Joshua Bowler, the 70-year-old secret son of royal confidant and playboy Lord Glenconner, has been struck off as a psychotherapist after engaging in a sexual relationship with a vulnerable client. The misconduct ruling found that Bowler kissed and fondled the woman during therapy sessions held in the attic room of his London home.
Details of the Misconduct
A complaint hearing for the UK Council for Psychotherapy revealed that the sessions, which took place on Mondays, would conclude with the woman stripping down to her underwear as part of a performance for Bowler. The adjudication panel issued a series of damning findings, stating that Bowler abused his position of trust and acted in a voyeuristic and predatory manner.
Background of Joshua Bowler
Bowler is the illegitimate son of Lord Glenconner, a close friend of Princess Margaret who transformed the Caribbean island of Mustique into a luxury hideaway. His mother was Henrietta Moraes, a muse to artists Lucian Freud and Francis Bacon in the 1950s and 1960s. She had a fling with Colin Tennant, who became the 3rd Baron Glenconner in 1983, after meeting at a New Year's party in 1954. Lord Glenconner was unaware of his paternity until DNA test results confirmed it at the end of 2009. The peer, who resided in Saint Lucia, died at age 83 in August 2010, and Bowler helped carry his coffin at the funeral.
The Therapeutic Relationship
Bowler specialised in treating trauma victims and saw the woman involved in the complaint, referred to only as Client A, between 2008 and 2019. Client A suffered a mental health crisis after losing her job and had difficulty observing boundaries. After she told Bowler she loved him, he stated that although they could not have a relationship in the real world, it was acceptable in the therapy room.
During their sessions, which were deliberately scheduled at the end of the day to avoid interruptions, Client A would go into his bathroom and change into underwear, suspenders, and high heels. On one occasion, she arrived in a ball gown. The panel's findings noted that she described sitting on Bowler's knee and lying on top of him while he was lying down. Client A claimed he touched her breasts perhaps five times and once put his hand between her legs, which he denied. It was also alleged that he told her she was the most extreme case of a virgin and whore split that he had encountered.
Panel's Ruling
Bowler did not attend the complaint hearing. The panel upheld the allegations, treating them as if they had all been denied. They ruled that Bowler took advantage of Client A in his own interests over a lengthy period, noting the longevity of the harm and the pervasive shame he caused her. The panel added that he violated her bodily integrity and left her unable to engage in relationships for many years, and only after years of properly conducted therapy did she have the strength to complain.
Bowler did not respond to a request for comment. He told the panel that he has been visiting monasteries in Egypt and South Africa for two years and does not intend to return to England due to what he described as crumbling Victorian corruption.
