In a shocking revelation in February 2023, it was discovered that a woman posing as a licensed therapist was, in fact, not qualified to provide counseling services. The woman, identified as 'TR' in public records, impersonated her wife, Peggy Randolph, a licensed clinical social worker, during online therapy sessions.
Randolph, who worked for Brightside Health, allowed her unlicensed wife to conduct therapy sessions using her credentials while she saw other patients in person. This deceptive scheme came to light when Randolph took bereavement leave after her wife's passing.
It was revealed that Randolph's wife had been using her Brightside Health Therapist Portal log-in credentials to see all of Randolph's patients for an extended period. The couple's coordinated effort to defraud patients was exposed when a client raised concerns to Brightside Health.
Upon investigation, it was found that Randolph had been compensated for the sessions conducted by her unlicensed wife. Brightside Health promptly took action by reimbursing affected patients, revoking Randolph's access to their systems, and terminating her contract.
Randolph voluntarily surrendered her licenses in Florida and Tennessee and was ordered to pay a $1,000 civil penalty by the state of Tennessee. The exact number of patients seen by Randolph's wife remains unknown due to ongoing legal proceedings.
This incident serves as a cautionary tale about the importance of verifying the credentials of healthcare providers and the potential risks associated with online therapy sessions.
