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A woman who allegedly impersonated her therapist wife advised hundreds of patients online without any qualifications to do so, an investigation by Florida officials found.
The woman, who has been identified as “TR” in court records — is reportedly married to Peggy Randolph, a licensed attorney Clinical Social Worker operating largely in Tennessee and Floridaaccording to the Florida Department of Health.
Randolph worked for Brightside Health and allegedly helped his wife, “TR,” impersonate her on Online therapy sessions, according to the investigation and a settlement reached in Tennessee.
The women were accused of attempting to double their potential earnings from therapy sessions; while Randolph, the real therapist, gave in-person sessions, her wife, TR, allegedly posed as her and counseled clients online. CBS News reports.
The alleged fraud was first discovered last year after TR passed away. A client who had spoken regularly with TR began talking to Randolph and realized something strange had happened.
An obituary for Randolph’s wife names the woman as Tammy Heath-Randolph, which is consistent with the initials “TR” found in the Florida investigation documents.
Practicing therapists are generally expected to have at least a master’s degree. Randolph’s wife did not have any credentials related to counseling services, according to a settlement agreement between the woman who claims she was defrauded and the Tennessee Department of Health.
Randolph said he had no idea his wife had been impersonating him in counseling sessions.
“[Randolph] denies knowing that TR was using his Brightside Health Therapist Portal login credentials or treating clients with his account. However, [Randolph] received compensation for the sessions conducted,” according to the Tennessee settlement agreement.
According to the Florida investigation, Brightside conducted its own internal investigation and found that TR had been “watching everything.” [Randolph’s] patients and had been for a long time,” dating back to at least January 2021.
The Independent has contacted Randolph for comment.
After the alleged fraud came to light, Randolph surrendered her social worker credentials in both Tennessee and Florida, according to investigative documents.
A Brightside representative said CBS News The company launched an internal audit and terminated Randolph’s employment as soon as the alleged fraud came to light. It also notified and refunded all patients who had been paying to see an unlicensed therapist.
“We take our patients’ experience very seriously and abide by a strict code of ethical conduct,” Hannah Changi, a spokesperson for Brightsides, told the broadcaster. “We are very disappointed that a single provider was willing to violate the trust that Brightside and, more importantly, its patients had placed in it.”
