Psychiatrist Accused of Sex With Two Patients : Ethics: The state Medical Board seeks to suspend or revoke the license of the county employee. One of the subjects of the allegations was only 17 years old.

The Medical Board of California has accused a longtime county Health Care Agency psychiatrist of gross negligence for allegedly having sexual relations with two patients, one only 17 years old.

The board, which monitors the professional conduct of the state’s physicians, is seeking to revoke or suspend the license of Marc Z. Talisman, 45, a part-time psychiatrist in the county’s Mission Viejo mental health office for 10 years.

Under ethical cannons, psychiatrists are not supposed to have any personal relationship with a patient--not even friendships--because the therapeutic environment can be harmed.

Talisman was busy with patients Monday and could not be reached for comment.

County Mental Health Director Timothy P. Mullins said he was aware that charges are being considered against Talisman but said that Talisman has not been disciplined by county officials because he is entitled to a fair hearing on the charges.

“We give people their due process rights. So Dr. Talisman will continue working for us” until an administrative law judge rules on the civil charges, said Mullins, who described Talisman as an “adequate” psychiatrist.

If the psychiatrist contests the Medical Board’s allegations, a hearing will be scheduled before an administrative law judge.

Mullins noted that one of the accusations against Talisman stemmed from a complaint several years ago by one of the county’s adult clients, who was encouraged to take her case to the state Medical Board.

At the time, the county Health Care Agency barred its therapists from having any personal, fiduciary, sexual or business relationship with patients. Now, legislation sponsored by state Sen. Diane Watson (D-Los Angeles) prohibits therapists from romantic involvements with patients for one year after their client-therapist relationships have ended.

In the county case, a patient known as Donna C. allegedly asked if she could see Talisman socially, the Medical Board charged. Talisman allegedly became involved with Donna C., but told her she would have to stop therapy with him for three months. She did so, the complaint said, then met him for a picnic on March 30, 1983, had sexual intercourse with him and lived with Talisman from July until October that year.

In the other case, the Medical Board charged that Talisman became sexually involved with Karen M., his patient of four years, when she was 17.

That relationship continued until late 1982 or early 1983, the board said. But in July, 1984, the young woman’s parents kicked her out of the house when they allegedly found a letter from Talisman discussing the sexual relationship.

She then moved in with Talisman and lived with him until December, 1984, the complaint states. According to the Medical Board accusations, she also lived with Talisman from 1986 to 1989 and during that time he “periodically wrote Karen M. prescriptions for Parnate,” an antidepressant.

Dr. Abes Bagheri, president of the Orange County Psychiatric Society, cautioned that he did not know the details of Talisman’s case. But he dismissed as “baloney” the suggestion that a patient could stop seeing her psychiatrist for several months, then begin a sexual relationship.

“Our position is very clear,” Bagheri said. “A sexual relationship between a psychiatrist and his patient is unethical. . . . It is almost always damaging to the treatment and mentally damaging to the patient.”