwartz today for a confidential, no-obligation conversation about your options.

FAQs About Therapist, Counselor, and Clergy-Counseling Abuse in Rhode Island

Can I sue a therapist or counselor in Rhode Island for sexual abuse that happened during treatment?

Yes. Rhode Island law allows survivors to bring civil claims against therapists, counselors, and other mental health professionals who committed sexual abuse during a treatment relationship. The therapeutic relationship itself is legally significant because it creates a power imbalance that removes the possibility of genuine consent. You may also have grounds to file a complaint with the Rhode Island Department of Health, which licenses and regulates mental health professionals in the state. A civil claim and a licensing complaint can proceed at the same time.

Does Rhode Island’s 2026 revival window apply to abuse by a counselor or clergy-counselor?

Yes, if the abuse occurred when you were a child. The law signed by Governor McKee on June 11, 2026, amends the statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse claims and creates a two-year window for survivors to bring otherwise time-barred claims against institutions and supervisors accused of enabling or covering up abuse. The window runs from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2028. If a counseling center, religious organization, or other institution failed to stop a known abuser, they may be named in a claim filed during this window.

What if I was directed to a therapist by a church or institution after I reported abuse, and that therapist seemed to minimize my experience?

This is a recognized pattern. The Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 report on the Diocese of Providence documented how the Diocese maintained a list of approved therapists, some of whom had documented ties to the institution and to accused priests. If you were directed to a therapist by the organization you were reporting, and that therapist appeared to work against your interests, this may be relevant to your legal case. An attorney can help you evaluate whether the institution’s conduct in managing your counseling access contributed to your harm.

I was abused by a clergy member who was also acting as my personal counselor. Is my case treated differently than a standard clergy abuse case?

The dual role of spiritual leader and counselor can actually strengthen your civil claim. When a clergy member takes on a formal counseling role, they assume professional duties similar to those of a licensed therapist. That counseling relationship creates an additional layer of trust and dependency that courts recognize. The abuse of that specific role can support claims not only against the individual, but also against the institution that placed that person in a counseling position without proper oversight or that ignored warning signs of misconduct.

I am afraid to come forward. Will my identity be protected if I file a lawsuit?

Rhode Island courts allow sexual abuse survivors to file civil lawsuits under a pseudonym, such as Jane Doe or John Doe, in appropriate cases. This means your name may not need to appear in public court filings. The decision to file anonymously depends on the specific facts of your case and the court’s approval, but it is an option that many survivors use to protect their privacy while still pursuing accountability. An attorney at Sommers Schwartz can walk you through how this process works and what to expect.

More Resources About Healthcare & Other Institutional Abuse

• Doctor & Medical Professional Sexual Abuse in Rhode Island
• Hospital & Healthcare Facility Abuse Claims