Who Is Michelle Luchau-Rebora? Homestead Therapist Arrest

Michelle Luchau-Rebora is a 32-year-old former mental-health therapy intern from Pinecrest, Florida, who was arrested after authorities accused her of having a sexual relationship with a patient while she was working at New Hope C.O.R.P.S., an alcohol, drug and behavioral-health treatment facility in Homestead.

Investigators allege Luchau-Rebora had a sexual relationship with a 42-year-old male patient from approximately June through September 2025. The patient told investigators that some encounters allegedly occurred during therapy sessions and that Luchau-Rebora helped him obtain authorization to leave the restricted treatment facility so they could meet elsewhere. She surrendered to authorities on September 1, 2026, and was later released on $5,000 bond.

Why Was Michelle Luchau-Rebora Arrested?

Police accused Luchau-Rebora of having an unauthorized sexual relationship with a client under her care. Arrest-report coverage identifies the alleged victim as a 42-year-old man who was both a patient and resident at New Hope C.O.R.P.S. while Luchau-Rebora was working there as an intern acting in the capacity of a mental-health therapist. [NBC 6] [WSVN]

The alleged relationship lasted about three months. The patient told investigators that he and Luchau-Rebora were romantically and sexually involved from June through September 2025 while he remained under her care. [NBC 6] [WSVN]

What Does The Arrest Report Allege?

The patient alleged that sexual encounters occurred during therapy sessions. According to reporting based on the arrest report, the man told investigators that he and Luchau-Rebora sometimes engaged in sexual activity while she was supposed to be conducting therapy sessions with him at the facility. [NBC 6] [People]

Investigators also allege Luchau-Rebora helped the patient leave the restricted facility. Authorities said she facilitated alibis on his behalf that allowed him to obtain permission to leave New Hope C.O.R.P.S. and meet her for sexual encounters elsewhere. [Local 10] [NBC 6]

Where Did The Alleged Encounters Take Place?

Police identified several locations outside New Hope C.O.R.P.S. Investigators said alleged encounters occurred at Luchau-Rebora’s home in Pinecrest, her mother’s home in Key Biscayne and Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. [Local 10] [WSVN]

Did Luchau-Rebora Allegedly Tell The Patient To Keep The Relationship Secret?

The patient told investigators that Luchau-Rebora demanded secrecy. According to the arrest-report accounts, she allegedly told him not to disclose their relationship because disclosure could affect her ability to work as a therapist. [Local 10] [People]

How Did The Allegations Become Public?

The patient reported the alleged relationship after it ended. Investigators said the man disclosed the relationship to New Hope C.O.R.P.S. after Luchau-Rebora ended it. The facility subsequently terminated her internship and reported the allegations to authorities. [People] [Local 10]

What Did New Hope C.O.R.P.S. Say?

New Hope C.O.R.P.S. said it notified authorities and terminated Luchau-Rebora’s internship. Executive Director Stephen Alvarez said the treatment facility reported the allegations to the appropriate authorities and agencies after learning about them, ended the internship and cooperated with the investigation. [People]

What Charges Does Michelle Luchau-Rebora Face?

Arrest reports describe felony allegations involving sexual misconduct by a psychotherapist. NBC 6 reported that Luchau-Rebora was arrested on charges described as a psychotherapist engaging in sex with a client and sexual misconduct by a psychotherapist. WSVN and People described the publicly reported charge as a second-degree felony involving a psychotherapist engaging in sexual conduct with a client without authorization. [NBC 6] [WSVN] [People]

Florida law distinguishes between different forms of psychotherapist sexual misconduct. Florida Statute 491.0112 states that sexual misconduct with a client is ordinarily a third-degree felony for a first offense. The statute makes a second or subsequent offense a second-degree felony and separately makes sexual misconduct accomplished through “therapeutic deception” a second-degree felony. The statute defines therapeutic deception as representing to a client that sexual contact is consistent with or part of treatment. [Florida Senate]

Because published reports differ on the precise felony degree and the publicly available reporting reviewed for this page does not reproduce a filed charging document identifying the exact statutory subsection, the case is most accurately described here as a felony psychotherapist sexual-misconduct case rather than assuming which subsection prosecutors will ultimately pursue.

Can A Client Consent Under Florida’s Psychotherapist Sexual Misconduct Law?

Client consent is not a defense under the statute. Florida Statute 491.0112 explicitly states that a client’s consent to the covered sexual conduct is not a defense to an offense under the law. [Florida Senate]

Florida law defines “psychotherapist” broadly for purposes of the criminal statute. The definition includes certain licensed professionals as well as another person who provides or purports to provide treatment, diagnosis, assessment, evaluation or counseling for mental or emotional illness, symptoms or conditions. That provision is relevant to cases involving people working in therapy roles while serving as interns. [Florida Senate]

Where Did Michelle Luchau-Rebora Work?

Luchau-Rebora worked as an intern at New Hope C.O.R.P.S. in Homestead. Arrest reports said she was serving in the capacity of a mental-health therapist at the addiction and behavioral-health treatment facility on Krome Avenue when the alleged relationship began. [NBC 6] [Local 10]

She was no longer working at the facility by the time of her arrest. New Hope C.O.R.P.S. said her internship was terminated after management learned of the allegations. [People]

When Was Michelle Luchau-Rebora Arrested?

Luchau-Rebora surrendered to authorities on September 1, 2026. People reported that she turned herself in after the investigation, while Local 10 said she surrendered at the Homestead Police Department. Homestead police investigated the allegations with the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office. [People] [Local 10]

She was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. Local 10 reported that Luchau-Rebora was being held there following her surrender. [Local 10]

How Much Was Michelle Luchau-Rebora’s Bond?

A judge set Luchau-Rebora’s bond at $5,000. She appeared before a judge on September 2, and NBC 6 reported that the court also ordered her to have no contact with the alleged victim. [NBC 6] [WSVN]

Luchau-Rebora posted bond and was released. Local 10 reported that she bonded out on September 2 and declined to speak with the station about the allegations. [Local 10]

The allegations against Luchau-Rebora have not been proven at trial. An arrest and criminal charge do not establish guilt.

Video

Luchau-Rebora appears in court