In a perfect world.

A Sandbox Reverie: The small child wriggles into the spot she has meticulously scooped out of the sand and nestles into her favorite daydream. Hypnotized by the fine grains flowing through her fingers, over and over, she transports herself into her vision of a Perfect World.

A world where children are cherished as precious gifts. Where dedicated parents nurture them with constant reassurance that they are treasured, cared for, and protected. Consequently, the vision continues with these Perfect World children entering adulthood fully in tune I with their infinite value, their glorious being, their unique contribution--all of which would be passed on to their children. And to their children's children ... in a Perfect World.

Sadly, in our Real World, relatively few children are fortunate enough to experience this crucial right to well being. Many Real World babies grow up as best they can, struggling to survive parental neglect, indifference, mental and physical abuse, and sexual molestation. As they grow and stretch their limited resources in order to cope with the unbearable, it is not uncommon for part of the child's personality to form a splintered self. This wounded segment of the self, like a frightened rabbit, freezes, waiting for some future time when hopefully it will be soothed and reintegrated.

No, it's not a Perfect World and that's life. We accept it. We work, play, raise our families, and, at some point, those who need to and are ready, reach beyond their splintered boundaries to pursue personal harmony through psychotherapy. HMO permitting, we query our friends, our physician, perhaps even consult the phone book for a referral. Once we've made our choice, we cautiously approach the arena for self-examination and, ideally, healing.

It doesn't come easily. We're fragile. But after some time and struggle, we dare to trust our therapist. In kind, the therapist must be reverently respectful of the fact that he or she may well be the first person we've permitted ourselves to trust since childhood trauma destroyed that particular trait of innocence. Gradually we begin to surrender our secrets until we're wide open and where, in a Perfect World, we, with the guidance of our therapist, explore each piece clear through to the ultimate goal of release, cleansing, healing, and, at long last, good health.

In essence, psychotherapy is a noble profession dedicated to the healing of the spirit and the resurgence of hope for the hopeless. Unfortunately, in the Real World, not all therapists are noble people.

There exists between therapist and client a distinct and necessary power differential. How else could we release to scrutiny our neediness? Without someone "in charge" to provide boundaries, to assure a safety net, how would we dare unleash our long-suppressed fears and potentially overwhelming hurts? Without exception the therapist is morally, ethically, and legally bound to absolute professionalism and integrity as he or she creates the atmosphere through which we may first venture maskless, however timidly, into the Real World.

We commit ourselves to the therapist's realm, placing childlike faith in his or her expertise and compassion. If we are fortunate, all goes well. Perfect World therapists travel with us the road of mental health and life fulfillment to its phoenix--within the guidelines of human capabilities.

But, tragically, there are Real World men and women with a license to practice psychotherapy who elect to take a crashing detour off that road into a dead end of abuse. As in child abuse, this betrayal may assume many forms, including molestation.

According to Dr. Peter Rutter in his 1991 book Sex in the Forbidden Zone, research compiled by psychologist Jacqueline Bouhoutsos reveals that "studies requesting practicing therapists to report whether they have treated patients who had a sexual relationship with a previous therapist ... show that 70 percent of therapists reported at least one patient who had had such a relationship." The problem of therapist-client sexual abuse is so common there are networks of support systems for the victims set up throughout this country, Canada, and abroad.

Imagine the effect of this blatant betrayal. Fairly soon after summoning the courage to engage in psychotherapy, you realize you've survived a few preliminary sessions. You feel your apprehension begin to ease. Tentatively, you peek through painstakingly constructed barriers at your innermost conflicts. This can be a terrifying prospect--you've met them in your nightmares. You're convinced they've taken on the power of demons and are now revelling in the fact that you are shedding your armor, creating an opening for attack. You fear implosion, annihilation; but you tiptoe on because you have decided it is safe to trust your therapist and surely he or she would never allow harm to come to you. If your therapist says it's okay, then, whatever it is, it's okay.

Now, as you leave a session, exhausted by the extent of neediness uncovered via the labors of therapeutic process, you ask for a hug. You get sex. No, it is not okay. The experts state that therapy stops when sex begins. Where does that leave you, the client? In a pit within the pit that brought you for help in the first place. Everything has changed and there is no going back.

Like the child robbed of its childhood due to molestation, you are deprived of your right to safe and pure healing. Chances are it could be years before you truly realize the impact this misuse of power has had on you.

Just as it takes one to seven years for trusted parents to fully impact the formative growth of their child, it can require equal time for the adult to recognize the harm perpetrated by a trusted professional. Then, cognizant of the fact that a great injustice has been committed and needing to do something about it, the victimized client discovers that the statute of limitations for legal action has expired! (Depending on the state in which the malpractice occurs and the degree of exploitation, the statutes may run from one to five years.)

During this time, the client is more than likely still wrestling with ambivalence. She or he protects the violator and wages futile inner battles to preserve the fantasy that the relationship had been more than a strictly self-centered sexual indulgence on the part of the therapist.

Once clarity dawns, it brings with it yet more harsh realities for the client to face: searching out another therapist (not only for dealing with the harm done but also for facilitating long-awaited forward movement), trusting that therapist, and funding the treatment. In a Perfect World, certainly the perpetrator would pay for all subsequent therapy, but statutes of limitations may preclude that from happening. The human process does not always occur within specific time constraints.

No matter the obstacles, unlike the abused child doomed to endure, adults bear the responsibility to clamor for their personal rights. Malpractice must be reported and truths revealed so that the next client may be made aware. From there, though the law governing practitioners is strong and clear, perhaps it would be better served by a more realistic statute of limitations that takes into account the necessary processing time of the victim.

It's a simple issue of right and wrong: those in a position of power, no matter the context, do not get to do unto others as they damn well please--not in our Perfect World, where life is lived via the code of sandbox visionaries.

Fran Pearce is a Carlsbad, California, grandmother who has been previously published in the San Diego Union, AIM, and various romance magazines. Her life, like her current book, Pieces, is a work in progress.