I was recommended a therapist named J by a professional who felt we were a good match. He said she came highly recommended.
Recently I rang her and she said she could probably see me face to face in July. In the meantime I checked her out online for reviews etc. There were several news articles about her and her husband and their court case in which they were ordered to pay €280,000 plus interest and legal costs to a former childhood friend.
This is the story:
J's life-long friend gave €280,000 to J and her husband in August 2010 , after receiving a €750,000 compensation award for serious injuries suffered in a road accident in which her father died. She is now on social security. The friend sought repayment in 2014. J and husband had not the money to pay and claimed they would never have accepted the 'gift' had the friend not insisted, as they knew they could never pay it back. J and husband used the money to pay off their debts, finance their children’s education, retrain as counselors and psychotherapists and open a new business. They argued the money was a gift, while friend claimed it was loan.
The judge ruled against J and husband and said it was a breach of trust; that the friend was gullible and vulnerable after her accident, and was taken advantage of....etc...etc...
J and husband have now had to declare bankruptcy to pay off the loan.
My opinion:
I think the friend squandered her pay-out after the accident and is now regretting having given some of it to her 'beloved friend', but... even if the money was a gift, rather than a loan, I find it odd that anyone would accept it without some effort to repay it.
From my end: I no longer want to see J as a therapist. I think cognitive bias has kicked in and I no longer have faith in someone who ended up in this situation.
Would you agree? What view would you hold?
Recently I rang her and she said she could probably see me face to face in July. In the meantime I checked her out online for reviews etc. There were several news articles about her and her husband and their court case in which they were ordered to pay €280,000 plus interest and legal costs to a former childhood friend.
This is the story:
J's life-long friend gave €280,000 to J and her husband in August 2010 , after receiving a €750,000 compensation award for serious injuries suffered in a road accident in which her father died. She is now on social security. The friend sought repayment in 2014. J and husband had not the money to pay and claimed they would never have accepted the 'gift' had the friend not insisted, as they knew they could never pay it back. J and husband used the money to pay off their debts, finance their children’s education, retrain as counselors and psychotherapists and open a new business. They argued the money was a gift, while friend claimed it was loan.
The judge ruled against J and husband and said it was a breach of trust; that the friend was gullible and vulnerable after her accident, and was taken advantage of....etc...etc...
J and husband have now had to declare bankruptcy to pay off the loan.
My opinion:
I think the friend squandered her pay-out after the accident and is now regretting having given some of it to her 'beloved friend', but... even if the money was a gift, rather than a loan, I find it odd that anyone would accept it without some effort to repay it.
From my end: I no longer want to see J as a therapist. I think cognitive bias has kicked in and I no longer have faith in someone who ended up in this situation.
Would you agree? What view would you hold?