Assuming the behavior was as described in the news story, this is a very serious breach of both professional ethics and patient care responsibillity. Patients have a right to expect much better behavior from their psychiatrists, psychologists, and other clinicians. The American Psychiatric Association routinely expels psychiatrists for such behavior (this one is apparently not a member of APA nor of the state psychiatric society). The Texas legislature made such behavior a crime several years ago, regardless of whether the woman is a patient or a recent "former patient." Our profession takes such behavior very seriously, as do all other mental health professions, and finds it abhorrent. Without knowing all the facts, my general impression is that the Texas Medical Board's punishment was very light indeed.