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A marriage counselor charged with sexual assault is on trial in Texas accused of using her position of authority to have sex with a patient.
Sheila Loven counseled a couple in 2009 and allegedly used her counseling influence to encourage the wife to file for divorce, then had an affair with her husband.
Assistant District Attorneys Betty Arvin and Sean Colston are prosecuting the case.
The wife took the stand at the Tarrant County courthouse on Thursday and testified about her relationship with Loven, which she described as "visiting her best friend once a week to talk."
The wife said Loven spoke unfavorably about her husband for months and encouraged the two to divorce.
"It wasn't marriage counseling, it was divorce counseling," the wife said in court.
In Sept. 2009, after the wife filed for divorce, she met Loven at Flip's in Grapevine, Texas. Throughout lunch she disclosed to Loven suspicions she had about her husband seeing someone. She testified that after a possible girlfriend was mentioned, Loven admitted her involvement.
"It's me, it's me," the wife said Loven told her. "She had developed an interest in my husband and wanted to seek a relationship with him," she said in court.
The wife added that she was numb after the conversation with Loven and eventually got up and left the restaurant.
The Fort Worth Star Telegram reports that Loven and the husband had an affair for two months in 2009 before the couple reconciled after realizing that Loven had been deceiving them during their separate counseling sessions.
"I thought she was my friend, I thought she cared," the wife testified.
After the couple’s reconciliation, they started receiving sexually graphic, threatening and insulting text messages in Jan. 2010, allegedly from Loven.
The defense argued in court that the messages could not be authenticated. Judge Ruben Gonzalez over ruled the objections.
Prosecutor Betty Arvin quoted in court a text message to the husband that read: "When are you going to figure out that you are nothing without me? I made you a man."
A text sent to the wife read: "I want you to suffer."
The couple is now divorced.
Loven could face two to 20 years in prison if convicted. If convicted, as a first-time offender, she could get probation.
The trial is expected to resume on Thursday.
Leave a Comment:
She couldn't take what wasn't given to her by the so called husband however - seing as she accepted these peoples money and convinced them to be apart while they were obviously still in love and trying to work it out (hence their agreement to go to counceling to begin with) I think the woman deserves jail time not probation - 1st time offense or not
I agree with you 100%.
It is illegal for a counselor to have a relationship with their clients.
What a selfish b***h. She couldn't find a man on her own in the outside world, obviously. Guess her defense attorney is her next target. Unethical behavior that deserves to have her license yanked.
and the husband is guilty as well.......did she FORCE him???
Really? I mean it's obviously unethical, but illegal? If that's the case (which I don't believe it is), then why was she charged with sexual assault, the only charge mentioned in the article?
And, how exactly is this sexual assault?. A grown woman has consensual sex with a grown man, and it's a sexual assault? I sure would like to see how THAT gets proven in court!
I'm not sticking up for this woman AT ALL. But when it comes to consensual sex between adults, there's a big difference between unethical behavior and sexual assault.
No doubt in my mind she'll be acquitted of sexual assault against a MAN who consented to sex. This is purely a case of the D.A. bringing charges against this woman in order to ruin her reputation and make her pay a lawyer 10s of thousands of dollars in legal fees.
She wont' be convicted, but this episode cost her her reputation, her career, and probably 25-30K in legal fees.
Harold,
I agree. How can you charge someone with sexual assault when the affair was consensual? Plus it sounds like the affair began after the couple split. Even if the woman caused the split they will have a very hard time convicting her of sexual assault.
I agree Harold. I fail to see how this is a case of sexual assault. Unethical behavior, yes. Sexual assault, uhhhhhh, hmmmmm.
Unless there's something about this case that's not been reported. I really don't understand the charges.
Marriage counselor could cover several professions: Marriage and Family Therapist, Social Worker, Psychologist and under your licensing board you agree to abide by ethical values that may not be illegal but not ethical while licensed to practice in your licensed field. Incidently there was a Social Worker in Kansas who behave similiar. She is on Federal probation and lost the opportunity to be licensed to practice in all of the United States.
When you enter a counseling relationship, the counselor is considered to be in a position of authority and has the potential power of influence. This woman used her power to manipulate the couple. It's similar to cases of police officers pulling over women and then demanding sexual favors. Even if the women consent, its still sexual assault because the officer used his authority to influence her behavior.
Well why would he want to be with his old and unappealing wife. She dresses as typical american woman, no cosmetics no lipstick no perfume probably does not even wash regularly. Typical amerikanski
John Q must hear "bitter table for one" quite a bit when he goes to a restaurant
I really don't think she should be charged, just be required to be more forthcoming in the future. If a wife cannot keep up with her wifely duties, she may need someone like this to step in, and pick up the slack. This marriage councelor could provide a great service if she were just more forthcoming. Maybe even encourage wifes to step up to the plate, and get back on a more regular routine... A win win for everyone.
Where did you read that the wife couldn't "keep up her wifely duties"? Your comment sounds like you are projecting your own personal experience into this story. We don't need that.
Chris150-you are an idiot. The article never referred to the issues the couple were having. This "counselor" (evil witch) set her sites on a patient and deliberately sabotaged this couple. She was helping no one but herself. Again-you are an idiot.
She should be charged. It's illegal.
Best comment on the board today! "Wifely duties.." lovin it!
Check out his home page / previous comments. Chirs has been around for some time. Major Troll.
A wife's duties are not sex. A wife is a friend, companion, and a lover! Oh in that order!
It could be a good thing
not hardly
I get where you are coming from. If they are back together now then I guarantee their relationship is stronger than ever.
Dan,
Guess you didn't read the story----
The couple is now divorced.
Guiess their relationship wasn't that strong, eh?
I don't think I am the one who failed to read the article, "After the couple’s reconciliation, they started receiving sexually graphic, threatening and insulting text messages in Jan. 2010, allegedly from Loven."
And then at the end after that quote. "The couple is now divorced." You missed a sentence.
Dan must be one of the low information types..............and a republican to boot
What a low down skank! She took this woman's money and her man. I would have had to whip her azz.
His also
Sounds like a typical woman
Sounds like the husband really has grounds for divorce now. He could also sue for alienation of affection and get the judge to rule in his favor.
It's funny how everyone assumes lack of sex from the wife was the issue.
That's because it almost always .. IS.
Oh, darling... in my neck of the woods we would call her gator bait...
You do not mess around with someone else's man unless you can out-think the wife. Now you just sit on down there and let me fix you a nice cup of tea. Bitter? No, I don't think so....
"Ain't it dark under that tarp, Earll?"
Hahahahaha!!!! Thanks Betty! :)
well at least he was getting something in return from her , but she was basically a high dollar whorre
The next time someone tells you:
We tried a marriage counsellor.
You should be suspicious.
By the way,does this person have a license which can be suspended?
most license marriage counselors are over sexed,especially if you have a hot wife.....by the way divorce lawyers too
What an ass the husband was, Wife is trying to "Save" the marriage while the husband is doing the Paid Skank on the side. It would be nice to see his ass in court besides the divorce. Hope the wife made the husband pay for all the "counseling" for he was the one benefiting!
BTW I am male.
What I heard was that the counselor found out that the husband had a 'monster johnson' and, well, you know women, she wanted to ride that 'bad boy' like a pony!
Anybody know where I could find some Loven?
Maybe Texas Gov Perry can capitalize on this story too wrangle some divorce counseling business from California...
I can't really see a marriage counselor, or any counselor as having a position of authority. You can get better advice, and support from friends and they won't even charge you for it. All a counselor does is listen for a bit and make suggestions. A police officer or a professor would be someone that actually was in a position of authority.
Heath, want to guess what she suggested?
What she did was wrong but just shows you how F-ed up our judicial system is 20 years for that kill somebody and a good lawyer will have you out in 10
Assuming this woman was a licensed counselor, exactly what criteria must be met for someone to a marriage counselor's license anyway? I have always heard it did not take much. Even a real psychologist does not really do much more than listen, and then say something to make you feel better about yourself.
I don't know much about any of it really, obviously. From what little I know I don't have much faith in it. And most people who confide in 'counselors' are usually bitter about their partner, and don't tell the whole truth about themselves, etc. anyway, which only gives a counselor limited information anyway.
In this case, perhaps the man was full of sh--, the wife was full of sh--, and the counselor also was probably full of sh--. I'll bet this kind of thing probably happens many times on a regular basis across the country.
On second thought, maybe I should try to become a marriage counselor.
Sexual Assault cannot hold up, but unethical conduct of a licensed professional will hold. My guess is she will get probation, in addition to losing her license. This "counselor" was a predator,and she should never be able to practice counseling of any kind again. People who come to a counselor are vulnerable, she is most definitely liable for a suit by the wife. This woman exploited each members weaknesses, for her own personal needs. She is badly in need of counseling herself. You will note that the couple is now divorced. This is tragic all around.
This is just stupid!!! Seriously?? Like the husband is so innocent.. He was a grown man and I highly doubt he was forced to give it to the shrink!!! The way this article is reading you would think it was a minor she was caught with..
Picture this. My wife's girlfriend got a divorce and they went out to celebrate. Girlfriend explained to wife about permanent alimony in Florida, you get to keep the house and car, you get to quit your job and the husband has to pay you until he dies. Wife threatened divorce, I asked to go to counseling. She said okay, that she was told the name of a good one. She went for months without me, while I paid the bills, made no sense, I asked to go too. Met the woman 2 or 3 times, she seemed to start hitting on me, I told her she was not helping keep my marriage together and did not go back. Eventually found she was a Mary Kay salesperson, drinking buddy of my wife, masquerading as a counselor so the two could share the money. Wife filed for divorce and I now pay permanent alimony, lost house, kept kids.
That's terrible! I've never lived in a state that has alimony, and in most cases can't agree with it. To everyone who's had a bad experience with counselors, I feel for you. My counselor saved my life; he didn't just listen and then make suggestions, he literally helped guide me through different paths to avoid pitfalls and learn to discern poisonous people and situations from a real friend. Yes, I was heartbroken and vulnerable, but was able to move on. No, my marriage didn't survive, but my ex, his now wife and I get along just fine. Our daughter was most important, not our fragile selfish egos.
I would be hoping that she remarries; then you no longer have to pay. What a beotch!
You are LUCKY you got to keep your kids. You would have been permanently BROKE otherwise.
I screw her, she screws me, I screw the other her, the first her's unhappy that I'm screwing the both of them. Now I'm not screwing either of them but now her lawyers screwing me for screwing the other her and I don't like it. Ahh screw it sounds like a plot for a made for tv movie.
Judge, I tried for a threesome but the wife wouldn't play along, so I just loved the one I was with.
If your down and confused and you can't remember who your talk-en to!
Concentration slips away!
i need her to counsel me
If the counselor in fact did whatis indicated here, I hope she spends a long time in jail. My mom fell to a counselor"s advances. She saw the counselor over being distraught over my dad being deployed in Vietnam. The Psychologist/counselor made the move on my mom and wrecked my parents marriage as well as a good portion of my older brother and I's childhood.
20 years are they crazy? She was a horny lady trying to get in the sack with a guy. She just used her position to her advantage. Pull her licence, give her a fine, get a restraining order and be done with it. 20 years, you people are crazy.
She should have got the wife involved too....Then everyone would have been happy!