Utah mental health therapist coerced a woman into a topless handstand, cops allege

Police arrested a Provo, Utah, mental health therapist after two former clients reported he coerced them into exposing themselves at a session. One said he asked her to take off her bra, untuck her shirt, and do a headstand in front of him.

Once in custody, the suspect, 55-year-old Shawn Talbot, didn’t deny that what the women said happened was true but denied that his requests were sexual in nature, according to The Salt Lake Tribune. Talbot, however, did tell police “what he did was not right” and said he “recognized the harm he caused.”

Talbot said it was “necessary” to show his patients “could be vulnerable”

Provo police opened the case in July after two women independently reported that Talbot had manipulated them into exposing their breasts during therapy sessions at a Provo counseling clinic.

According to a probable cause statement, one woman said Talbot justified the request “under the guise of mental health therapy” and told her the display was “necessary to show the victim could be ‘vulnerable.’”

She also told detectives he had her do topless handstands after she untucked her shirt. A second woman alleged that Talbot told her to bend over in front of him, causing her chest to be exposed.

Talbot’s history of abuse allegations

Talbot was interviewed by detectives on Monday, Aug. 18, 2025, and arrested and booked into the Utah County Jail the next day on suspicion of three class B misdemeanor counts of voyeurism, then released the same day.

So far, he has not been formally charged. But Utah Valley Counseling fired Talbot on June 30, over a separate allegation of sexual abuse and multiple complaints of sexual harassment from female co-workers. Police noted similar allegations from 2020 involving minors at a different facility; a related civil suit filed in 2024 remains pending.

Officials are seeking additional complainants. In its news release, the Provo Police Department said Talbot’s alleged conduct “served ‘no therapeutic purpose.’” The department also urged anyone who experienced “similar” requests to contact the nonemergency line at 801-852-6210.

As of Thursday evening, Aug. 21, the public licensing database showed Talbot’s license remained active; a DOPL spokesperson could not confirm whether action was underway.

The agency described the usual next step when a licensee faces a criminal probe: DOPL “seek[s] to limit an accused offender’s license so they cannot practice until the criminal case is resolved.” If the therapist does not voluntarily agree, the division can call an emergency hearing to impose restrictions.