A former therapist intern at a Florida addiction treatment centre has been arrested after allegedly having sex with a patient, including during therapy sessions, and helping arrange for him to leave the facility to continue the affair elsewhere. Michelle Luchau-Rebora, 32, was working at New Hope CORPS, a non-profit inpatient drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility in Homestead, near Miami, when she is accused of exploiting her position of care over the 42-year-old patient. The case highlights serious concerns about safeguarding vulnerable patients undergoing addiction treatment and the abuse of professional trust by staff responsible for their care.

According to court documents, the relationship allegedly ran from June to September 2025, with the pair having sex at Luchau-Rebora's home, her mother's home in Key Biscayne, and at a hospital, after she reportedly created false alibis to let him leave the restricted facility. She allegedly warned him not to disclose the relationship as it would jeopardise her career. The patient reported the affair after Luchau-Rebora ended it, prompting the facility to notify police; she was subsequently fired and charged with sexual misconduct by a psychotherapist, a third-degree felony carrying up to five years in prison. She turned herself in, was released on $5,000 bail, and has been ordered to have no contact with the alleged victim.