(Des Moines, Iowa) – State regulators have taken action against three mental health professionals who have been accused of  having sex with clients. The Iowa Capital Dispatch reports one of the cases involves Kristal Klaahsen, previously known as Kristal Lake, who worked as a substance abuse counselor at Manning Regional Healthcare Recovery from November 2014 through September 2020.

While working in Manning, Klaahsen was accused of engaging in several inappropriate actions, including pursuing a sexual relationship with a client, requesting a client to undress in front of her, and engaging in a relationship with a client’s husband.

On May 10, 2021, the board charged Klaahsen with making suggestive, lewd, lascivious or improper remarks or advances to a client. Klaahsen later agreed to voluntarily surrender her social work license and wait a minimum of one year prior to seeking reinstatement.

On Feb. 24, 2025, Klaahsen filed a reinstatement request with the board. On April 29, 2025, the board notified her it intended to deny that request. The board alleged she had not only engaged in a sexual relationship with a former client, but also claimed, without elaborating, that she had engaged in a sexual relationship with a client’s spouse and had breached client confidentiality

On May 28, 2025, Klaahsen appealed the board’s notice of intent to deny her application for reinstatement and requested a hearing. She argued she had learned from her mistakes and was successful in her current employment as a hospital discharge planner and had received an award for efficiency, advocacy and excellence.

At a July 29, 2025, hearing on the matter, Klaahsen testified about the therapeutic process she has undergone and the progress that she had made since surrendering her license. The board commended Klaahsen for her progress but added that it did not believe she had “adequately addressed the issues that led to the voluntary surrender of her social work license.”

Other Iowans recently sanctioned by the Board of Behavioral Health Professionals include:

— Giovanni Demezier of Dyersville, who agreed to voluntarily surrender his license after being charged with unethical conduct, failure to comply with the national association’s code of ethics, and engaging in sexual activities or sexual contact with a former client. The agreement follows a board decision in May to issue an emergency order suspending his license. Demezier has denied the allegations. A trial-setting conference is scheduled for Oct. 21, 2025.

— Amanda Brune, who was recently notified of a board decision to deny her request to have her license reinstated. Board records show that in 2005, Brune, formerly known as Amanda Zwack, was accused of having close, personal relationships with clients and having sexual intercourse with one client while working for New Beginnings in Maquoketa and Clinton. The Iowa Board of Substance Abuse Certification subsequently revoked Brune’s certification.

In March 2025, Brune applied for reinstatement of her mental health counseling license. In June 2025, the board indicated it intended to deny the application, which led to Brune requesting a hearing on the matter. That hearing is now scheduled for Oct. 20, 2025. (Read the entire report researched and written by the Iowa Capital Dispatch, HERE)