- Shawn Ra Talbot, 56, was sentenced to 20 days in jail after entering no contest pleas in multiple cases.
- The former therapist was charged with voyeurism after female clients reported 'humiliating exercises.'
- Talbot will be on probation for one year and complete a mental health evaluation.
PROVO — A former therapist will spend time in jail after entering no-contest pleas to resolve accusations alleging he made women perform "humiliating exercises" under the guise of mental health therapy trust exercises.
Shawn Ra Talbot, 56, pleaded no contest in Provo Justice Court in three cases. He was sentenced in one case and entered a plea in abeyance on the other two during a hearing on May 20.
He was sentenced to 180 days in jail for two counts of voyeurism, a class B misdemeanor, but Provo Justice Court Judge Stephen Schreiner suspended 170 days of each sentence, ordering him to serve 20 days in jail and one year on court-supervised probation. He was ordered to turn himself in at the jail by July 20.
In the other two cases, Talbot's plea in abeyance means convictions will not be entered as long as he pays the ordered fines, gets a mental health evaluation and obeys the law over the next year.
In those cases, he pleaded no contest to three other counts of voyeurism and a final charge of attempted voyeurism, a class C misdemeanor.
Charging documents said an investigation began on July 7, 2025, after two women went to police. One reported Talbot had manipulated her into lifting her shirt and doing handstands in front of him, convincing her to do "humiliating exercises" after earning her trust.
When detectives questioned Talbot, he did not deny the allegations by the two women, "but stated that these actions took place in a therapeutic practice and was meant to empower them. He denied that there was any sexual motive to the crimes," charging documents said.
Talbot had been fired from his job at Utah Valley Counseling about a week earlier, following a separate allegation of sexual abuse and complaints of sexual harassment from co-workers.
He voluntarily gave up his license in August of 2025 after the Utah Department of Public Licensing found that he had been arrested based on allegations of inappropriate conduct with two female clients, one who said he had her remove her shirt and bra multiple times, and another who said he had her bend down in front of him, exposing her chest area.
The department also found he had a "dual relationship" with a former client, and several coworkers reported him making "inappropriate comments about their bodies," making them uncomfortable.
It said he was also given a previous citation for seeing a client without supervision before he was officially licensed.
The agreement to give up his license states Talbot can reapply for licensure in 2030.
