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The FMSF Newsletter is published 10 times a year by the False
Memory Syndrome Foundation. A hard-copy subscription is in-
cluded in membership fees (to join, see last page). Others may
subscribe by sending a check or money order, payable to
FMS Foundation, to the address above. 1994 subscription rates:
USA: 1 year $30, Student $10; Canada: $35 (in U.S. dollars);
Foreign: $40; Foreign student $20; Single issue price: $3.
ISSN #1069-0484
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INSIDE:
Feld
Recent Articles
Dawes
Piper
Legal Corner
Make a Difference
From Our Readers
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Dear Friends,
"Why didn't you come last year? Where have you been?" seven-year
old "Ann" asked her grandmother. The setting was Grandparents Visiting
Day at her school. This is the kind of question grandparents whose
families are reuniting from FMS are being asked. Grandparents are
answering in ways that bring families closer.
"Where have you been?" That is the same question that grandparents
and families ask of the American Psychiatric Association, the American
Psychological Association and every mental health professional in the
country after the showing of the shocking Frontline documentary,"The
Search for Satan" on October 24. As nothing else has yet done, this
program, directed by Ofra Bikel and Rachel Dretzin, documents patient
abuse and mental health fraud.
"Where have you been?" "The Search for Satan" shows once and for all
that recovered memory therapy (RMT) is not just something that can be
blamed on "fringe" therapists or talk shows. RMT in its most extreme
form -- belief in Multiple Personality Disorder allegedly caused by
sexual abuse in intergenerational satanic family cults -- is at the
very heart of some of the most prestigious teaching hospitals in the
country, such as Rush Presbyterian in Chicago. The documentary focuses
on two Chicago-area women who entered therapy for depression: Pat B's
therapy cost her insurance company three million dollars, and
convinced her that she was a satanic high priestess in a nine-state
region; Mary S's therapy cost 2.5 million dollars, and convinced her
that she was a fifth-generation cultist. Even Pat's five- and
three-year old children endured several years incarcerated in Rush
Presbyterian hospital for alleged cult programming and MPD. Many would
consider this child abuse.
"The Search for Satan" is told by Mary and Pat and their doctors and
nurses. Medical records are shown. We even see a doctor's notation of
"stickers" given to Pat B's child as a reward for coming up with
bizarre stories. The therapy scenes show shackled women being
interrogated. Further documentation comes from the public words of
Bennett Braun, M.D., Roberta Sacks, Ph.D., Cory Hammond, Ph.D. and
others as they spoke at meetings or on commercial training videos.
Viewers hear these professionals speak about how their patients have
been programmed by satanic cults to torture, murder and cannibalize.
Viewers also see Bennett Braun being honored by his professional
colleagues and by Gloria Steinem.
Where have you been?" The information in this documentary has been
available for years. The American Psychiatric Association responded to
the previews of this program with a release that they have no position
on satanism. Neither does the American Psychological Association. Why
don't they? Major reports by the FBI, the British Government and the
National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect have all concluded that
there is no evidence for the existence of such intergenerational
satanic conspiracy cults. Families are concerned that professional
organizations have sanctioned the destruction of families by remaining
silent on this topic. Raymond and Shirley Souza represent those
families. This couple, who are in their mid-sixties, may be separated
for the first time in their forty-year marriage. They could possibly
be sent to prison for nine years after a hearing on November 8. Judge
Dolan, who was also the judge in the Amirault case, will preside over
the hearing. Ray and Shirley were accused by a daughter of operating a
satanic cult, escalating to other charges involving children.
"Where are you going?" A recent past president of the American
Psychological Association, a believer in the satanic cult conspiracy
stories, is quoted in the October APA Monitor. He states, "A few
scientists also harm the profession by publicly criticizing clinicians
for relying on an evidence base that cannot yet be proved according to
rigidly conceived definitions of what constitutes scientific
evidence." Evidence gets to the heart of the false memory problem. If
mental health professionals are willing to accept third party payments
that are based on a medical/scientific model, then they should be
willing to be accountable to the public on these same terms of
scientific evidence. There is no scientific evidence for an
intergenerational satanic cult conspiracy. There is no scientific
evidence to support the use of the therapy techniques that lead
patients to believe in them.
The kind of abuses that have been documented at Rush-Presbyterian,
and that continue elsewhere, have not occurred in a vacuum. They exist
because there has been a "professional code of silence." Is there
really such a code of silence among clinicians? The past president of
the American Psychological Association who was mentioned above
actually recommended a change for the APA ethics code so that charges
could be brought against psychologists who criticize clinicians. (See
page 3 of this newsletter.)
We are optimistic that more professionals will end their silence now
that they can see the tragedy that has resulted because of the
silence. We are optimistic because this week a past president of the
American Psychiatric Association came to the FMSF office to discuss
ways we might work together. We are optimistic because many more
professionals are speaking out on this matter, and we are pleased to
include some quotations from them in this newsletter.
"The Search for Satan" is another wake-up call to the profession. To
date, professional organizations have been unable or unwilling to
monitor their members. That can change. That must change.
PAMELA
______________________________SIDEBAR_______________________________
/ \
| The more that one sees and reads of these cases, the harder it |
| becomes to have much confidence in the psychiatric profession. If |
| the Freuds of today don't step forward and put an end to the |
| abuses documented in this and other Frontline programs, they are |
| putting their entire profession at risk. |
| |
| Boston Globe, Oct. 24, Ed Siegel |
\____________________________________________________________________/
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NOTABLE PROFESSIONAL QUOTATIONS
"The current controversy over false memory syndrome is as damaging
to reputable dynamic psychotherapy as it is harmful to families and to
patients. Among psychotherapists there seem to be two underlying
justificatory arguments. There are those who think that to question a
literal interpretation of repression poses a threat to psychotherapy
per se, which must be refuted at all costs. There are others whose
concern is to support abused women and who believe false memory
syndrome is part of a backlash to discredit them. Caught in the midst
are families whose lives have been devastated, and patients who have
been misled. Regrettably the psychoanalytic world has on the whole
remained reluctant to tackle this issue, although some individuals
have stated unequivocally that there are no current psychanalytic
theories to support either massive forgetting of traumatic experiences
or their accurate recall after a prolonged period."
Janet Boakes, M.D.
Commentary
The Lancet, Vol 346 October 21, 1995.
"Psychologists recognize an obligation to use our assessment and
therapeutic techniques in a way to prevent harm to our clients and to
others affected by our actions."
"In summary, given the meager and conflicting scientific data
regarding the validity of reported recovered memory of sexual abuse,
the Michigan Psychological Association at this time does not support
the modification of any existing statutes of limitations in respect to
civil and criminal complaints stemming from such reported recovered
memory. Given the nature of the scientific evidence to date, there is
substantial potential for harm in treating claims of recovered
memories of sexual abuse presumptively valid. We must await the
accumulation of pertinent and scientifically valid research on this
issue before recommending the routine or uncritical acceptance of
recovered memory in the absence of corroborative evidence."
"Recovered memories of sexual abuse."
Michigan Psychological Association Position Paper
Adopted by Executive Council, May 17, 1995
"The mental health world doesn't understand their legal obligations.
There isn't any evidence that people repress memories of trauma that
is scientifically acceptable. The fact that clinical people believe
that looking for such memories may be therapeutic is a clinical
belief. The basic fundamental legal issue is that the patient must
decide if they are willing to take the risk of engaging in a form of
treatment that everyone agrees is very controversial when there are
already treatments for depression and anxiety that are safe and
effective and that work very well. That's the bottom-line legal issue
that everyone continues to miss."
Christopher Barden, Ph.D., Esq
quoted in Psychiatric Times
October 1995, Vol XII No 10. page 1
"...I refuse to be intimidated into not confronting the increasing
troubles in our field. We are 'in it,' so to speak, deep. If you don't
believe me, check recent adjudications, not to mention multimillion
dollar settlements, against therapists. The trouble we need to
address, which is how to serve not only our own interests but also
those of our clients, does not stem solely from the efforts of our
major detractors in the false memory syndrome movement; it has been
lurking in our field from the beginning. There is an urgent need for
therapists to become sophisticated enough to provide treatment without
presupposing that clients' reports or 'memories' are in accordance
with fact, and without assuming that only one (or even several)
interpretation(s) can explain even the most suggestive symptoms or
dreams."
Nancy Hornstein, M.D.
'President's Message'
ISSD News, August/September 1995
(International Society for Study of Dissociation)
"Persuading adult women that their fathers were incestuous is
understandably tearing families apart, thousands of which have sought
advice from the 'False Memory Syndrome Foundation, established in
1992. Without questioning the professionalism of most therapists, the
skeptics say that the uncorroborated accusations suggested by some
therapists are a 1990s reenactment of the Salem witch trials. The
trouble with working from symptoms to cause, notes Carol Tavris
(1993), is that the symptoms list is 'general enough to include
everybody at least sometimes. Nobody doesn't fit it.' Moreover, people
feel unworthy, ashamed, and perfectionistic for so many reasons that
the symptoms hardly prove any one cause."
David G. Myers
Psychology - 4th Edition 1995, page 318
Worth Publishers
"Scientist-practitioners and others who prepare, train, and
supervise therapists, especially, have an obligation to balance
exploratory use of experimental or unproved but seemingly promising
techniques with skilled application of treatment methods that conform
to accepted community standards and responsible interpretation of
evaluation findings. Moreover, practitioners who themselves lack the
skills to evaluate the effects of controversial or unproved treatments
have an obligation to assure that appropriate evaluation of treatment
effects occurs. We suggest that such obligations are inherent in the
relationship of professionals to society at large, and not simply
confined to those disciplines with ethical codes containing explicit
provisions to this effect. Practitioners must offer both appropriate
treatment and protection from inappropriate care. They need the skills
to know the difference."
Jacobson, Mulick, & Schwartz
History of Facilitated Communication
American Psychologist,September 1995, p 762
______________________________SIDEBAR_______________________________
/ \
| FRONTLINE - "The Search for Satan" available from Journal Graphics |
| 1-800-825-5746 x 322, Rebecca Larson. Broadcast October 24,1995. |
| Video ($78.45). Transcript ($12.00). |
\____________________________________________________________________/
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INCREDIBLE PROFESSIONAL QUOTATIONS
"A few scientists also harm the profession by publicly criticizing
clinicians for relying on an evidence base that cannot yet be proved
according to rigidly conceived definitions of what constitutes
scientific evidence,"
...
"To improve psychology's standing, psychologists should:...consider
revising the ethical code to be more definitive about psychologists
who undermine the public's trust in the discipline. While the current
code encourages psychologists to not bring disrespect on the
profession, there are no enforceable standards that address the
issue."
Ron Fox, Ph.D., APA Past President
Summary of Presidential Address
October 1995, APA Monitor
Editor's Comment: It was stunning to find the above comment and
recommendation in a speech that otherwise had many thoughtful and
responsible recommendations for psychologists. The comments,
however, go to the heart of the false memory problem and to the
larger issue of whether psychology is to be based in science or not.
It can't be both ways. Either clinicians ground their practice in
science or they do not.
To suggest that those psychologists who criticize the profession
should be subject to ethical discipline is just plain anti-
intellectual. If this recommendation were enacted it would have the
effect of a gag order, but it would resolve the discussion between
those who claim the APA is a professional organization and those who
claim it is a guild.
"Before they come for analysis the patients know nothing of these
scenes...We must not believe what they say; we must always assume, and
tell them, too, that they have kept something back because they
thought it unimportant or found it distressing. We must insist on
this, we must repeat the pressure and represent ourselves as
infallible till at last we are told something."
Sigmund Freud
quoted in Anthony Clare's book review of
"Why Freud Was Wrong" by Richard Webster.
The Sunday Times, September 17, 1995 (London)
"...Faced with any female client, we can assume some degree of
childhood abuse...A major reason for this phenomenon [saying nothing
about sexual abuse] is that women have repressed the abuse so
successfully that they have no or almost no reflective awareness of
it. In many cases successful repressing means repressing all incidents
that might trigger memory of the abuse...Whenever we encounter a woman
who has such large gaps in her memory of childhood, we can usually
conclude that she experienced ongoing and severe trauma as a child."
Bonnie Burstow
p114, Radical Feminist Therapy:
Working in the Context of Violence, Sage, 1992
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HELP US COMPLETE THE WORK
Wonderful progress has been reported in this newsletter during the
past year; yet, our educational work is not finished.
We still receive calls informing us about the continued use of
suggestive therapeutic techniques. We still receive a steady flow of
anguished calls for help from families affected by false memory
syndrome. Most importantly, while we get encouraging reports of
families coming together, most families remain broken.
We need your help to complete the work of the Foundation. Membership
dues and subscriptions only cover about 1/3 of our operating budget.
Please support our work.
Lee Arning and Charles Caviness,
Co-chairman Fund Raising Committee
Sometime during the next few weeks members of the FMS Foundation
will receive a Pledge Card. If you are not a member but would like to
support the Foundation work, please cut out or Xerox the sample below.
__________________________________________________________________
FMS FOUNDATION ANNUAL PLEDGE DRIVE 1996
The pledge drive is only for _donations_in_excess_of_membership_
_dues/newsletter_subscription-fee_. With this in mind, I/we pledge to
donate a total of
$_____________.
My/our pledge will be paid as:
[ ] A single lump sum payment herewith.
[ ] A single lump sum payment to be made on _________________.
[ ] Four quarterly payments.
[ ] Twelve monthly payments.
[ ] Other. Please specify: ________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Name(s)
______________________________________________________________________
Street Address or P.O.Box
______________________________________________________________________
City State
(_____)___________________________ __________________________________
Telephone Date
__________________________________________________
Signature
The FMS Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization. Donations are
tax-deductible.
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AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION APPROVES FMSF
AS A SPONSOR OF CONTINUING EDUCATION PROGRAMS
The Foundation's application to become an approved sponsor of
continuing education programs for psychologists was recently reviewed
and approved. This will allow psychologists to receive continuing
education credits for Foundation-sponsored programs. Two psychologists
from the Professional and Scientific Advisory Board, Terence Campbell,
Ph.D. and Rochel Gelman, Ph.D., along with psychologist Joseph
deRivera, Ph.D., have agreed to serve as advisors to the program.
There is other exciting news about continuing education. The
programs we are cosponsoring with Johns Hopkins are taking final
shape. Three programs are planned:
San Diego, March 30, 1996;
Boston, April 20, 1996:
Chicago, June 1, 1996.
Paul McHugh M.D. from Johns Hopkins and Pamela Freyd, Ph.D. are
among the major presenters. Other key presenters will be announced
shortly for the various locations. Psychiatrists and psychologists
will be able to earn continuing education (CE) credit at all three
sites. Social work continuing education credits can also be earned in
Illinois through a cosponsor arrangement with Loyola University's
School of Social Work, which will be the site of the Chicago
program. Social work CE credit is being explored in Massachusetts. (At
this point, California does not require CE credit for social workers.)
Certificates of attendance will be available and often these can be
used by other professionals to meet their CE requirements.
The Foundation expects to announce a late spring continuing
education program for the legal profession. Watch the Newsletter (and
your e-mail) for this and other programs.
______________________________SIDEBAR_______________________________
/ \
| PENCIL US IN |
| Johns Hopkins and the Foundation reserved space at the Stouffer's |
| in Baltimore, MD for MARCH 20-23, 1997. Save these dates for |
| another major conference. |
\____________________________________________________________________/
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REACTIONS TO NASW CONFERENCE
Allen Feld, M.S.W.
At Social Work 95: NASW's Meeting of the Profession, the National
Association of Social Workers' annual conference held October 12 -- 14
in Philadelphia, I was asked, "What exactly is your position?" The
questioner was a colleague social worker and a fellow conference
attendee. My reply was, "There's no way to tell a true memory from a
false memory in a therapist's office. External corroboration is the
only way you might be able to differentiate true from false memories."
There were other such opportunities to explain my position on the
issue of false memories and the harm that is being done. One was a
presentation that Mary Hanlan, also a FMSF and NASW member, and I made
to some 65 social workers on the significant harm done to families,
clients, retractors and, because of lawsuits, to therapists.
I will use only two examples from the conference to portray why my
already very strong commitment to education was deepened. One
presenter said in a casual way, "I am not going to get into the false
memory debate. But think about it -- repression is logical." I thought
about it. I concluded it is not logical. The logic of repression might
be debatable, but the science is not. Repression is a theory without a
scientific basis. Indeed, it might exist, but we just don't know. The
presenter later asked those of us at the workshop to do a
visualization, and this reaffirmed the power of this type of
therapeutic technique to heighten suggestibility. She failed to
recognize this in her remarks, in spite of a question from someone in
the audience.
The second example is from a full day workshop which included
discussions of guidelines for practice by social workers in the area
of recovered/false memories. Interesting and important content was
presented by two of the speakers who made a strong attempt to be
balanced, and largely succeeded in their efforts. These two presenters
were open to informal discussion about some of the subject matter
which I felt mischaracterized portions of the research.
Two other speakers were less balanced about the clinical issues, at
times were political in tone, and gave the audience written material
that was distinctively anti-Foundation. It is important to emphasize
that the presentations were not directly critical of the Foundation or
its leadership. One of these presenters devoted significant time
discussing a specific piece of legislation. This seemed essentially
political in nature and to have no relevance to the topic.
The second of these presenters dealt with her clinical experiences
with Satanic Ritual Abuse (SRA) and MPD. She recommended books and
other material which were congruent to her thinking and political
point of view about the issues, and negative to the Foundation and
some of its advisory board members. She turned aside attempts to
raise questions about Kenneth Lanning's study and the lack of support
for SRA. Since earlier she expressed disdain for those who question
the incidence of MPD, discussion of that issue was avoided. However,
someone in the audience told about a presentation the day before where
a speaker claimed to have 10,000 personalities and identified what he
thought would be a helpful therapeutic response. It was somewhat
reassuring to hear a small number of those in the audience raise sound
clinical and common sense questions about some of the more
questionable content.
Although the change in climate was apparent, the experience was
disquieting in a number of ways, largely because the beliefs and
practices that create false memories seemed to be widespread. I left
the conference more convinced than ever that inadequate and incomplete
education has been an ingredient leading some therapists to practices
and beliefs which create false memories. I left the conference more
firmly committed to the need for the Foundation to be involved in
continuing education. There was an even stronger resolve that
scientifically -- based educational programs are an essential element
in preventing false memories and dealing with the problems associated
with false memory syndrome.
Allen Feld is an associate professor of Social Work at Marywood
College in Pennsylvania. He heads the Continuing Education Program
for the FMS Foundation.
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TRENDS IN ARTICLES ABOUT FMS
The Foundation maintains a database of more than 6,000 professional
and newspaper/magazine articles, videos and books. Categories of the
articles include False Memory Syndrome, MPD/DID, SRA, Cults, Eating
Disorders, Hypnosis, Therapy Issues, Child Testimony/Day Care, and
Legal. There are additional collections of material that are not
included in the database such as advertisements, catalogues and
brochures that relate to recovered memory therapy. Researchers and
media people regularly come to the FMSF office to use our material.
For some of the articles in our collections, we obtain permission to
make copies. We list the articles that are available from FMSF in an
annotated bibliography that is updated each month.
We have noticed a trend in articles about FMS. At first most of them
focused on the personal stories of affected families and retractors.
Although these sorts of stories still appear, there has been a shift
to a greater focus on articles about retractor and third-party
lawsuits, court decisions involving repressed memory therapy, the
reversal of many 1980s day care convictions and cautions in the
practice of therapy. It seems that there is a general acceptance of
the existence of FMS as a major problem, and now the media are
reporting on the next phase: what is being done about it.
We receive these articles from families, friends and professionals
around the world. Since we do not have a clipping service, we depend
on you to keep us informed about how issues around false memory
syndrome are being addressed in the media and professional journals.
Articles that appear in small local papers often found in supermarkets
or flyers that are found on bulletin boards are especially valuable.
Thanks to all of you for sending us the articles. We appreciate your
support in helping us document the FMS phenomenon.
___________________________
SAMPLING OF RECENT ARTICLES
THE ALTERED STATE OF HYPNOSIS
Irving Kirsch and Steven Jay Lynn
American Psychologist, October, 1995, 846-858
The authors argue that it is no longer accurate to portray theorists
of hypnosis as belonging to warring camps of either special process
theory or social psychological theory. Rather, they say that current
research and theories are more accurately described as on a continuum.
The authors summarize those points on which there is general agreement
and enumerate the questions that need to be answered. Following are
points of agreement:
"...it is now known that (a) the ability to experience hypnotic
phenomena does not indicate gullibility or weakness; (b) hypnosis is
not related to sleep; (c) hypnotic responsiveness depends more on the
efforts and abilities of the person hypnotized than on the skill of
the hypnotist; (d) participants retain the ability to control their
behavior during hypnosis, and they are aware of their surroundings and
can monitor events outside of the framework of suggestions during
hypnosis; (e) spontaneous posthypnotic amnesia is relatively rare: (f)
suggestions can be responded to with or without hypnosis, and the
function of an hypnotic induction is merely to increase suggestibility
to a minor degree; (g) hypnosis is not a dangerous procedure when
practiced by qualified clinicians and researchers; (h) most hypnotized
persons are neither faking nor merely complying with suggestions; (i)
hypnosis does not increase the accuracy of memory; and (j) hypnosis
does not foster a literal re-experiencing of childhood events (E.R.
Hilgard, 1965; Kirsch, Silva, Carone, Johnson, & Simon, 1989; Rhue et
al., 1993; Nash, 1987)."
Following is the question that the authors believe researchers need
to answer in respect to its use with therapy:"For what patients, with
what problems, does hypnosis Pused in what mannerPenhance the effects
of what specific treatments?"
___________________________________________________________________
MISATTRIBUTION OF EATING AND OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER SYMPTOMS
TO REPRESSED MEMORIES OF CHILDHOOD SEXUAL OR PHYSICAL ABUSE
Susan L. McElroy and Paul E. Keck
Biological Psychiatry 1995, 37, 48-51
This paper presents three case studies of women with eating or
obsessive-compulsive disorders who had been told in their initial
presentation that their symptoms were due to forgotten experiences of
childhood sexual abuse and that recalling their repressed memories was
critical to their recovery. The two patients who could not recall
their repressed memories in psychotherapy deteriorated. All three
patients responded to treatment with conventional psychopharmacologic
agents. The authors conclude that insisting to patients that they have
been abused when they do not think so can have deleterious
consequences.
_______________________
CREATING FALSE MEMORIES:
REMEMBERING WORDS NOT PRESENTED IN LISTS
Henry Roediger III and Kathleen B. McDermott
Journal of Experimental Psychology 1995, 21(4) , 803-814
Subjects in two experiments showed remarkable levels of false recall
and false recognition in a list-learning paradigm. Readers may be
interested in the author's discussion of the relevance of such
laboratory research to memories of trauma.
"Do our results have any bearing on the current controversies raging
over the issue of allegedly false memories induced in therapy? Nor
directly, of course. However, we do show that the illusion of
remembering events that never happened can occur quite readily.
Therefore, as others have also pointed out, the fact that people may
say they vividly remember details surrounding an event cannot, by
itself, be taken as convincing evidence that the event actually
occurred (Johnson & Suengas, 1989; Schooler, Gerhard, & Loftus, 1986;
Zaragose & Lane, 1994). Our subjects confidently recalled and
recognized words that were not presented and also reported that they
remembered the occurrence of these events. A critic might contend
that because these experiments occurred in a laboratory setting, using
word lists, with college students subjects, they hold questionable
relevance to issues surrounding more spectacular occurrences of false
memories outside the lab. However, we believe that these are all
reasons to be more impressed with the relevance of our results to
these issues. After all, we tested people under conditions of
intentional learning, with very short retention intervals, in a
standard laboratory procedure that usually produces few errors, and we
use college students -- professional memorizers -- as subjects. In
short, despite conditions much more conducive to veridical remembering
than those that typically exist outside the lab, we found dramatic
evidence of false memories. When less of a premium is placed on
accurate remembering, and when people know that their accuracy in
recollecting cannot be verified, they may even be more led to remember
events that never happened than they are in the lab."
__________________
DOES THERAPY HELP?
Consumer Reports, November 1995
This article reports on the retrospective evaluation of their
therapy by 4,000 Consumer Reports subscribers who generally reported
that their therapy had been helpful. However, the acknowledged
methodological weaknesses unfortunately render the results of little
value. The article also covered general information about mental
health insurance and treatments that were effective for specific
problems such as depression or panic attacks. Also included were
sections on types of therapies and therapists. For example:
"In PSYCHOANALYSIS, Freud's classical technique employing a couch
and free association, patients explore and confront troubling
childhood experiences. In PSYCHODYNAMIC THERAPY, the emphasis is on
discovering unconscious conflicts and defense mechanisms that hinder
adult behavior. The goal of INTERPERSONAL THERAPY is to enhance
relationships and communication skills. COGNITIVE THERAPY is aimed
at helping people recognize and change distorted ways of thinking.
BEHAVIORAL THERAPY seeks to replace harmful behaviors with useful
ones."
Editor's Comment: It is disappointing that the authors missed an
excellent opportunity to educate the public about the Mental Health
Bill of Rights and the importance of informed consent or to warn
readers of the risks of the type of therapy shown in Frontline's
"Search for Satan." Readers who are interested in a more scholarly
study of psychotherapy are directed to Olfson, M. & Pincus, H.A.
(1994) Outpatient psychotherapy in the United States, American
Journal of Psychiatry Vol 151 September. (Available from FMSF $4.00
#773)
_______________________________________________________
WHAT PSYCHOLOGISTS BETTER KNOW ABOUT RECOVERED MEMORIES,
RESEARCH, LAWSUITS, AND THE PIVOTAL EXPERIMENT.
Kenneth Pope, Ph.D.
Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice V. 2, 1995, pp 304-314
Labeled a book review of "The Myth of Repressed Memories" by
Elizabeth Loftus and Katherine Ketcham, Kenneth Pope raises questions
about what he considers the wrong doings or the wrong thinking of the
following people in order of appearance: Elizabeth Loftus, Ph.D.;
Ralph Underwager, Ph.D. Hollida Wakefield, Ph.D.; Pamela Freyd, Ph.D.;
Richard Ofshe, Ph.D.; Margaret Singer, Ph.D.; Paul McHugh, M.D; and
Harold Lief, M.D. Richard Gardner, M.D. also comes under scrutiny,
mistakenly identified as a member of the FMSF Advisory Board,
suggesting that those who are associated with FMSF are singled out for
Pope's attention. While it is entirely proper that tough questions be
asked, acceptable scholarly publications normally include (1) an
opportunity for those who are criticized to respond and (2) an
appropriate threshold of valid sources beyond the writer's
opinions. This article and journal provided neither.
Pope never gets to the serious content in "The Myth of Repressed
Memories," such as the fact that therapists may do harm if they use
dangerous techniques. He never gets to the issues because he raises
questions on other topics. For example, on page 313 he brings up case
studies to question whether sexual abusers should be treated as
criminals or as people with illnesses. This has nothing to do with
issues of memory, suggestibility and the power of belief systems that
are addressed in the book.
We have been told that Elizabeth Loftus has recently been given an
opportunity to respond to Pope's article.
__________________________
PLEASED TO MEET ALL OF YOU
Joel Achenback
Washington Post, September 22, 1995
This is a short article that highlights the controversy within the
medical community about the nature of Multiple Personality Disorder
(Dissociative Identity Disorder). The author quoted Richard Kluft,
M.D., Paul McHugh, M.D. and Richard Ofshe, Ph.D. who explained their
evidence for their differing positions on this mental illness. There
was no mention of FMS or of the Foundation in this article.
Editor's Comment: The article inspired Charles Whitfield, M.D. to
write to the Post on October 14. In his letter, he neglected to
comment on the issues raised in the article. Instead he used this
forum to describe FMSF as an organization that "supports the denial
of both accused and convicted child molesters," and an opportunity
to say, "Abusers, whom McHugh and Ofshe support, have always bullied
their victims into silence."
Whitfield, an internist who is referred to as a psychotherapist,
is a frequent speaker in the field of dissociation. He is listed on
the faculty of the Fourth Annual Conference on Advances in Treating
Survivors of Abuse & Trauma this December, along with others such as
Judith Herman, Richard Kluft and Bessel van der Kolk. This
conference advertises "intensive clinical workshops in a nurturing,
non-competitive atmosphere that includes: Live musical performances,
unstressing sessions, on-site massages and a conference workbook with
over 250 pages of handouts."
**********************************************************************
Video interview with Mark Pendergrast, author of "Victims of Memory"
is $24.00 which is a 50% discount to FMSF Members and includes
shipping/handling. Order direct from VideOdyssey 404-288-7672
**********************************************************************
Comments inspired by
THE MEMORY WARS: FREUD'S LEGACY IN DISPUTE
by Frederick Crews et. al, 1995, New York Review, Inc.
Robyn M. Dawes
Robert Heinlein's famous science fiction story Universe depicts life
aboard a huge space ship that has been launched eons earlier to travel
to a distant galaxy. The people inside have forgotten its history, and
for them the space ship is the universe, in its entirety. They do,
however, have a library. The wise leaders of the universe have
interpreted such obviously important books as Newton's Mathematical
Principles of Natural Philosophy in terms of their own experience.
Gravity, for example, was a puzzle -- until the interpreters realized
that Newton's laws were social psychological ones, with gravity's
referring to sexual attraction. Then it all made sense. Only the group
of people living at the edges of the space craft understood its true
nature, and as the result of generations of excessive radiation, they
were mutants -- to be ignored or hunted down. Why, for example, listen
to the opinions of someone with two heads? Attack instead.
"The Memory Wars: Freud's Legacy in Dispute" includes Frederick
Crews's two-part article published in the New York Review of Books in
November /December of 1994 and also much of the correspondence that
ensued. The book provides a short journey into the inner sanctum of
the spaceship Psychoanalytic Theory. Everything makes perfect sense,
just so long as whatever those outside it believe to be an instance of
one thing can be reinterpreted to be an instance of something else,
perhaps of the opposite of what it appears to be. Moreover, the
leaders are not dumb; such reinterpretation often requires great
intellectual skills, even creativity. The only problem is that their
conclusions (as that concerning the nature of gravity in Heinlein's
story) are just plain wrong. The people toward the outside of the
"field" can see that, but their views -- such as Crews's -- are
ignored because they are obviously mutants. Why would you challenge
the wisdom of the leaders if you're not screwed up in some way? (Like,
"why would anyone remember something so horrible if it weren't true?")
Of course, these leaders pay little attention to what goes on
outside, except for claiming to understand it. For example, no one who
paid much attention could in 1979 propose a study "validating" a
therapeutic technique by considering only his own patients, deciding
himself on a nonblind basis which had improved or not, and then
forming an inference in the absence of even a comparison group -- let
alone a control group (e.g. people randomly chosen to be put on a
waiting list.) And publish it! Such a person has to have been deep
inside a space ship since the early 1960's when psychologists
evaluating psychotherapy began conducting studies based on the vaccine
evaluation model.
Recently, as both Crews and his detractors point out, the denizens
of the space ship -- not content to rule those who have willing
decided to enter it -- have launched an attack on the rest of us. "How
do you know it isn't true!?" They challenge anyone critical of their
own bizarre and twisted interpretations of what the books on memory in
their library say. And, of course, lacking contact with the outside,
what they say to each other about these books results in an even
greater suggestive influence of therapist on therapist than of
therapist on client.
Even their own books, however, provide a very clear conclusion -- if
only they would read it instead of asking each other what it is.
Currently, nothing that we know of about the quality of a memory can
be used to assess its historical accuracy in the absence of
corroboration. Nothing. If there is something, it has not yet been
identified -- and therefore cannot be reliably used at present to
discriminate. Period. Intriguing as the hypothesis might be, gravity
is not sexual attraction.
Many psychologists emerged from the behaviorist cocoon almost 40
years ago, but observing the reaction of the people in the spaceship
Psychoanalytic Theory to Crews's critique yields little reason to hope
that any of those inside will ever emerge from it. The only solution
for the rest of us is to let it continue on its course, possibly to
oblivion, but not allow it to attack anyone outside in the meantime --
especially not outside in an office or a courtroom.
It's sad to study doomed people's accounts in their own words of why
it is they believe that their space ship is the universe -- or of why
from the vantage of their ship they understand what goes on outside it
better than the people actually outside it do. It is especially sad
when this "understanding" is based on interpreting so much to be
something other than what it appears to be. I found this book very
painful to read.
Robyn Dawes is University Professor and Acting Department Head of
the department of Social and Decision Sciences at Carnegie Mellon
University. He is the author of "House of Cards" and a member of the
FMSF Advisory Board.
______________________________SIDEBAR_______________________________
/ \
| "Psychoanalysis as a scientific theory and as a psychological |
| treatment appears doomed. If it does survive, it will be as the |
| first secular religion of modern times." |
| |
| Anthony Clare in a book review of "Why Freud Was Wrong" |
| by Richard Webster. The Sunday Times, September 17, 1995 |
\____________________________________________________________________/
**********************************************************************
SATAN'S SILENCE:
RITUAL ABUSE AND THE MAKING OF A MODERN AMERICAN WITCH HUNT
Debbie Nathan and Michael Snedeker
Basic Books, $25 (288p) IBSN 0-465-07180-5
"...demonization of child sexual abuse as society's ultimate evil
has rendered it so holy as to be virtually immune to reasoned
analysis," and perhaps this is a part of the explanation for the fact
that civil libertarians have shied away from challenging some of the
notorious ritual-abuse cases of the 1980s that have been coming apart
in the past year. A glance at Satan's Silence indicates that it is a
thoughtful investigation of how and why such ritual-abuse cases led to
a moral panic over the past 15 years. The authors express concern that
real sexual abuse is underreported and recommend better training of
investigators.
We expect to publish a full review of this book soon.
**********************************************************************
MEMORIES, MOVING VANS, AND MPD
August Piper
I was taking the bus to work, reading two professional journal
articles and idly wondering what to write for this column. The bus
stopped. On the opposite side of the street, a big navy-blue moving
van waited by the curb, casting long shadows in the fall morning's
crisp and low-slanting sunlight. A profusion of lamps and boxes and
furniture rioted by the side of the van.
A dimly-remembered quotation, prodded from slumber by the sight of
the possessions, began to stir -- something about moving things from a
drafty house of delusions. At the office, between patients, the quote
emerged from a book of quotations:
The house of delusions is cheap to build but draughty to live in,
and ready at any instant to fall; and it is surely truer prudence to
move our furniture betimes into the open air than to stay indoors
until our tenement tumbles about our ears. It is and it must in the
long run be better for man to see things as they are than to be
ignorant of them.
A.E. Housman
In turn, finding the quote triggered an answer to the question of what
to write for this column.
The papers I was reading on the bus were written by Ross and
Kluft. No reader of this newsletter, I am sure, could fail to have
been exposed to the beliefs of these two writers. They, and many
similar trauma-focused therapists, endlessly trumpet the connection
between child abuse and dissociative disorders, such as multiple
personality disorder (MPD). These authorities speak as if the
connection were incontrovertibly-proven, iron-bottomed fact. Here is a
typical comment: "The etiology of MPD is known. It is a dissociative
response to chronic childhood trauma." Another MPD-oriented expert
says, "No therapist who has [treated] more than two or three MPD
patients doubts the existence of a causal relationship between MPD and
childhood trauma, primarily child abuse."
What these enthusiasts do not divulge is that the proof of the
connection exists entirely in the minds of those who believe in its
existence. The enthusiasts similarly do not divulge the existence of a
significant amount of evidence against this connection. For example,
many people have suffered various forms of mistreatment as children,
yet have never developed anything remotely resembling MPD as adults;
no one has ever demonstrated that the abuse suffered by MPD patients
is any more extreme than that suffered by anyone else; in most cases,
there is no proof whatsoever that those alleging abuse actually
experienced the acts that they claim; often the alleged events are
remembered from the period in children's lives when accurate memories
cannot be formed -- roughly from birth until four years of age; and
finally, many of the claimed abuses should have left indelible
evidence -- such as scars -- on the bodies of those who suffered them
-- yet mysteriously, visible manifestations of these abuses can rarely
be found.
How do the MPD advocates respond when confronted with these
arguments? Why, they simply ignore them. Or they say, as Ross does,
that it doesn't matter whether or not the events really happened: "The
historical reality of the trauma memories is a minor concern in the
planning of the therapy [of MPD]." Amazingly, other leading MPD
theorists say they do not concern themselves with whether a patient
actually has MPD or not. According to these authorities, denial of the
diagnosis is a major form of resistance to therapy; they thus maintain
that even patients who deny having MPD should still be treated for
it. Another proponent says, too, he treats patients who deny the
diagnosis: "If the patient participates productively in a treatment
that, by its very nature, indicates MPD is present, I am not inclined
to argue over words [by which he means that he refuses to argue the
question of whether the diagnosis is correct]."
One wonders if these writers are aware that ethical and legal
authorities take an exceedingly jaundiced view of physicians who
trouble themselves so little with bothersome trifles such as whether
patients have given their knowing, voluntary, and competent consent to
be treated in the manner recommended by the physician.
These enthusiasts simply close their eyes to the gaping logical flaw
in their theory: If the claimed maltreatment did not occur, then the
foundation-stone supporting the house of MPD theory -- that the
disorder results from child abuse -- is utterly shattered. They
refuse, in Housman's words, to see things as they are.
The house occupied by these trauma-search therapists is showing
unmistakable cracks in its walls and ceilings.
It's time to call the blue van.
Dr. Piper is in private practice in Seattle, Washington and is
currently writing a book on multiple personality disorder. He is a
member of the FMSF Scientific and Professional Advisory Board.
______________________________SIDEBAR_______________________________
/ \
| These enthusiasts simply close their eyes to the gaping logical |
| flaw in their theory: If the claimed maltreatment did not occur, |
| then the foundation stone of MPD theory -- that the disorder |
| results from child abuse -- is utterly shattered. |
| August Piper, M.D. |
\____________________________________________________________________/
**********************************************************************
BEFORE THERAPY
Dear Mom and Dad,
Your gift of time has been the most blessed gift of all. What a joy
this week has been to have you here XXOO!!
Love, "M"
AFTER THERAPY
When I went into the hospital my diagnosis was Severe Depression.
This diagnosis was expanded to include Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome
and Dissociative Disorder. When I went back to the hospital, my
diagnosis was escalated from Dissociative Disorder to Multiple
Personality Disorder. This only occurs because of severe childhood
sexual abuse...The pain this has brought myself and my family is only
further mocked by your continued denial of what happened to me while
under your care.The financial strain and stress of this experience has
cost my family well over $30,000...The decision to re-establish a
relationship with you is my choice and my choice alone. Your
persistent denial of responsibility will delay the possibility.
**********************************************************************
LEGAL CORNER
FMSF Staff
FEDERAL COURT CONSIDERS
ADMISSION OF REPRESSED MEMORY TESTIMONY DERIVED FROM HYPNOSIS
Borawick v. Shay
U.S. Ct. of Appeals, 2nd Circuit, Docket No.94-7584,
(decision: October 17, 1995)
Borawick v. Shay represents a case of first impression regarding the
circumstances under which an alleged victim of sexual abuse may
testify as to memories of abuse following therapeutic hypnosis. The
case was heard on appeal from the U.S. District Court for the District
of Connecticut. In May 1994, the District Court had granted
defendants' motion for summary judgment following an in limine ruling
prohibiting the plaintiff from testifying based on hypnotically-
refreshed recollections of sexual abuse. The U.S. Court of Appeals for
the Second Circuit affirmed that decision.
In a 44 page opinion, the court reviewed the facts of the case,
problems associated with hypnotically-refreshed recall and state and
federal approaches to the question of admissibility. It offered a set
of factors which a trial court might consider in deciding whether
repressed memories derived from hypnosis are reliable enough to be
admitted at trial.
In 1987, Borawick experienced panic attacks and chronic physical
illness and was referred to an unlicensed hypnotist. During the
following year, Borawick underwent 12-14 hypnotic sessions, called
"regression therapy", with the hypnotist. Prior to the hypnotic
sessions, Borawick had no recollection of abuse. Beginning during the
weeks after the final hypnotic session, she began to experience
memories of abuse by several individuals. Borawick claims to have
eventually recollected incidents involving ritualistic activities.
In its decision, the court felt compelled to comment on the
qualifications, or lack thereof, of the hypnotist. The record detailed
that his formal education ended with a high school diploma; he had not
read the professional literature. No records of any kind were kept of
the hypnotic sessions. After reviewing Borawick's claims, the Court of
Appeals concluded that these "fanciful accusations" of an "unlikely
nature. . .erode our confidence in the allegations . . .and properly
weigh against the admissibility of her hypnotically-induced memories".
The Court noted that, "The popular belief that hypnosis guarantees
the accuracy of recall is as yet without established foundation and no
consensus has been reached regarding the ability of hypnosis to
enhance memory." Some of the well-documented problems with the
reliability of hypnotically-refreshed recall were reviewed: an
increase in suggestibility and confabulation; "memory hardening" or
undue confidence in the facts remembered; loss of the ability to
critically assess the memory; and "source amnesia" or believing that a
statement heard during hypnosis was a product of his or her own
memory.
The Court rejected a per se rule of admissibility as "inadequate to
protect defendants from unfounded charges". The Court also rejected a
per se rule of inadmissibility that no hypnotically refreshed memory
is ever reliable enough to be admitted. Instead the court adopted a
"totality-of-the-circumstances" approach. Under this approach, the
trial court should weigh all factors and exercise its discretion in
determining whether to admit the post-hypnotic testimony. The opinion
offered a set of non-exclusive factors for consideration and noted
that testimony may be admitted which does not meet all the points
suggested or testimony may be ruled inadmissible which does meet all
points.
The Court of Appeals suggested a list of criteria that a trial court
should weigh when considering whether to admit such testimony:
1. the purpose of the hypnosis and whether the purpose may have
pressured the witness to remember details or to confabulate in order
to describe a complete, coherent story;
2. whether the witness received any suggestions from the hypnotist
or others prior to or during hypnosis. This includes the offering of
theories as to the cause of the subject's ailments;
3. whether a permanent record was made, ideally by video or audio
tape, which would allow the court to ascertain whether suggestive
procedures were used. Without such a record, expert testimony would
be of little value;
4. whether the hypnotist was appropriately qualified;
5. whether corroborating evidence exists;
6. the existence of evidence of the subject's hypnotizability, or
proneness to confabulate or respond to suggestion.
Additionally, the court pointed out that trial judges should employ
expert testimony as to the reliability of the procedures used by the
hypnotist. It also encouraged that pretrial evidentiary hearings be
convened to enable the parties to present expert evidence and to test
credibility through cross-examination.
Finally, the appellant's argument that the trial court's decision
was inconsistent with the holding of the U.S. Supreme Court in Daubert
v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, 125 L.Ed.2d 469, 113 S.Ct. 2786 (1993)
was flatly rejected. The Court of Appeals distinguished the attempt
to admit Borawick's lay testimony from the Daubert focus on data
derived from scientific techniques or expert opinions. The court did
add, however, that its decision was informed by the ruling in Daubert
even though that case did not provide direct guidance in this
instance.
_____________________________________________
ALABAMA SUPREME COURT REJECTS McDUFFIE APPEAL
IN MALPRACTICE CASE REGARDING THIRD PARTY STANDING
(decision Sept. 29, 1995)
Michael McDuffie had sued Margaret Sellers-Bok, M.D., a
psychiatrist, for medical malpractice and a variety of intentional
torts in a 9 count complaint filed in the Montgomery County Circuit
Court. McDuffie claimed, inter alia, that Dr. Sellers-Bok was
negligent when she concluded that he had sexually abused his minor
daughter.
The trial court granted the doctor's motion to dismiss only those counts
alleging medical malpractice on the legal theory that only patients can sue
their health care providers since there is no duty owed by them to third
parties. From that ruling, McDuffie appealed to the Alabama Supreme Court. Trial
on the other issues in the case was stayed until the appeal was resolved.
McDuffie's argument, supported by an amicus curiae brief filed by
the FMS Foundation, was that Sellers-Bok should be liable to him as a
"foreseeable plaintiff" since he was damaged by the evaluation of his
daughter. He urged the court to recognize an exception in cases
involving child sexual abuse evaluations to the long-standing rule
that limits the rights of third parties to sue health care
providers. The Alabama Supreme Court, without stating its reasons in a
written opinion, refused to do so.
Although Alabama did not sanction a third party action against a
health care provider in this instance, other jurisdictions across the
country have endorsed causes of action in similar factual
circumstances. Two recent federal decisions - Wilkinson et
al. v. Balsam, ___F.Supp.___ (Vt. 1995) and Peterson et al. v.
Walentiny, ___F.Supp.___ (Okla. 1995) - are apposite. In both cases,
parents who were not patients were permitted to sue health care
providers who determined that they had abused their children.
Likewise, the court in Sullivan v. Cheshire, 846 F.Supp. 654
(N.D. Ill. 1994) published a strong opinion denying a
defendant/therapist's motion for summary judgment seeking dismissal of
a suit brought against him by the parents of a woman who claimed to
have recovered memories of sexual abuse while under the care of her
therapist. The court reasoned that a jury could find that the
therapist had directed his actions specifically against the parents
and their interests. See also Montoya v. Bebensee, 761 P.2d 285
(Colo. C.A., Division One, 1988).
A U.S. District Court's opinion in Tuman v. Genesis Associates et
al., ___F.Supp.___ (Pa. 1995) discusses in depth the various causes of
action that can be maintained by those damaged through questionable
health care practices. (The decision was reported in the September
issue of the FMS Newsletter.)
Despite the fact that McDuffie, as a non-patient, is precluded from
litigating the malpractice issue, his other claims for abuse of
process, defamation and malicious prosecution are still intact. His
counsel indicates that they will be proceeding to trial on these
remaining issues.
____________________________________________________________
COLORADO'S FIRST "PLANTED MEMORY" CASE PUTS THERAPY ON TRIAL
Reported by the Rocky Mountain News (Oct. 16,17,18,19,21, 1995) and
The Denver Post (Oct. 17,18,19, 1995)
Colorado's first malpractice case involving charges of false
memories implanted by a psychotherapist went to trial October 16,
1995. Jane Brennan is suing therapist, Beverly Nussbaumer, and
psychiatrist, Henry Bible. Brennan, 36, claims that Nussbaumer used a
variety of techniques, including drugs and hypnotism to convince her
that her father had sexually abused her as a child. As a direct
result, it is alleged, Brennan severed contact with her family, lost
the business she started with her sister, and sustained emotional pain
and suffering as well as loss of income and earnings. Brennan says she
now realizes the memories were false and is suing to recover monetary
damages.
Brennan was originally referred to Nussbaumer for depression and was
in Nussbaumer's care from 1991 to 1993. Brennan claims that Nussbaumer
told her she was the victim of sexual abuse before Brennan actually
"recovered" such memories. Brennan charges that her mental condition
deteriorated under Nussbaumer's care so much that she was hospitalized
twice in 1992 after threatening to commit suicide. Brennan testified
that Nussbaumer persuaded her to cut off relations with her family and
encouraged her dependence on Nussbaumer. "I was cut off from my
family. I was cut off from my friends. When there was no more outside
intervention, she took total control. . . . She behaved in a cult-like
fashion. I didn't have a mind of my own when I was in therapy,"
Brennan said.
Brennan said Nussbaumer told her during hypnosis to imagine the
abuse, and eventually she had memories. "I told her I felt like I was
making it up," Brennan said. "But she said that was normal because
it's so traumatic and horrible you don't want to believe it's true."
Brennan's father adamantly denied abusing his daughter. He took a
lie detector test and sent the results to Nussbaumer as he tried to
prove the allegations false. Nussbaumer apparently ignored this
information and instead told Brennan that his behavior fit the profile
of an abuser. The father suffered several strokes after the
accusations were made.
Brennan's husband testified that as the therapy progressed he
watched his wife go deeper and deeper into depression. He finally
replaced her medication with placebos and she immediately began to
improve, he said.
Dr. Jon Bell, professor of psychiatry at the University of Colorado
testified that Nussbaumer continued to use highly suggestive hypnotic
sessions with Brennan even after noting that Brennan was losing touch
with reality. "She should have questioned whether the treatment had
contributed in any way to the development of psychotic symptoms in the
treatment of a woman who had no previous history of psychosis," Bell
testified.
Dr. James Hudson, of Harvard Medical School will also testify on
Brennan's behalf.
The suit was filed 5/20/94 in Denver District Court. The Complaint
states that the insurance carrier that paid for the therapy also
questioned the therapeutic approach, noting that Brennan wasn't
improving and was, in fact, deteriorating under the care of the
defendants. The suit contends the defendants unreasonably ignored the
concerns and questions raised by the insurance carrier.
Defense attorneys say it was Brennan, not Nussbaumer, who first
suggested that Brennan's father had sexually abused her. According to
Nussbaumer's attorney, Gilbert Dickinson, hypnosis was used to try to
calm down Brennan, who was anxious and depressed prior to the birth of
her twins. The defense contends that Nussbaumer and Bible used
accepted methods.
At the time of this printing, five days of testimony have been
heard. The case is not expected to go to jury until early in November.
_________________________SIDEBAR________________________
/ \
| One falsehood spoils a thousand truths. |
| Ashanti Proverb |
\________________________________________________________/
_____________________________________________
MALPRACTICE LAWSUIT AGAINST THERAPIST SETTLES
Denver, Colorado
Denver attorney and psychologist Laurence James, J.D., Psy.D.,
recently settled a malpractice action brought in Colorado Springs,
Colorado District Court by a retractor, Laurie Stone, against her
psychologist for negligence in implanting false memories of childhood
sexual abuse and creating false multiple personality disorder.
Mr. James reports that the matter was scheduled for trial on
September 18, 1995. On September 15, defendants requested a
continuance which was denied and the case settled the next day. Terms
of the settlement are confidential -- including the amount and the
name of the defendant therapist. Although the case settled out of
court, Mr. James believes that many therapists in Colorado are
nevertheless aware of the outcome and states, "the climate in Colorado
is not good for MPD therapists."
Mr. James had called on four clinical expert witnesses as follows:
Dr. Paul McHugh, Dr. Andrew Czopek, William Van Doorninck and
Dr. Donna Marold. Mr. James explained that two of the experts,
Drs. Czopek and Van Doorninck were past presidents of the Colorado
Psychological Association and Dr. Van Doorninck is past chairman and a
current member of the Colorado Psychological Association Ethics
Committee. Mr. James further reported that one of the defendant's
experts, a psychiatrist, examined the plaintiff, Laurie Stone, for 7
hours and the results of her examination were so favorable to the
plaintiff that the defendant's attorneys were forced to drop her as
their expert, and plaintiff's attorneys named her as a rebuttal
witness. In deposition testimony and/or their reports, Drs. McHugh,
Czopek and Marold testified that the therapist's conduct was not only
negligent but also wanton and wilful regarding the implanting of false
memories.
Two years ago, a complaint was made to the licensing board against
the defendant therapist which resulted in only a minor admonition.
However, on the Friday following the settlement, the board re-reviewed
the case and sent it on to the disciplinary board of the Attorney
General's office for formal disciplinary proceeding, which will likely
result in loss of license or severe sanctions.
__________________________________________________
CALL TO BAN REPRESSED MEMORY EVIDENCE IN AUSTRALIA
The Australian, Sept. 27, 1995
by Janet Fife-Yeomans
Ian Freckelton, barrister and one of the architects of the new
Australian Commonwealth Evidence Act, argued that evidence of
repressed memory syndrome should be banned from Australian courtrooms.
Mr. Freckelton called for courts to become more interventionist and
directors of public prosecutions to block the many upcoming
prosecutions for sexual offenses based on repressed memory evidence
because it had the potential to result in wrongful convictions. Mr.
Freckelton, president of the Australian and New Zealand Association of
Psychiatry, Psychology and Law, described repressed memory therapies
as a "phenomenon whereby persons who have not been assaulted come to
believe that they have been as a result of dangerous and poor quality
treatment by counselors, psychiatrists and psychologists". His
comments were made at the Australian Legal Convention in Brisbane on
September 26, 1995.
_________________________________________________________
AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION TO SUPPORT RIGHT TO PICKET
The American Civil Liberties Union has agreed to represent Chuck
Noah of Seattle Washington to appeal an injunction against Mr. Noah's
picketing activities. The A.C.L.U. has expressed concern that limiting
the right to picket improperly restricts first amendment rights of
free speech. Mr. Noah has picketed the office of therapist David Calof
in order to express his view that "repressed memory therapy" destroys
families by convincing the patient that molestations occurred which in
fact may not have occurred. The A.C.L.U. plans to seek full redress
for the rights Mr. Noah has lost and will request attorneys' fees and
punitive damages.
___________________________________________________
COURT HEARS STATE'S APPEAL IN REPRESSED MEMORY CASE
San Francisco Examiner October 20, 1995
Deputy Attorney General Bruce Ortega has asked the 9th U.S. Circuit
Court of Appeals to reinstate the conviction of George Franklin for
the murder of 8-year-old Susan Mason in 1969. Ortega contends that the
conviction can be upheld based on the memories of Franklin's daughter,
Eileen Franklin-Lipsker. Franklin's 1990 conviction had been
overturned last April because the jury had been wrongly allowed to
conclude that Franklin had admitted the murder by remaining silent.
Dennis Riordan, Franklin's attorney, said that the trial had also been
tainted by the fact that the judge had barred introduction of news
clippings that could have been the source of Franklin-Lipsker's
knowledge of the case.
Circuit Judge Michael D. Hawkins of Phoenix asked Ortega whether
preventing the defense from confronting Franklin-Lipsker with the news
clippings wasn't "a little like ending a football game at halftime."
"It deprived the defense of the opportunity to put those clippings in
front of her and in front of the jury one by one (and to ask): 'Are
you saying you didn't read this? Are you saying you didn't read that?'
Isn't that what a criminal trial is about?" Senior Circuit Judge
Warren J. Ferguson of Santa Ana agreed that quizzing Franklin-Lipsker
about the clips, one after another, would have been "a lot different."
Ortega said that if the appellate courts do not reinstate the
conviction, San Mateo County prosecutors will have to make a decision
as to whether to retry Franklin. There is no deadline for the 9th
Circuit Court to rule on the state's appeal.
George Franklin has remained in prison since the decision
overturning his case last April. His bail was set at one million
dollars.
__________________________________
REPRESSED MEMORY CAN'T CONVICT MAN
Plain Dealer, July 15, 1995
John C. Kuehner
After deliberating 18 hours, a Lake County, Ohio jury in a civil
case returned a 6-2 verdict that indicated that they did not think
that Lonnie Miller was guilty of repeatedly sexually molesting and
raping his niece in 1966 and 1967. The plaintiff, Diane L. Janowich,
39, sought $500,000 for damages. Mrs. Janowich had been having
marital problems in 1992 when she met with a marriage counselor who
suggested the pattern of abuse in her first and second marriages might
have stemmed from sexual abuse. She read up on the subject and 15
months later went to another counselor who diagnosed her as having
repressed memory syndrome. Miller's lawyer, Leo Talikka said,
"Hopefully this verdict is one that makes people think about how they
attempt to use repressed memory syndrome as a way to extract money
from people."
_______________________________
CALIFORNIA BILL NO 1355 PASSED:
LIMITS IMMUNITY FOR CHILD PROTECTION WORKERS
On October 16, 1995, Governor Pete Wilson signed Assembly Bill No
1355 which provides that the civil immunity of juvenile court social
workers, child protection workers and other public employees
authorized to initiate or conduct investigations or proceedings
pursuant to the juvenile court law shall not extend to acts of
perjury, fabrication of evidence or obtaining testimony by duress,
fraud or undue influence if any of these acts are committed by malice.
Governor Wilson issued a statement to members of the California
Assembly stating in part, "Several recent cases have graphically
illustrated that some social workers abuse their absolute immunity in
ways that subject children to harm much greater than any that existed
in their homes. AB 1355 seeks to preserve the ability of social
workers to perform their duties to protect children with honest zeal,
but not malice that destroys innocent reputations, and destroys
families." The bill had strong bipartisan support.
**********************************************************************
A STORY OF OUR TIME
Fear and Loathing in Wenatchee, Washington
To date, in Wenatchee, Washington, over 80 adults have been charged
with sexually abusing as many as 50 children. Wenatchee citizens live
in a climate of fear as these numbers continue to mount and they have
recently sought intervention by the governor who, in turn, wrote to
the Justice Department for assistance.
An exacting account of this bizarre tale can be found in an article
by Armin Brott which appeared in the Sacramento Bee, on October 8,
1995, "Who is abusing the children of Wenatchee?" Mr. Brott's article
is summarized below. Articles on the Wenatchee case have also appeared
in The Wall Street Journal by Dorothy Rabinowitz on Sept. 29, Oct. 6
and 13 and in Newsweek on May 8. It is noteworthy that the Wenatchee
case is only now beginning to receive national attention -- one full
year after it began. Interestingly, news of the events in Wenatchee
first appeared on postings to an internet bulletin board by television
news reporter, Tom Grant, who works for KREM in Spokane. Because
Mr. Grant was unable to obtain information or interviews from the
local police, CPS or the prosecutor's office, he turned to the
internet for outside help and information. While not the sole
chronicler of events as they've unfolded in Wenatchee, Mr. Grant is
the only reporter who was initially skeptical of the version of the
story presented in the police reports. In the wake of the Wall Street
Journal articles, however, virtually everyone is skeptical except for
the local Wenatchee newspaper, television stations and a few others,
notably the Portland Oregonian.
According to Mr. Brott in the Sacramento Bee, the problem began when
10-year old Donna Everett was removed from her home at the request of
her foster parent, Robert Devereaux, because of her angry, disobedient
and often violent behavior. She was then placed in the home of
Wenatchee's sole sex crimes investigator, Detective Robert Perez.
In a seemingly unrelated event on July 29, 1994, Robert Devereaux
told another foster child, 15-year old Annie Weishoff, that she could
not have sex with her boyfriend in his house. Weishoff, who suffers
from fetal alcohol syndrome and has an IQ of 60, tried to kill Mr.
Devereaux by poison. Weishoff was arrested and taken to County
Juvenile Center. Four days later, Detective Perez visited Weishoff in
custody and after interrogating her alone for several hours, in
violation of CPS protocol, Weishoff told Detective Perez that her
foster father had been sexually molesting her for years. That day,
Detective Perez arrested Mr. Devereaux and charged him with numerous
counts of sexual abuse. The next day, Weishoff told her juvenile case
worker that she felt bad because, "This police officer was, like,
trying to set Dad up or something. He made me say a whole bunch of
lies." The case worker, Paul Glassen, wrote up a report of that
interview which was passed to Detective Perez. The following day,
Mr. Glassen was arrested for "tampering with a witness" and although
charges were never filed, he was placed on administrative leave and
later fired. Mr. Glassen, his wife and 5-year-old son later fled to
Canada after he learned he too had become a suspect.
A few weeks later, Detective Perez' foster daughter, Donna Everett,
began to tell him how she, her sister and brothers had been sexually
abused by their parents, Idella and Harold Everett. Detective Perez
then arrested the Everetts and after more than four hours of
interrogation, Idella signed a confession agreeing to testify against
her husband. At this point, Pastor Robert Roberson of the Pentecostal
Church of God, who knew the Everetts and their children for years,
spoke out questioning the coercive tactics being used by the police to
obtain confessions and the possible conflict of interest Detective
Perez had, being the foster father of the accuser. Despite Idella
Everett's confession, Pastor Robertson remained suspicious of the
charges against the Everetts in light of the fact Idella is illiterate
and has an IQ of 68.
Meanwhile, Donna Everett's behavior was not improving in the Perez
household. In January, 1995, a report was made by an outside
therapist where it was noted that Detective Perez had warned Donna she
may be removed from his home. Three days after the report, Detective
Perez claimed that Donna made additional allegations that she, her
brothers and sisters and six other children were sexually abused by
what she called "The Circle" and were victims of group sex in the
homes of her parents and several friends. Meanwhile, the case against
foster parent, Robert Devereaux, was unraveling because of a second
interview of Annie Weishoff by Detective Perez. During that
interrogation, Annie denied her previous allegations against Mr.
Devereaux despite threats by Detective Perez.
Two days after Idella Everett's sentencing hearing on January 30,
1995, Donna Everett made a new round of allegations to include more
victims and perpetrators, including CPS caseworker, Paul Glassen.
Detective Perez and two CPS caseworkers drove Donna Everett, now 10,
around town where she pointed out 22 locations where she claimed to
have been abused as part of "The Circle," including her grandparents
home and Pastor Roberson's church. On March 23, Pastor Roberson spoke
out against the police and CPS workers' methods at a VOCAL meeting -
five days later he and his wife were jailed for running weekly orgies
for years and held on $1 million bail.
Mr. Brott further reports that Kathy Lyon, an expert in the field of
child abuse allegations and public defender, after investigating the
alleged Wenatchee sex ring for three months, found that of the 15
adults who confessed, five have IQ's in the 60s or 70s, two have
severe emotional problems, two suffer from physical handicaps and two
more have other serious mental problems. So far, in addition to 16
guilty pleas, they have obtained 11 convictions, two acquittals and
eight dismissals. Ms. Lyon concluded her independent investigation
stating that Detective Perez and CPS workers may have "violated the
civil rights of children, families, and of adults, vulnerable because
of poverty, mental retardation, mental, emotional and physical
limitations...The reliability of all statements thus achieved might
have been seriously compromised." Other critics of Detective Perez'
interviewing techniques point to his strong arm tactics against the
alleged victims, his failure to video or audio-tape interviews and the
fact that he rarely takes notes during interviews but admits that when
he does, he destroys them after writing his reports.
Mr. Brott reports that although the Prosecuting Attorney, Garry
Riesen, concedes many inconsistencies in the accusing minors'
statements, recant of confessions by adults and no physical evidence
to support the allegations, he finds nothing wrong with Detective
Perez' conduct, stating that with all the convictions obtained, if he
weren't going by the book, the court would have said something.
Likewise, Detective Perez is supported by the local mayor and police
chief.
Several years ago, Carol Hopkins, the San Diego Grand Jury Foreman,
made the initial recommendation to the Board of Supervisors to seek
legislative changes in immunity provisions governing social workers
and others involved in the child abuse system. This resulted in the
recent passage of California AB 1355, which states that civil immunity
shall not extend to acts of perjury, fabrication of evidence or
obtaining testimony by duress, fraud or undue influence if any of
these acts are committed by malice. Ms. Hopkins believes federal
intervention is necessary in Wenatchee and calls upon congress to
begin hearings aimed at ending the prosecution of cases which are
"created out of whole cloth." As Ms. Hopkins points out, with the
enormous expense to taxpayers in cases such as McMartin, the costliest
trial in American history, Congress is urged to review and revise the
current system of training social workers, law enforcement officials,
therapists and others before "we stop believing true allegations of
molestation."
Readers may wonder as they read about Wenatchee whether they're
reading an updated version of Arthur Miller's The Crucible. With the
overturn of so many day-care cases in the past few months, it is
distressing to learn what is happening in Wenatchee.
The Wenatchee story is not ended and this summary is incomplete. We
will continue to watch as facts of this complicated and bewildering
case emerge. Thanks to Mr. Brott for his comprehensive report in the
Sacramento Bee.
**********************************************************************
SALEM AND WENATCHEE: SOME COMPARISONS
Martha Churchill, Esq.
Betty Parris, 9, and her cousin, Abigail Williams, 11, lived in
Salem in 1692.
Donna Everett was 9 in 1994 as the Wenatchee child sex abuse
prosecutions got into full swing.
-----
Betty and Abigail lived in Betty's home with her father, Reverend
Samuel Parris.
Donna Everett lives in the home of her foster-father, Detective Bob
Perez
-----
Rev. Parris specialized in divine matters, including the ability to
detect witchcraft.
Det. Perez specialized in criminal matters, including the ability to
detect child sex abuse
-----
Rev. Parris and his cohorts in the church set off a panic as the
townspeople ferreted out witches in their midst. Over 140 were
arrested. 19 men and women were hanged. One man was tortured to death
by heavy weights.
Det. Perez and his cohorts at CPS are setting off a panic as the
townspeople ferret out child molesters in their midst. Over 120 people
have been named as child abusers in police reports; about 45 have been
arrested, and at least 12 sent to prison so far, some for 20-year
terms or more.
-----
Rev. Parris enjoyed a measure of prestige and power in Salem as a
result of his "expertise" in matters of witchcraft.
Det. Perez enjoys a measure of prestige and power in Wenatchee as a
result of his "expertise" in matters of child sex abuse.
-----
One of those arrested in Salem was Dorcas Good, a four-year old
girl, who spent nine months at Boston Prison in heavy shackles.
Some of the children in Wenatchee have been wrenched from their
homes and locked in a mental hospital in Idaho.
______________________SIDEBAR_______________________
/ \
| The only thing necessary for the triumph |
| of evil is for good men to do nothing. |
| Edmund Burke |
\____________________________________________________/
**********************************************************************
MAKE A DIFFERENCE
This is a column that will let you know what people are doing to
counteract the harm done by FMS. Remember that three and a half years
ago, FMSF didn't exist. A group of 50 or so people found each other
and today more than 17,000 have reported similar experiences. Together
we have made a difference. How did this happen?
BRITISH COLUMBIA - It occurred to me that it might be a good idea to
have the local library and educational libraries in our own area carry
a copy of each FMSF newsletter. In a discussion with one of our
members who is also a librarian, she suggested that the party making
the request of the local library should be a tax paying member of said
community. The benefits of doing this are clear. You get to know your
librarian better and you get educational information into the library
and available to the public.
FLORIDA - Because so many families visit Florida during the winter
months, Florida FMS families want to extend an invitation to all
people affected by FMS to attend their meeting on January 20 in
Orlando. Contact Madeline at 305-966-4FMS for information.
We wrote a letter to the Editor of the St. Petersburg Times. It was
published. We mention this in hopes of encouraging others to respond
to their local newspaper, TV, or radio whenever an item (either
positive or negative) appears in the press. Responses are easy to
write: they should always be on target!
INDIANA - I received a copy of the revised F.A.Q. booklet last week
and I love it! It is concise and very educational as to what FMSF is
all about. I feel that all family and friends who have been affected
by FMS should have a copy. We are going to have them available at all
our meetings. Prices are: 1-4 booklets are $1.00 each; 5-9 booklets
are $.90 each; 10-19 booklets are $.80 each; 20-49 booklets are $.65
each; 50-100 booklets are $.60 each.
MAINE - I wrote to my local paper to see if they would include a
listing of our FMS Support Group. Instead they printed a short
article!
MASS - The New England Library Committee took some money that was left
over from a party, bought copies of FMS related books and gave them to
15 members who wanted to read them. Then they donated them to their
local library.
MINN - Recently I was visiting my college Alma Mater and went into the
bookstore. I found the "Courage to Heal." It was the only book on our
issue. I asked the president to either withdraw the book to place
Victims of Memory next to it. I sent him FMSF brochures, Frederick
Crews article from the NY Review of books and the stories by the
retractors in the September FMSF newsletter. That did it! Mark's book
is now in the bookstore.
ONTARIO - Many local Mental Health Associations have a Community Needs
program. You can call and inform them of the FMS problem and follow
up with some written information. So often only people working
directly with this problem are aware of the damage. Try and make all
groups who make up the Mental Health Association informed. A general
statement concerning liaison with other bodies and encouragement of
professional standards could open the door to controlling or
eliminating questionable therapies. It could also promote awareness of
dangerous experimental practices and encourage their members to take a
positive position with respect to protection of the public interest.
PENNSYLVANIA -
____________________________SIDEBAR_____________________________
/ \
| NOTICE |
| 1995 Tax Year-end Coming |
| |
| Time to get your paperwork into your company personnel |
| department for processing of your donation and the company's |
| |
| ANNUAL MATCHING GIFT |
| |
| Many firms have a 2:1 or a 3:1 Matching Gift Allowance |
| Please do it now! |
| FMSF needs your help to continue its work |
| Thank you |
\________________________________________________________________/
VERMONT - The Executive Director and her assistant of all the
Licensing Boards in Vermont was the speaker at our recent meeting.
They explained the procedures for filing complaints. Families in
Vermont would like to connect with others whose families have been
affected by poor counselors in the State of Vermont. Please contact
Judith, at 802-229-5154 or Elaine, 518-399-5749.
You can make a difference. Please send me any ideas that you have had
that were or might be successful so that we can tell others. Write to
Katie Spanuello c/o FMSF.
**********************************************************************
RETRACTOR NEWSLETTER UPDATE
The fall issue of "Building Bridges" is now available. To receive your
complimentary copy and subscription information write:
Diana Anderson
Building Bridges
PO Box 17864
Tucson, AZ 85731-7864
______________________________SIDEBAR_______________________________
/ \
| FREE LIBRARY DISPLAYS are now available through SIRS Publishers. |
| Call 1-800-232-7477. This is an attractive and positive way to |
| inform people about the many new books that are now available |
| about false memories and the devastating effects this is having on |
| families. |
\____________________________________________________________________/
**********************************************************************
FROM OUR READERS
________________
What Do You say?
What do you say on Thanksgiving, to a couple who have just entered
the "accused-of-incest" crowd. What I've always said -- on any day --
is that the worst has already happened. It can only get better.
So far, no one has said that was wrong: not those who were then
accused by others; not even those who were later sued or formally
charged. That first accusation -- nothing will ever again be as
terrible.
There's a strength that all have noticed at meetings of FMSF
parents. It's the strength, I dare say, of those who have discovered
their ability to live through the unimaginable and who find themselves
now immune to almost anything.
So tell that couple that they have a lot to be thankful for. They
have already been though the worst. They survived. Best of all: they
never need worry about becoming the usual insufferable Survivor. Those
who have been accused by their own children of incest have been
immunized forever against all sorts of things.
Tell the new couple "Welcome."
A Dad
________________________
Sympathies On Both Sides
I am a Doctoral student working in the area of Educational
Psychology and have a strong interest in memory , particularly the
inaccuracy of memory. My dissertation is on false memories and the
role therapists play in adding to and/or creating this phenomenon. My
sympathies lie on both sides of the table. I feel for those victims
who have suffered abuse at the hands of loved ones, however I also
feel for those who have been falsely accused. I believe that in our
current political climate there could be an increase in cases of false
accusations and as such it is the responsibility of researchers to
clearly understand the workings of memory and the practice of suspect
therapies, such as some techniques employed by the memory recovery
movement. I therefore feel very compelled to conduct research in this
area.
A Student
__________
Discussion
"To claim I have been unwilling or unable to discuss this issue with
my parents is a departure from the truth. All attempts have met with
Dad's vehement denial..."
Accusing daughter
____________
Ironic Twist
I think you should know that my daughter was with my mom when she
passed away. She made her peace with her grandmother and at the end
was a real joy to my mom - probably more than any other grandchild.
And she was wonderful to me. She really helped me get through the
roughest moments. I'm so thankful that she reconciled with all of us
before my mother's death. It would have been a terrible burden for her
to carry if she had not. It's an ironic twist of fate, but of the six
grandchildren, she was the only one there when my mom passed away.
A Mom
_________
I'm Sorry
Dear Pop,
I am sorry. I have written to you because I must ask for your
forgiveness. When I first accused you of molesting me I was thrown
into a turmoil so deep I didn't know what I was doing or why. But I
have had time now to reflect on my thoughts and actions.
Right after I brought the lie into the open I began to doubt its
truth; but I couldn't believe that I would do such a thing. I couldn't
believe I was capable of making up such a lie, believing it, and then
taking it to the lengths that I did. But the fact is that I made it up
and used it to alter my life. The pain I have caused you and all my
loved ones is on my conscience. Now I would rather be alone and
possibly despised than continue living a lie.
I am so sorry. I didn't understand the pain, distrust and confusion
the lie would cause. And when I did, I was so scared and guilty I
tried to hide from it. But no matter how many times I told myself I
was sorry, I could not be forgiven until I took full responsibility
for my horrible mistake. I ask you for forgiveness first. If you
cannot forgive me, I will understand. But I hope one day I will be
forgiven. I will try never to make such a terrible mistake again. I
have learned that my actions are solely my responsibility, just as it
is my responsibility to choose between right and wrong.
Maybe I lost it for a while; but I have learned from this mistake.
The power of self-manipulation once seemed vague and uncontrollable.
Now I have lost so much from letting myself fall. I can see just how
powerfully I can affect my life. So many times I have wished I could
just go back and erase it all.
But I can't go back. I can only go forward. I can only try to fix
the damage I have done. I am sorry. I love you and miss you. Whenever
I think of the words I spoke with such righteous anger, I cringe. I am
filled with shame.
I am sorry I accused you of such a terrible thing. I really never
wanted to hurt you. I never thought the whole thing out. I wanted to
hurt myself.
As the reverberations of my cry echo into the silence, and then die,
I realize that I alone created my own hell. I dug myself a grave and
dove right in. And when I wanted out, I found I had lost the courage
to do the right thing. I had lost all faith in myself. I was terrified
to face what I had done.
I know I have deeply hurt every single person who I care about. I am
afraid. My spirit is heavy. I ask you for forgiveness so that I may
go on with my life. I need to let this terrible weight go. My life is
turning gray. I cannot carry this weight any longer.
I know that many people, maybe including you, will not understand
and will despise me or leave me. But at least the truth will be
known. There is no beauty in a world of falseness. There is no freedom
in a cage of lies.
I took a wrong turn, a major wrong turn in my life. I have been lost
and afraid but I have found my way back.
I am sorry, again, from my heart, I am sorry.
Your daughter "K"
______________________________SIDEBAR_______________________________
/ \
| I ask you for forgiveness so that I can go on with my life. |
| A Daughter |
\____________________________________________________________________/
_____________________________________________________________
Professional help is needed for FMS victims, but hard to find
In September 1993, shortly after a close family vacation with our
daughter "Nancy"(age 31) and her husband and "Sandy" (age 30) and her
boyfriend, Nancy read the Courage to Heal. After reading it a second
time, she joined a feminist therapy group in a distant state and
stopped talking to her father on the telephone -- something they had
done almost daily. Within a month, Nancy conveyed her accusations by
telephone to me. Her father, she said, had raped her repeatedly from
the ages of two years to twenty-seven years of age. Not too long
after, Sandy who had vigorously denied that any molestation had taken
place in the family, also stopped talking to her father.
We were aghast at these fantasies and began a series of
consultations with psychologists, psychiatrists and social worker --
anyone who might help us understand how our daughter had been so sadly
misled and how she might be reconciled with us. We consulted 12
different therapists. While all twelve who were interviewed expressed
skepticism as to the particular accusations, they could offer no
advice except patience. Both daughters kept talking to me, but neither
would communicate with their father or visit the home in which they
had grown up.
Finally, we interviewed therapist number 13, Dr. "C," a highly
recommended psychiatrist in a large city where Sandy is a
professional. Even at the first telephone conversation, he offered
his sympathy at the "family tragedy." For the first appointment he
wanted to meet with all available family members. We kept the
appointment and reluctantly, Sandy appeared halfway through this first
session -- a painful confrontation. After several sessions, this
doctor, too, offered his doubt that any molestation had
occurred. Since then he has seen both Sandy and us several times, the
result of which is that Sandy has resumed partial relations with her
father, by phone and in public restaurants but she still will not come
home.
When Nancy visited Sandy at Christmas 1994, Nancy also had several
meetings with Dr. "C" and finally agreed to let him contact all the
therapists she had previously consulted. His goal all along was to
bring all four family members together in his office for
reconciliations. He is presently preparing a full report of his
findings, including his own observations together with reports he has
had from Nancy's therapists (most of whom have expressed to him some
doubts about her accusations). He hopes that this report will bring
the family closer to his goal.
Meantime, Nancy, in consultation with a new social worker who
vigorously supports her accusations, has now also cut off
communication with me. She had unsuccessfully sought "validation" from
me all along. We are hopeful that a reconciliation will someday
happen, and we are very thankful for the professional help Dr. "C" has
given us. We hope that other families will not have to contact 12
professionals before they find one willing to actively help them reach
their child.
A Mother
________________________________________
To Our Daughter's Therapist: Blood Money
More than 35 years ago we brought a little baby girl into this
world. She was our pride and joy. We fed and clothed and loved her
and watched her grow into a lovely young lady. We were proud of
her. She was intelligent and caring. She was taught how to be a
Christian. to love people, not to lie or cheat or steal or even say
things that would hurt others. When she married a wonderful young man
and gave us a grandchild, we thought we must be the most blessed
parents in the world. Then she met you. In such a short time, how
could you turn her into a person we can hardly recognize? She is no
longer present at our family gatherings. Her child has lost
grandparents. We are all losers. Did you profit? Do you spend the
money our daughter pays you for food and toys for your own children?
Doesn't that bother you? In the truest sense of the word that is blood
money because you have taken a life from us as surely as if you had
murdered her.
We do not seek vengeance, but we do hope that you will look in the
mirror and ask yourself if what you did was right.
Parents without a child
__________________________________________________________
Cost To One Family Of Defending A Recovered Memory Lawsuit
Involving Satanic Accusations
Our costs for defending a civil suit were minimal because of the
attorney we were lucky enough to get and because the case did not go
to trial. Only one of our daughters was partially deposed before they
agreed to dismiss the case, and our attorneys had not even started
getting depositions from many others such as friends, doctors, and
teachers. Another person with whom I have spoken told me that it cost
him $180,000 to defend a case with similar charges.
We hired a criminal defense attorney in April 1992 and paid him a
total of $19,000 for everything he did. He identified the insurance
companies that insured us during the years of the alleged abuse. Two
of the three firms agreed to join in our defense. Our personal
attorney was then joined by two attorneys paid for by the insurance
companies.
I do not have access to the amount of money the insurance companies
paid to the two attorneys but our lawyer said that it was in excess of
$60,000. He estimated that if the case had gone to trial it would have
cost approximately $172,000 in addition to the money we had already
paid. He estimated that the depositions and trial preparation would
take 135 attorney days at a rate of $1,000 per day and that the trial
itself would take 42 attorney days.
I have no information about the costs to our children. I assume that
their attorney took the case on contingency basis at first. She had
offered to settle out of court for $350,000. The insurance attorneys
had the power to settle without our agreement but they chose not to do
so.
I have no information about the costs to the court system. I am sure
that there are ways to determine those costs.
___________________________________
Please Don't Take My Children Away!
In the closing scene of the movie "Mrs. Doubtfire," Robbin Williams
pleads with the judge not to take his children away from him. Parents
across the country make the same plea to psychotherapists. Please
print this as my message
"In regards to my behavior, I can only plead insanity; because ever
since my children were born, the moment I looked at them, I was crazy
about them. Once I held them, I was hooked. I'm addicted to my
children Sir. I love them with all my heart. The idea of someone
telling me I can't be with them, that I can't see them every day; they
might as well be saying to me I can't have air... We have a history.
They mean everything to me. They need me as much as I need them. So
please, don't take my kids away from me. Thank you."
_______________________
Right To A Fair Hearing
Families flounder in dealing with a daughter who "remembers" incest
that is imaginary. Hiding behind her patient's "memory" the therapist
feels no need to consider the rights of the family to a fair hearing.
There is no legal mechanism for obtaining such a fair hearing. The
disregard so many professionals seem to have for the rights of
families must be exposed.
A Dad
_________
Thank You
Dear Friends at the FMS Foundation,
It's been five years since my daughter, now 21, left home and my
marriage was shattered. Your monthly newsletter has given me a great
amount of strength and comfort, knowing how many of us are out there,
how much work the Foundation is doing, and that now the retractors are
coming home. It's much better now. Thank you for helping me through
the hardest years. My prayers are with all the families for their
daughters and sons.
A Dad
__________________________________________________
If A Child Dies, Friends Give Flowers And Sympathy
There still has not been any word from our daughter. When we see our
25-year-old granddaughter, she does not mention her mother any more,
and since she told me "It hurts too much to talk about," I haven't
mentioned it. We don't ever expect to get back together with our
daughter, but how I wish I knew how she is -- both physically, but
most of all mentally. If I were rich I'd hire a P.I. to find out, as
they do on T.V., but since I am not, I just have to wonder. After
all, as my mother used to say, "We carried them next to our heart for
nine months" -- a mother cannot put it out of her mind. My husband
does not want to be upset about it any more and he doesn't think he
wants her back in his life to disrupt everything again.
I have all sorts of loving mementos of her -- letters and crafts --
and I am just trying to think of the daughter I knew who was a loving
daughter. I do not know the hateful person that now occupies her
body. There was no memorial service, no friends to offer sympathy and
flowers, only silence and a deep hurt that will not go away.
I cannot thank FMSF enough for the help that it has given. Now at 75
both my husband and I are having health problems. But we will do what
we can to help stop this terrible therapy.
A Mom
**********************************************************************
SOME POSTSCRIPTS FROM THE EDITOR
* The next issue of the FMSF Newsletter will be January 1996.
* We give our deepest thanks to all of the wonderful people who make
this newsletter possible. We thank the members of the FMSF staff who
write and edit. We thank the professionals who make the time to send
us their outstanding articles. We thank our printer whose patience we
would like to clone. And especially, we thank all the families for
sharing your heartfelt and honest feelings.
* Terrible things happen in life. Families tell us FMS is the worst.
It may be. But for those of you reading this newsletter in the comfort
of your own home during the holiday season, don't forget those who
have been hit the hardest by this craze and who remain incarcerated.
We do not know the truth or falsity or their stories, but we can read
the accounts of their prosecutions and say that the appearance of
justice was denied. These cases deserve to be reexamined.
* We wish each of you the best for this holiday season. We rejoice for
those families who have begun to reconcile. For those whose families
have not yet started to reunite, unfortunately still most families, we
don't really know what to say except that we will have to continue to
"tough it out." Giving to others often helps. There are many children
who do not have the benefits and privileges with which most of our
children grew up. Finding ways to improve and enrich the lives of
children is a way in which we might honor the love we still have for
our own.
**********************************************************************
NOVEMBER 1995
FMSF Meetings
FAMILIES, RETRACTORS & PROFESSIONALS WORKING TOGETHER
key: (MO) = monthly; (bi-MO) = bi-monthly
(*)=see State Meetings list
CALL PERSONS LISTED FOR INFO & REGISTRATION
___________________________
S T A T E M E E T I N G S
VIRGINIA, WEST VIRGINIA, DELAWARE, MARYLAND, AND D.C.
Saturday, November 4, 1995 all day
Comfort Inn, Fairfax, VA
Sue 703-273-2343
MINNESOTA
Saturday, November 4, 9:00 am-2:30 pm
Ft. Snelling Officers Club, St. Paul
Terry & Colette 507-642-3630
Dan & Joan 612-631-2247
MICHIGAN
Monday, November 6, 7:30 pm
Fair Haven Ministries, Hudsonville
Catherine 616-363-1354
ARIZONA
Saturday, November 11, 9:30 am-3 pm
* Nat'l & State legislature updates
Barbara 602-924-0975
CONNECTICUT, NEW YORK, MASSACHUSETTS
Sunday, November 12
speaker: Pam Freyd, Ph.D.
Paul 203-458-9173, Ron 508-250-9756,
Barbara 914-761-3627, Elaine 518-399-5749
FLORIDA
Saturday, January 20, 1996 10am-6pm
speaker: Dr. Paul Simpson
Radisson Barcello Hotel-Orlando
Madeline 305-966-4FMS
INDIANA
Sunday, January 28, 1996 1pm
Indianapolis, Logansport, Ft. Wayne
Nickie 317-471-0922 (phone) 334-9839 (fax)
or Pat 219- 482-2847
_________________________
U N I T E D S T A T E S
ARIZONA - (bi-MO) (*)
Barbara (602) 924-0975 fax- 854-0404
ARKANSAS - Little Rock
Al & Lela (501) 363-4368
CALIFORNIA
Northern California
San Francisco & Bay Area (bi-MO)
East Bay Area
Judy (510) 254-2605
San Francisco & North Bay
Gideon (415) 389-0254
Charles (415) 984-6626 (day); 435-9618 (eve)
South Bay Area Last Saturday, (bi-MO)
Jack & Pat (408) 425-1430
Central Coast
Carole (805) 967-8058
Southern California
Burbank 4th Saturday (MO)10:00 am
Jane & Mark (805) 947-4376
Central Orange County
Chris & Alan (714) 733-2925
1st Friday (MO) - 7:00 pm
Orange County
Jerry & Eileen (714) 494-9704
3rd Sunday (MO) - 6:00 pm
Covina Group -1st Monday, (MO) 7:30 pm
Floyd & Libby (818) 330-2321
COLORADO - Denver
Ruth (303) 757-3622
4th Saturday, (MO)1:00 pm
CONNECTICUT - New Haven/Area code 203
Earl 329-8365 or Paul 458-9173 (*)
FLORIDA
Dade-Broward Area (*)
Madeline (305) 966-4FMS
Boca/Delray
Esther (407) 364-8290
2nd & 4th Thursday(MO) 1:00 pm
Tampa Bay Area
Bob & Janet (813) 856-7091
ILLINOIS
Chicago metro area (South of the Eisenhower)
Roger (708) 366-3717
2nd Sunday [MO] 2:00 pm
INDIANA - Indiana Friends of FMS (*)
Nickie (317) 471-0922 (phone) 334-9839 (fax)
or Pat (219) 482-2847
IOWA - Des Moines
Betty & Gayle (515) 270-6976
2nd Saturday (MO) 11:30 am Lunch
KANSAS - Kansas City
Leslie (913) 235-0602
Pat (913) 738-4840 or Jan (816) 931-1340
KENTUCKY
Lexington - Dixie (606) 356-9309
Louisville - Bob (502) 957-2378
Last Sunday (MO) 2:00 pm
LOUISIANA
Francine (318) 457-2022
NEVADA -Las Vegas Area
Dani (702) 243-9450
MAINE - Area code 207
Bangor - Irvine & Arlene 942-8473
Freeport - Wally 865-4044
3rd Sunday (MO)
MARYLAND - Ellicot City area
Margie (410) 750-8694 (*)
MASSACHUSETTS / NEW ENGLAND
Chelmsford -Ron (508) 250-9756 (*)
MICHIGAN - Grand Rapids Area - Jenison
Catharine (616) 363-1354
1st Monday (MO) (*)
MINNESOTA (*)
Terry & Collette (507) 642-3630
Dan & Joan (612) 631-2247
MISSOURI
Kansas City
Pat (913) 738-4840 or Jan (816) 931-1340
2nd Sunday (MO)
St. Louis area
Karen (314) 432-8789 or Mae (314) 837-1976
3rd Sunday (MO)
Retractors support group also meets
Springfield - Area Codes 417 and 501
Dorothy & Pete (417) 882-1821
Howard (417) 865-6097
4th Sunday [MO] 5:30 pm
NEW JERSEY (So.) See Wayne, PA
NEW YORK (*)
Downstate NY - Westchester, Rockland & others
Barbara (914) 761-3627 -call for bi-MO mtg info
Upstate / Albany area
Elaine (518) 399-5749 (bi-MO)
Western/Rochester Area
George & Eileen (716) 586-79429 (bi-MO)
OKLAHOMA - Oklahoma City/Area code 405
Len 364-4063 Dee 942-0531
HJ 755-3816 Rosemary 439-2459
PENNSYLVANIA
Harrisburg area
Paul & Betty (717) 691-7660
Pittsburgh
Rick & Renee (412) 563-5616
Wayne (includes S. Jersey)
Jim & JoAnn (610) 783-0396
Nov. 11 & Dec. 9- No meetings Jan. or Feb.
TENNESSEE - Middle Tennessee
Kate (615) 665-1160
1st Wednesday (MO) 1:00 pm
TEXAS
Central Texas
Nancy & Jim (512) 478-8395
Houston
Jo or Beverly (713) 464-8970
VERMONT -(bi-MO)
Judith (802) 229-5154
WISCONSIN
Katie & Leo (414) 476-0285
_________________________
I N T E R N A T I O N A L
BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA
Vancouver & Mainland
Ruth (604) 925-1539
Last Saturday (MO) 1:00-4:00 pm
Victoria & Vancouver Island
John (604) 721-3219
3rd Tuesday (MO) 7:30 pm
MANITOBA, CANADA - Winnipeg
Muriel (204) 261-0212
ONTARIO, CANADA
London 2nd Sunday: (bi-MO)
Adrian (519) 471-6338
Ottawa
Eileen (613) 836-3294
Toronto - North York
Pat (416) 444-9078
QUEBEC, CANADA - Montreal
Alain (514) 335-0863
AUSTRALIA
Mrs. Irene Curtis, PO Box 630, Sunbury, Victoria 3419
Telephone (03) 9740 6930
NETHERLANDS
Task Force False Memory Syndrome of
"Ouders voor Kinderen"
Mrs. Anna de Jong, +31-20-693 5692
NEW ZEALAND
Mrs. Colleen Waugh, (09) 416-7443
UNITED KINGDOM
The British False Memory Society
Roger Scotford, +44-1225 868-682
Deadline for JAN. 1996 Issue:
Friday,December 15
Mark Fax or envelope "Attn: Meeting Notice"
& send 2 months before scheduled meeting.
YOU MUST BE A STATE CONTACT OR GROUP LEADER TO POST A MEETING NOTICE
IN THIS NEWSLETTER. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN BECOMING A CONTACT,
WRITE: VALERIE FLING, STATE CONTACT COORDINATOR, FMSF
______________________________SIDEBAR_______________________________
/ \
| Do you have access to e-mail? Send a message to |
| pjf@cis.upenn.edu |
| if you wish to receive electronic versions of this newsletter and |
| notices of radio and television broadcasts about FMS. All the |
| message need say is "add to the FMS-News". You'll also learn about |
| joining the FMS-Research list (it distributes reseach materials |
| such as news stories, court decisions and research articles). It |
| would be useful, but not necessary, if you add your full name (all |
| addresses and names will remain strictly confidential). |
\____________________________________________________________________/
**********************************************************************
The False Memory Syndrome Foundation is a qualified 501(c)3 corpora-
tion with its principal offices in Philadelphia and governed by its
Board of Directors. While it encourages participation by its members
in its activities, it must be understood that the Foundation has no
affiliates and that no other organization or person is authorized to
speak for the Foundation without the prior written approval of the Ex-
ecutive Director. All membership dues and contributions to the Founda-
tion must be forwarded to the Foundation for its disposition.
**********************************************************************
WHAT IF?
WHAT IF, parents who are facing lawsuits and want legal information
about FMS cases, had to be told, "I'm sorry, there isn't any such
thing available?"
WHAT IF, your son or daughter began to doubt his or her memories and
called FMSF only to get a recording, "This number is no longer in
operation?"
WHAT IF, a journalist asks you where to get information about the
FMS phenomenon, and you had to answer, "Sorry, I don't know?"
WHAT IF, you want to ask a question that only an expert, familiar
with FMS can answer, and find out that FMSF can no longer provide that
information? Where would you turn?
WHAT IF the False Memory Syndrome Foundation did not exist? A
frightening thought, isn't it?
Please support our Foundation. We cannot survive without your
support!
Reprinted from the August 1994 PFA (MI) Newsletter
**********************************************************************
YEARLY FMSF MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION
Professional - Includes Newsletter $125______
Family - Includes Newsletter $100______
Additional Contribution: _____________
__Visa: Card # & expiration date:____________________
__Mastercard:: Card # & expiration date:______________
__Check or Money Order: Payable to FMS Foundation in U.S. dollars
Please include: Name, address, state, country, phone, fax
**********************************************************************
3401 Market Street suite 130, Philadelphia, PA 19104, (215-387-1865)
This address and the phone numbers have changed as of July 15, 2000
Pamela Freyd, Ph.D., Executive Director
FMSF Scientific and Professional Advisory Board, November 1, 1995:
AARON T. BECK, M.D., D.M.S., University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia,
PA; TERENCE W. CAMPBELL, Ph.D., Clinical and Forensic Psychology,
Sterling Heights, MI; ROSALIND CARTWRIGHT, Rush Presbyterian St. Lukes
Medical Center, Chicago, IL; JEAN CHAPMAN, Ph.D., University of
Wisconsin, Madison, WI; LOREN CHAPMAN, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin,
Madison, WI; FREDERICK C. CREWS, Ph.D., University of California,
Berkeley, CA; ROBYN M. DAWES, Ph.D., Carnegie Mellon University,
Pittsburgh, PA; DAVID F. DINGES, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania,
The Institute of Pennsylvania Hospital, Philadelphia, PA; HENRY C.
ELLIS, Ph.D., University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM; FRED FRANKEL,
M.B.Ch.B., D.P.M., Beth Israel Hospital, Harvard Medical School,
Boston, MA; GEORGE K. GANAWAY, M.D., Emory University of Medicine,
Atlanta, GA; MARTIN GARDNER, Author, Hendersonville, NC; ROCHEL
GELMAN, Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles, CA; HENRY
GLEITMAN, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA; LILA
GLEITMAN, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA; RICHARD
GREEN, M.D., J.D., Charing Cross Hospital, London; DAVID A. HALPERIN,
M.D., Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY; ERNEST HILGARD,
Ph.D., Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA; JOHN HOCHMAN, M.D., UCLA
Medical School, Los Angeles, CA; DAVID S. HOLMES, Ph.D., University
of Kansas, Lawrence, KS; PHILIP S. HOLZMAN, Ph.D., Harvard
University, Cambridge, MA; JOHN KIHLSTROM, Ph.D., Yale University, New
Haven, CT; HAROLD LIEF, M.D., University of Pennsylvania,
Philadelphia, PA; ELIZABETH LOFTUS, Ph.D., University of Washington,
Seattle, WA; PAUL McHUGH, M.D., Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore,
MD; HAROLD MERSKEY, D.M., University of Western Ontario, London,
Canada; ULRIC NEISSER, Ph.D., Emory University, Atlanta, GA; RICHARD
OFSHE, Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley, CA; EMILY K ORNE,
B.A., University of Pennsyllvania, The Institute of Pennsylvania
Hospital, Philadelphia, PA; MARTIN ORNE, M.D., Ph.D., University of
Pennsylvania, The Institute of Pennsylvania Hospital, Philadelphia,
PA; LOREN PANKRATZ, Ph.D., Oregon Health Sciences University,
Portland, OR; CAMPBELL PERRY, Ph.D., Concordia University, Montreal,
Canada; MICHAEL A. PERSINGER, Ph.D., Laurentian University, Ontario,
Canada; AUGUST T. PIPER, Jr., M.D., Seattle, WA; HARRISON POPE, Jr.,
M.D., Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA; JAMES RANDI, Author and
Magician, Plantation, FL; HENRY L. ROEDIGER, III, Ph.D. ,Rice
University, Houston, TX; CAROLYN SAARI, Ph.D., Loyola University,
Chicago, IL; THEODORE SARBIN, Ph.D., University of California, Santa
Cruz, CA; THOMAS A. SEBEOK, Ph.D., Indiana Univeristy, Bloomington,
IN; LOUISE SHOEMAKER, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia,
PA; MARGARET SINGER, Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley, CA;
RALPH SLOVENKO, J.D., Ph.D., Wayne State University Law School,
Detroit, MI; DONALD SPENCE, Ph.D., Robert Wood Johnson Medical Center,
Piscataway, NJ; JEFFREY VICTOR, Ph.D., Jamestown Community College,
Jamestown, NY; HOLLIDA WAKEFIELD, M.A., Institute of Psychological
Therapies, Northfield, MN; LOUIS JOLYON WEST, M.D., UCLA School of
Medicine, Los Angeles, CA.