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[J-32-1999]
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF PENNSYLVANIA
WESTERN DISTRICT

NICOLE L. ALTHAUS, a minor, by RICHARD T. ALTHAUS and CHERYL RENEE ALTHAUS, her parents and natural guardians, and RICHARD T. ALTHAUS and CHERYL RENEE ALTHAUS, in their own right,  : : : : : : :  No. 70 W.D. Appeal. Dkt. 1998 No. 71 W.D. Appeal. Dkt. 1998 Appeal from the Order of the Superior Court entered April 13, 1998 at Nos. 1138 PGH 1996 & 1217 PGH 1996 affirming the Order of the Court of Common Pleas of  
Appellees,  : :  Allegheny County, Civil Division, entered May 23, 1996 at No. G.D. 92-20893.  
v.  :  
:  
JUDITH A. COHEN, M.D. and  :  
UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH  :  
WESTERN PSYCHIATRIC INSTITUTE  :  
AND CLINIC,  :  
:  
Appellants.  :  ARGUED: March 8, 1999  

OPINION OF THE COURT
MR. JUSTICE CASTILLE DECIDED:  AUGUST 22, 2000
The issue in this case is whether a therapist who treats a child for alleged parental sexual abuse owes a duty of care to the child's parents in a therapeutic treatment situation where the child allegedly has been abused by the parents. Because we hold that a treating psychiatrist or psychologist does not have a duty to the non-patient parents, we reverse the decision of the Superior Court finding appellant liable to appellees.
Nicole Althaus was born on April 10, 1975.  In 1990, when Nicole was fifteen years old, her mother was diagnosed with skin cancer and breast cancer for which she was diabetes and pancreatic cancer, which ultimately proved fatal. Nicole apparently began to suffer emotional and psychological difficulties resulting from these family illnesses. One of Nicole

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Pennsylvania Law