A Des Moines therapist accused of business-related theft, fraud and forgery will retain her license to practice in Iowa.
In January 2026, the Iowa Board of Behavioral Health Professionals charged state-licensed marital and family therapist Michelle Raye Stewart-Sandusky, 38, of Baxter with being convicted of an offense that directly relates to the duties and responsibilities of the profession.
Recently, the board agreed to a settlement that calls for Stewart-Sandusky to retain her license subject to 36 months of probationary status that will include monitoring of her practice. As part of the settlement, Stewart-Sandusky will also be required to complete a one-day course on ethics and professionalism.
Court records indicate that in April 2024, Johnston police charged Stewart-Sandusky with felony first-degree theft, alleging she had written bad checks totaling $86,800. One area bank incurred financial losses totaling $34,334 as a result of the alleged scheme, according to police.
The police records indicate the theft involved checks written by Stewart-Sandusky on a Community State Bank account in the name of SS Therapy and Consulting, which she controlled, and a Bank of Iowa account in the name of Central Iowa Mental Health Organization, which she also controlled.
In October 2024, police charged Stewart-Sandusky with forgery and insurance fraud for allegedly forging a financial document in a bank employee’s name in order to have her group healthcare insurance reinstated after it was canceled due to failure to pay the premiums.
According to court records, the initial theft case was resolved in December 2024 plea of guilty to a reduced charge of third-degree theft, which resulted in a suspended prison sentence of two years. In April 2025, the second criminal case was resolved when Stewart-Sandusky pleaded guilty to a charge of insurance fraud and was fined $1,025. Court records show that as part of a plea deal, the forgery charge was dismissed.
The Iowa Capital Dispatch was not able to reach Stewart-Sandusky at Therapy Group Inc., where she is the clinical supervisor. The business provides family counseling in Burlington, Des Moines and other areas of Iowa.
Originally published on iowacapitaldispatch.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.
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