Home / Crime and Justice / Provo Therapist Arrested for Pressuring Clients to Undress
Provo Therapist Arrested for Pressuring Clients to Undress
22 Aug
Summary
- Therapist Shawn Talbot accused of sexual abuse and harassment
- Clients claim he used "therapy" to convince them to strip and perform exercises
- Talbot fired from Utah counseling job over unrelated allegations
In a disturbing case of alleged abuse of power, a mental health counselor in Provo, Utah, was arrested last month on suspicion of voyeurism. Shawn Talbot, 55, stands accused of pressuring two of his clients to undress and perform exercises in front of him, claiming it was necessary for their therapy.
According to court documents, one of the women said Talbot used "the guise of mental health therapy" to convince her to remove her shirt and bra on multiple occasions. He allegedly also asked her to do handstands in front of him after she had undressed. A second woman reported that Talbot had asked her to bend over, exposing her chest and breasts.
Talbot was fired from his job at Utah Valley Counseling on June 30th following an unrelated sexual abuse allegation and multiple complaints of sexual harassment from female coworkers. However, his state license remains active, and no disciplinary actions have been taken against him.
This is not the first time Talbot has faced such allegations. In 2020, he was accused of inappropriate conduct with underage girls at a residential mental health facility. Those allegations, which Talbot's attorneys have denied, are also currently being addressed in court.
The two women who have come forward in this latest case have shown "extraordinary courage," according to their attorney, Alyssa Wood. "Therapists hold a position of profound responsibility and are entrusted with the care and well-being of their patients. When that trust is violated, the harm is devastating."
