Idaho mental health counselor Mark W. Wiseman loses license for sex with former client

October 30, 2013

On October 29, 2013, the Idaho Board of Professional Counselors and Marriage & Family Therapists revoked professional counselor Mark W. Wiseman's right to renew his license and ordered him to pay a $1,000 fine. 

The basis for the Board's action was Wiseman's failure to immediately notify the Board of any address and for gross incompetency for failure to act so as to avoid harming a client, specifically by engaging in a sexual or romantic relationship with a client or a former client within five years of the last professional contact. 

According to the Board’s documents, Wiseman provided counseling services to the client from November 2011 to July 18, 2012. Some of the counseliing he provided dealt with the client's relationship issues between herself and her boyfriend.   

The Board's Findings of Fact states that Wiseman began a sexual relationship with the woman after the conclusion of the professional relationship and had sexual relations with her in August 2012, September 2012 and February 2013. 

The document further states that on February 4, 2013, criminal charges were filed against Wiseman for Sexual Exploitation by a Medical Provider, relative to the February 2013 incident of sexual relations. Wiseman contended that the sex on that date was consensual while the former patient contended that it was not. Wiseman did not otherwise deny that he'd engaged in sexual relations with the former client. 

Wiseman plea bargained to a reduced charge of battery, to which he pleaded guilty. 

On January 3, 2014, the Utah Division of Occupation and Professional Licensing Wiseman accepted the voluntary surrendered of Wiseman's Utah counselor's license on charges that he'd "engaged in unprofessional and unlawful conduct that affects his license to practice as a clinical mental health counselor." He was prohibited him from reapplying for a license for three years.  

Source: Final Order in the Matter of the License of Mark W. Wiseman, License No. LPC-3034, Case No. COU-2013-10, Idaho Licensing Board of Professional Counselors and Marriage & Family Therapists, October 29, 2013 and "WISEMAN, Mark Wayne" entry on State of Utah Department of Commerce Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing Newsletter, January 1, 2014.