Key Takeaways
- Dr. Andrew Sorial, a psychiatrist in Boca Raton, had his medical license suspended due to allegations of sexual exploitation of two patients.
- The state concluded that Dr. Sorial’s behavior posed an immediate danger to public safety, resulting in his license suspension on January 21, 2026.
- Civil legal options may be available for survivors in this case.
The Florida Department of Health has suspended the medical license of Andrew L. Sorial, M.D., a Boca Raton psychiatrist, after determining that his continued practice posed a risk of immediate and serious danger to the public.
On January 21, 2026, state officials issued an Emergency Suspension Order temporarily preventing Dr. Sorial from practicing medicine in Florida.
The suspension alleges that Dr. Sorial engaged in sexual misconduct involving two female patients during psychiatric treatment sessions conducted over Zoom.
Emergency Suspension of Dr. Andrew Sorial’s Medical License
The First Case
The Emergency Order outlines detailed allegations involving two female patients who had been under Dr. Sorial’s psychiatric care through Boca Raton Psychiatry, where he was practicing at the time.
According to the Order, between April 2020 and December 2024, a woman received psychiatric treatment from Dr. Sorial, meeting with him every two to three months primarily for medication management. Dr. Sorial and the patient would discuss how “her medications were working for her and whether she was experiencing any side effects of the medication.” During a September 17, 2024 Zoom session, the patient disclosed bruising, which was a medication side effect. She told the doctor that she was struggling with her body image and feeling insecure.
In response, Dr. Sorial allegedly offered to “assess” her body directly in order to recommend exercises to “help her tone her problem areas.” The patient, who trusted Dr. Sorial, based on their history, returned to the video session wearing gym attire. The Order states that Dr. Sorial suggested her clothing made it difficult to assess her body and asked her to remove additional layers so he could get a “better look.” Although she felt uncomfortable, she complied because she trusted him as her physician.
The Order describes a progression of requests during that appointment, including directing the patient to move her camera closer to various parts of her body and requesting weekly progress photographs from multiple angles to see what changes occurred.
Several weeks later, when she had not continued sending photographs, Dr. Sorial allegedly followed up. During a December 9, 2024 appointment, the Order states that he again requested to visually assess her body and made comments about her breasts, suggesting they be used as a reference point for progress.
According to the Order, “Dr. Sorial asked [the patient] if she had noticed any change in her breasts because he could see that they looked larger. [The patient] had never mentioned having any issues, discomfort, or concerns with her breasts… Dr. Sorial felt they should use her breasts as the marker for changes in her body.”
The patient was confused by his statement, and asked him “if he was asking her to take her top off and show him her naked breasts. Dr. Sorial said, ‘yes, if that’s what you’re comfortable with.’”
When the patient declined and refused to show him her bare breasts, the Order indicates that his demeanor shifted and he renewed requests for more full-body images.
There was no legitimate medical reason for Dr. Sorial to view her breasts, according to the Order.
The Order states, “Despite still needing medication management, [the patient] stopped seeing Dr. Sorial because of the body assessments and Dr. Sorial’s blatant attempt to ogle her body, especially her breasts.”
The Second Case
The Emergency Order also details allegations regarding a second patient who had been referred to Dr. Sorial for medication management. After assuming a therapeutic role, Dr. Sorial allegedly told the patient that certain medications required minimum weight thresholds.
According to the Order, the patient believed that body examinations during Zoom sessions were necessary to ensure she qualified for prescribed medication. Regulators allege that over time, Dr. Sorial requested progressively less clothing during appointments, escalating from gym attire to requests that she remove her top and lower her shorts so he could inspect her pelvic area.
According to the Order, the patient became anxious, embarrassed, and dreaded having to show her body, so she began canceling sessions. When she was later asked to send weekly photographs in a bikini or undergarments, she was uncomfortable and did not comply. During a subsequent appointment, regulators allege that Dr. Sorial reiterated that body inspections were necessary. The patient did not take photos and began wearing oversized clothes to later appointments.
The patient ultimately stopped treatment with Dr. Sorial was forced to seek another psychiatrist to manage her prescriptions.
In issuing the Emergency Suspension, the Department stated that there was no legitimate medical purpose for requiring these assessments, photographs, or removal of clothing from the patients.
Alleged Sexual Exploitation
According to the Order,
“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. Dr. Sorial’s pattern of predatory actions indicates that [he] lacks the good judgment and moral character necessary to be a physician.
Therefore, Dr. Sorial’s continued practice as a physician presents a risk of immediate, serious danger to the health, welfare, and safety of the public.
Dr. Sorial’s conduct indicates his indifference towards the well-being of his patients. Dr. Sorial’s pattern of exerting his influence as a mental health provider to vulnerable patients to manipulate them into revealing intimate parts of their bodies to him, without any legitimate medical reason to view their unclothed bodies, demonstrates Dr. Sorial’s blatant disregard for the laws and rules regulating his profession [and] indicates that his behavior is likely to continue.”
His license was suspended on January 21, 2026.
Dr. Andrew Sorial’s Background and Professional History
Until recently, Dr. Sorial was listed as a treatment provider at Boca Raton Psychiatry. On his online profile, he wrote, “I have been told by those around me that I am caring, compassionate, considerate, and respectful.”
That page was removed following issuance of the Emergency Suspension Order.
In a social media post, Dr. Sorial wrote that he did not choose psychiatry, but that “God chose it” for him.
According to his profile, Dr. Andrew Sorial was born in Miami and raised in Boca Raton, Florida. He is affiliated with the American Psychiatric Association and the Florida Psychiatric Society, and has been rated a “Top Doctor.”
His professional history includes work at:
- Boca Raton Regional Hospital in Boca Raton, Florida
- Delray Medical Center in Delray Beach, Florida
- Cleveland Clinic Hospital in Weston, Florida
- Miami Veterans Affairs Healthcare System
- Boca Raton Psychiatry in Boca Raton, Florida
His LinkedIn also lists his previous positions as an Attending Physician at The Recovery Village and a Psychiatric Resident Physician at Larkin Community Hospital.
Public licensing records reflect that, in addition to holding a Florida medical license, Dr. Sorial also maintains a Massachusetts license. This license is set to expire in 2027. As of this writing, no disciplinary action is reflected on the Massachusetts licensing profile.
Patient Trust Betrayed
As stated in the Order, “Physicians are entrusted by the public to provide treatment to patients in a manner that is safe, to act in the best interest of their patients, and to protect their patients from harm. Accordingly, physicians are required to demonstrate good judgment and moral character.”
A psychiatrist’s role includes evaluating a patient’s condition, determining appropriate medication options, and monitoring both effectiveness and side effects over time.
Patients seek mental health treatment during some of the most vulnerable periods of their lives. They may disclose trauma histories, personal fears, body image struggles, mental health struggles and deeply private experiences in reliance on a provider’s professionalism and ethical boundaries. They enter treatment expecting safety, not exploitation.
Medical treatment is built on vulnerability and trust.
The alleged conduct described in this case goes beyond a lapse in judgment. It represents a profound breach of the doctor-patient relationship.
Misconduct by physicians is often underreported because doctors hold significant authority over patients’ health and treatment decisions. When a physician is well-established or perceived as respected within the community, reporting can feel especially intimidating. Survivors may fear they will not be believed or that their mental health history will be used to discredit them.
While professional discipline determines whether a physician may continue practicing, civil law provides a separate path to accountability and justice. Civil cases may examine whether medical facilities or supervising entities failed to implement safeguards or respond to warning signs, focusing on transparency and the prevention of future harm.
Legal Options for Survivors
If you or someone you love received psychiatric treatment from Dr. Andrew Sorial and experienced something similar to what was described above, you are not alone.
Civil cases can examine whether medical providers, practices, or institutions failed to protect patients or allowed unsafe conditions to persist. Importantly, civil cases do not always require a criminal conviction, and survivors may pursue accountability even when abuse is never prosecuted in criminal court.
Andreozzi + Foote is a nationally recognized civil law firm dedicated to representing survivors of sexual abuse, assault, and exploitation.
Our attorneys have extensive experience handling civil cases involving sexual abuse in Florida and nationwide.
We offer free, confidential consultations so survivors can learn about their rights, understand their potential legal options, and decide what feels right for them.
You deserve to be heard, and our attorneys are ready to listen.
Contact us today.
Image sources: Dr. Andrew Sorial, MD, courtesy of an archived web page. Boca Raton Psychiatry, © Google, Google Maps.
