The former star sexologist of the show If we loved each other Louise Sigouin pleaded guilty to all of the counts against her on Tuesday morning during her hearing before the disciplinary council of the Ordre des sexologues du Québec. The two parties agreed to submit a joint proposal for a sanction, i.e. a suspension from the Order of up to 6 months, a fine of $14,000 and the payment, in particular, of expert fees, i.e. approximately 21 $000.
Louise Sigouin was facing two disciplinary complaints filed against her in the spring of 2022 after more than two years of investigation by the Syndic of the Order, which had access to all the filming of the show, including the recordings. never aired. In April 2022, The duty had collected the testimonies of four participants from the three seasons of the show If we loved each other who felt that Louise Sigouin had failed in her ethical obligations to make “good TV”.
Present at the hearing, Jean-Philippe Caron, a former candidate for the first season of If we loved each other indicated to To have to feeling that “the Order has done a rigorous and thorough job on this file. I find it reassuring to know that the public is thus protected,” he said.
Louise Sigouin chose to plead guilty to the seven charges that were at the heart of a first complaint filed by the Order for all of the 28 participants in the three seasons of If we loved each otherbroadcast on TVA.
In particular, Louise Sigouin is accused of “failing to safeguard her professional independence and placing herself in a conflict of interest”, “having practiced the profession in a way that was likely to undermine the honor and dignity of the latter, which is also likely to break the public’s confidence in it”.
Mme Sigouin also acknowledges not having respected the principle of “free and informed consent of its clients” and not having “ensure that their consent remains free and informed throughout the professional relationship”. She also contravened the ethical rules of the profession of sexologist with regard to the secrecy of confidential information: “She was accused of not having recognized the right of her clients to revoke their consent at any time to the dissemination of information protected by the professional secrecy concerning them, of having omitted to have personally obtained prior written authorization specifying the subsequent use of the information during an interview or an activity, but also of not having provided for the terms of revocation of the authorization and destruction of the recordings”, specifies the lawyer of the Syndic, Me Veronique Brouillette.
The Order also accuses Mr.me Sigouin for not having respected his civil liability by never having read the contracts of the clients with production when the latter waived their recourse against the former sex therapist.
Mme Sigouin also pleaded guilty to not “having shown loyalty to four clients” and to “not having sufficient knowledge and understanding of the facts, by failing to clearly identify the reasons for consultation or the needs client.
In the client files of If we loved each other 1,2 and 3, there is no information on the development of an assessment to establish an intervention plan according to the specific needs of clients. The respondent explains that the evaluation essentially took place during the selection of the candidates “I look a bit at the potential they have to take the process, it’s always a bit the same thing”, indicates the document presented jointly by both parties, read during the hearing.
“In professional opinion, this is not what is expected of a professional assessment […] The respondent did not make a specific intervention plan intended for each of the clients, but a predetermined intervention plan according to the needs of the production”, is it also specified.
Guilty in a second complaint
Louise Sigouin also entered a guilty plea in the context of a second complaint filed against her, namely three counts concerning more specifically three of her clients in the context of reality TV.
The Order criticizes him for not having sought to establish and maintain a relationship of mutual trust with his clients, and for having acted in a manner contrary to the rules of the art and the generally recognized standards of practice concerning “the quality of the professional relationship established with the clients, the quality of the interventions with them and the link with them”.
As part of the investigation conducted by the Syndic, Ms.me Sigouin also admitted to having worn an earpiece without his customers being aware. The production could thus go down on the set, ask questions to the customers, directly or via the headset according to the investigation of the Syndic. Thus, “the Respondent did not inform its clients that it was in a position of conflict of interest”, is stated in the joint agreement presented by the two parties before the Disciplinary Council.
The President of the Disciplinary Board expressed concerns about the joint sanction proposal presented during the hearing. “Are there going to be other seasons? Will the public understand that Mr.me Sigouin is not a member of the Order? “, she wondered, recalling that the suspension of Mme Sigouin of the Order would only be theoretical since she is no longer a member, at her request, since May 2022.
Louise Sigouin’s lawyer, Mr.e Nicholas St-Jacques clarified during the hearing that his client does not intend to re-register with the Order of Sexologists.
The Disciplinary Board has 90 days to render its decision.
Present at the hearing, Louise Sigouin did not wish to comment. For its part, TVA, the broadcaster of the show If we loved each other did not respond to our interview request.