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Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
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Doc Drove Her to Try Suicide, Woman Says

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (CN) - A married couple who sought counseling from a doctor claim the man manipulated the wife into having sex with him for months, and that his medical malpractice drove her to try to kill herself.

In the Superior Court complaint, Jane Doe says she contacted Alan Shulik to set up marriage counseling for her and her husband. She claims that Shulik initially saw the Does jointly but said he needed to treat them individually "in order to provide effective counseling services."

Shulik is a Ph.D. "who acted as a psychologist, psychotherapist and/or provided counseling services" through Bishop Street Counseling in New Haven, according to the complaint. Only Shulik is named as a defendant.

In their one-on-one counseling, Jane Doe says, Shulik referred to her husband "in negative terms, stating that he was a workaholic, unsupportive and words to the effect that [she] could do "much better" and that she "deserved better."

Jane and John Doe say that Shulik told the husband that he should spend more time with his daughter, as "a ruse" to get Jane Doe to spend more time with Shulik.

Jane Doe says Shulik encouraged her to contact him via text message, email and over the phone, and that Shulik used these opportunities "to further denigrate John Doe."

She claims this caused the Does' marriage to deteriorate further, and Jane's dependence on Shulik to grow, while at the same time John Doe was "repeatedly expressing his concern about Jane Doe's mental state."

Jane Doe says Shulik's acts became progressively insidious, as he told her "how special she was, how lucky any man would be to have her in his life, how beautiful she was and how he cared about her a great deal."

Eventually, she says, Shulik kissed and fondled her in his New Haven office, and then drove her to his house, "where they engaged in sexual relations."

"Shulik manipulated Jane Doe into engaging in clandestine sexual encounters at his house, his office, at hotels and other locations," she says. He told her he wanted to marry her, and revealed confidential information to her and encouraged her to leave her husband, according to the complaint.

The affair ended after several months, leaving her in "a fragile and emotionally vulnerable state," and she tried to kill herself, she says.

The Does seek punitive damages for medical malpractice and loss of consortium.

They are represented by Steven Errante and Marisa Bellair with Lynch, Traub, Keefe & Errante of New Haven.

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