The Therapist in “Nobody Wants This” Is Abusive

“Nobody Wants This” depicts ethics violations and exploitation in therapy.

Key points

• The therapist in “Nobody Wants This” violates the American Psychological Association’s Ethics Code.
• Dr. Andy also engages in abusive tactics to gain power and control, such exploitation and love bombing.
• While it’s a good storyline, viewers should know that this therapist’s actions are unethical and reportable.

Spoiler Alert: This post will discuss major plot points from season two of Nobody Wants This. If you haven’t seen it, you may want to watch it first and read this after.

Netflix’s hit show Nobody Wants This is back for season two and, in a surprise twist, Morgan (Justine Lupe) surprises her family by bringing home her boyfriend, Dr. Andy (Arian Moayed), who also happens to be her therapist. The family senses that something is off and soon discover the concerning nature of their relationship. While this makes for entertaining plot points in a rom-com, there are a few important things viewers need to know about this storyline.

Therapists Are Not Allowed to Date Clients

Let’s be clear: Therapists cannot have a sexual relationship with current clients. The American Psychological Association’s Ethics Code, Standard 10.05, states: “Psychologists do not engage in sexual intimacies with current therapy clients/patients.” This is because the therapeutic relationship must remain professional to protect clients from possible harm. Dr. Andy might argue that he officially terminated his therapeutic relationship with Morgan days prior to initiating a romantic attachment, but given other evidence of his unethical behavior, we can assume he was not maintaining a healthy and boundaried relationship prior to the therapy’s termination.

Now, the Ethics Code does have a (controversial) loophole, which states therapists may consider a sexual relationship with a former client after some time has passed. Standard 10.08 states that psychologists cannot have a sexual relationship with clients for at least two years after terminating therapy, and even then “only in the most unusual circumstances.”

But we know that Dr. Andy waited at most a week before getting together with Morgan, which is a far cry from that two-year minimum. And it’s worth noting that the recommendation is still that therapists do not date former clients, no matter how much time has passed. If Morgan reported him to his licensing board, as she probably should have, Dr. Andy would likely have lost his license.

Dr. Andy is Abusive as a Partner

That he was willing to violate this ethical boundary with Morgan (and, we discover, with other former clients as well) is a good indicator that Dr. Andy lacks a moral compass. But concern skyrockets when we see him engage in early-stage abuse tactics with Morgan.

Dr. Andy exploits and weaponizes information Morgan had disclosed during therapy. Morgan herself admits this to Joanne (her sister), telling her that she wants to break up with him but that he has a way of using his knowledge of her attachment wounds and relational history to get his way; she even using the word “weaponize” to describe her interactions with him. This is one important reason why therapists shouldn’t date their clients: There is an information and power imbalance that puts the client at a disadvantage and makes them vulnerable to manipulation. But Dr. Andy readily exploits it to his advantage.

We also witness classic love-bombing at the start of their relationship. Dr. Andy’s affection is over-the-top and smothering. He is ever-present, excessively attentive, and all-consuming. Their first Valentine’s Day is overloaded with excessive gifts and he is not attuned to Morgan’s authentic response to them, steamrolling any murmurs of concern by insisting that his actions are healthy ways of showing love. He rushes their relationship forward, convincing Morgan to move in and get engaged despite her concern about the rapid pace. By taking up such a large part of her life, he isolates her from others and detaches her from her own sense of reality—again, something she herself admits is happening. This is how abusive relationships often start. Had they gotten married, it’s likely we would have seen Dr. Andy continue to overwhelm, control, and isolate Morgan.

Their Couples Therapist Was Problematic Too

Not surprisingly, Morgan and Dr. Andy see a couples therapist who also lacks ethical boundaries. She appears to be either Dr. Andy’s friend or his therapist—she’s at least someone he has casual drinks with—and thus should not be acting as his couples therapist since she is biased. Therapists need to be cautious of multiple relationships that could negatively impact their work or their clients; Standard 3.05 (b) of the Ethics Code covers this.

But beyond the conflict of interest issue, the couples therapist provides objectively harmful advice. Instead of exploring the real issue—Dr. Andy’s decision to date client(s)—she focuses on Morgan as the issue. When Morgan voices her concern that she doesn’t know anything about her fiancé and Dr. Andy blames her for that fact, saying that she never asked him personal questions, the couples therapist reinforces Dr. Andy’s narrative that Morgan’s lack of curiosity about him is the real problem—and then encourages Morgan to invest further in the unhealthy relationship.

Let’s Not Normalize This

Again, this makes for great TV. The family’s outrage and support of Morgan when she exits this relationship was refreshing, but despite the shock and concern, further action isn’t taken. Dr. Andy should be reported to his board, and his licensed should be revoked. He shows a pattern of violating important ethical guidelines and causing his clients significant emotional harm, not to mention his use of abuse strategies to gain (or maintain) power and control in his relationships. This isn’t slap-on-the-wrist behavior; it’s sound-the-alarm and start-an-investigation behavior. His other clients are at serious risk from his predatory tactics.

Do you know what nobody wants? This—the slow slip or abrupt disappearance of professional boundaries in therapy. While therapists are more accessible than ever through technology and social media, and their personal lives aren’t quite the well-kept secrets that they once were, these are still unacceptable violations. And viewers should know that Dr. Andy isn’t just a sketchy guy: he’s unethical, predatory, and abusive.

References:

American Psychological Association. (2017). Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct. (Standard 3.05, Multiple Relationships; Standard 10.05, Sexual Intimacies with Current Therapy Clients/Patients; Standard 10.08, Sexual Intimacies with Former Therapy Clients/Patients). Washington, DC: Author.

Netflix. (2025). Nobody wants this (Season 2) [TV series]. Netflix.