A South Florida psychiatrist asked two patients to take off clothes, state says
Women dealing with mental health issues were manipulated by their Palm Beach County psychiatrist into wearing fewer and fewer clothes during online treatment sessions, state discipline documents said.
Eventually, Boca Raton Psychiatry’s Dr. Andrew Sorial asked each to show their breasts.
Each woman eventually stopped treatment with Sorial, who, in October, added a Massachusetts medical license to the Florida license he has held since September 2017.
“Dr. Sorial willfully abused his position of power in order to sexually exploit patients under his care who trusted him to act professionally and in their best interest,” a Jan. 21 emergency suspension order said.
Two days after the suspension, the Florida Department of Health filed an administrative complaint, starting a discipline case that will end for Sorial, 43, with either exoneration or punishment by the state Board of Medicine.
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Neither Sorial nor Dr. Richard Phelps, the head of Boca Raton Psychiatry, answered phone messages and emails from the Miami Herald. Until this story posted Thursday morning, Sorial was still listed second after Phelps among Boca Raton Psychiatry’s treatment providers on its website.
“I have been told by those around me that I am kind, caring, compassionate, genuine and respectful,” said Sorial’s Boca Raton Psychiatry page, which was taken down Thursday morning. “I look forward to fostering wonderful relationships with my patients on a journey to health and happiness.”
What follows comes from the emergency suspension order.
He ‘suggested she strip down to her bra and underwear...’
Patient 1 had been diagnosed with major depression, general anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Every two or three months, starting in April 2020, Patient 1 had treatment sessions with Sorial mainly to discuss how well her medication worked.
During a Sept. 17, 2024, video appointment, Patient 1 told Sorial about some bruising, a medication side effect. She also told him she was feeling insecure about her body despite her commitment to the gym.
“In response to this sensitive disclosure, Sorial asked Patient 1 if he could assess her body directly so that he could suggest exercises that would help her tone her problem areas,” the suspension order said.
Trusting her doctor of four years, Patient 1 returned in gym shorts and a sleeveless shirt.
“Dr. Sorial announced that everything looked natural, but he complained that it was challenging to assess certain parts of her body because of clothing restrictions,” the suspension order said. “He suggested that Patient 1 strip down to her bra and underwear so that he could get a better look.”
Patient 1 changed into a two-piece bathing suit.
“Dr. Sorial asked Patient 1 to move her camera closer to her body, beginning with her upper chest and collar bones,” the suspension order said. “They moved on to Patient 1’s stomach, and she turned to give him a side view. Then Dr. Sorial asked Patient 1 again to touch her pelvic bones. She showed Dr. Sorial the top of her pubic area, and she turned around to show him her back.”
They ended with Sorial asking Patient 1 for weekly progress pictures of her body from every angle. That evening, she emailed six pictures in the two-piece bathing suit.
Patient 1 didn’t send pictures for several weeks. Sorial reached out on Nov. 18, 2024, by answering the Sept. 17 pictures email with: “Haven’t gotten any updates from you, so I just wanted to check in to make sure everything was ok.”
A Dec. 9, 2024, appointment began normally with discussions of mood and medication. Patient 1 explained why she hadn’t sent any photos. Sorial said a three-month gap was too big for progress pics and asked to “visually assess her body again.”
After Patient 1 returned in a two-piece bathing suit, “Dr. Sorial asked Patient 1 if she had noticed any change in her breasts because he could see that they looked larger. She had never mentioned having any issues, discomfort, or concerns with her breasts.”
Later, Sorial told Patient 1 he thought her breasts should be used as the marker for body changes. Confused, Patient 1 asked Sorial if he was asking to take her top off, displaying her naked breasts.
“Yes, if that’s what you’re comfortable with,” he answered.
She wasn’t comfortable with that.
“After Patient 1 refused to show Dr. Sorial her bare breasts, his demeanor changed instantly,” the suspension order said.
He started talking “very fast,” asking for more full body pictures, closed as usual, wished her “happy holidays” then ended the session.
“Despite still needing medication management, Patient 1 stopped seeing Sorial because of the body assessments and Sorial’s blatant attempt to ogle her body, especially her breasts.”
Did Sorial link body examinations to prescribing medications?
The psychologist for Patient 2 referred her to psychiatrist Sorial so he could manage the medications for her depression, bipolar disorder and ADHD. When the psychologist left the practice, Sorial assumed the role of therapist for monthly one-hour Zoom sessions.
Sorial told Patient 2, who had spent most of her 33 years underweight, that there were weight requirements for certain drugs.
“Patient 2 felt that she was not meeting the weight requirements, and she thought she had to do the physical examinations with Sorial to see where she was, or was not, gaining weight,” the suspension order said. “Sorial then started requesting that Patient 2 wear less and less clothing, revealing more of her body over time.”
From asking Patient 2 to wear a spaghetti strap top and workout shorts, the order said Sorial eventually made “a request to remove her top. The next request was to pull her shorts down so (he) would inspect her pelvic area.”
Feeling “anxious and embarrassed” and dreading Sorial’s requests to show her body, she began canceling the monthly appointments. His June 4, 2025, request for weekly photos in a bikini or bra-and-underwear made Patient 2 uncomfortable enough that she didn’t send anything.
At their July 2025 session, Sorial told Patient 2 “that the inspections of her body were necessary to help her maintain her weight because Sorial could not prescribe certain medications if Patient 2 was underweight.”
Instead, Patient 2 “started wearing oversized hoodies for her subsequent appointments. At that point, the sessions became much shorter again. Patient 2 was ashamed and did not know how to voice her concerns.
“Patient 2 stopped seeing Dr. Sorial because of his body inspections. Now, she has to find another psychiatrist to prescribe her necessary medications.”
This story was originally published February 12, 2026 at 6:18 AM.
