Florida Hypnotherapist Arrested For Allegedly Having Sex With Patient

GAINSEVILLE, FL — A Florida hypnotherapist has reportedly been arrested for having sex with a patient after he allegedly kissed her very suddenly during a session, according to authorities.

Robert Andrew Nichols, 63, of Gainesville, was allegedly arrested for being a psychotherapist engaged in sexual relations with a present or former client — an activity that is illegal in Florida.

Nichols has reportedly identified himself online as a psychologist and “investigator of alleged poltergeist cases and other paranormal phenomena.” Authorities say Nichols met his accuser while she attended an adult-education class he taught at Santa Fe College.

According to an arrest affidavit, the female accuser said she visited Nichols to receive hypnotherapy in June 2018. Throughout their sessions, the patient alleged, Nichols asked her intimate questions about her sex life. During an August visit, she claimed, Nichols “unexpectedly” kissed her on the lips.

The affidavit reportedly states that Nichols then asked the client to “continue the appointment” at his home, where they had sex. Allegedly, following the sex, Nichols stopped charging the patient for his services.

Police documents further allege that Nichols and the client engaged in “sex therapy and ritual magic” until November 2018. At that point, their relationship seemed to be over, and the patient reportedly asked him for a refund.

Gainesville Police Department Detective Ronnie Pirtle stated that, in March, Nichols told him that he and the client were in a romantic relationship, but Nichols did not specify if they’d been having sex.

State law in Florida reportedly defines a therapist as a person licensed under various statutes “who provides or purports to provide treatment, diagnosis, assessment, evaluation, or counseling of mental or emotional illness, symptom, or condition.”

Read more: Gainesville Sun, People