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F M S F O U N D A T I O N N E W S L E T T E R (e-mail edition)
May/June 2004, Vol. 13 No. 3
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ISSN #1069-0484. Copyright (c) 2004 by the FMS Foundation
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The FMSF Newsletter is published 6 times a year by the
False Memory Syndrome Foundation. The newsletter is
mailed to anyone who contributes at least $30.00. Also
available at no cost on www.FMSFonline.org
1955 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103-5766
Phone 215-940-1040, Fax 215-940-1042
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IN THIS ISSUE:
Mak
Legal Corner
Barden The next issue will be
Shinn July/August
Pendergrast
From Our Readers
Bulletin Board
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Dear Friends,
When the FMS Foundation was founded in 1992, we were confident that
the positions the Foundation espoused were those of the scientific
mainstream. Unfortunately, the prevailing cultural climate supported
extreme hostility to the FMSF. In retrospect, it is seems ludicrous
that so many professionals were afraid to support the FMSF publicly
and that recovered-memory proponents claimed that the FMSF was
anti-establishment. This is what we said in 1992:
"Some memories are true, some are a mixture of fact and fiction, and
some are false, whether those memories are continuous or remembered
after a time of being forgotten."
Time has proved us correct. Month after month we have reported on
scholarly works and events that provided additional scientific
evidence about memory and the dangers of therapies that focus on
excavating "buried memories." The evidence keeps coming.
In that regard, we are extremely pleased that Elizabeth Loftus has
been elected to the National Academy of Sciences, one of the highest
honors that can be given to an U.S. scientist. Loftus is a highly
visible proponent of positions held by the Foundation and, obviously,
highly respected. The FMSF Scientific and Professional Advisory Board
now lists a total of seven members of the NAS and IOM (Institute of
Medicine): Aaron T. Beck, Lila Gleitman, Ernest Hilgard, Philip S.
Holzman, Elizabeth Loftus, Paul McHugh and Ulric Neisser
(www.nationalacademies.org). All but one of these distinguished
scientists were on the founding FMSF Advisory Board of just 15
members.
This month, the United States Supreme Court issued a unanimous
decision eliminating the use of hearsay evidence, a practice that has
plagued sex abuse trials. (See p. 6) Justice Antonin Scalia, who wrote
the opinion, stated:
"Dispensing with confrontation because testimony is obviously
reliable is akin to dispensing with jury trial because a defendant
is obviously guilty."
In the research realm, Stephen Lindsay and colleagues hypothesized
that "if a person believes that certain kinds of events occurred in
his or her childhood, and is motivated to recall such events,
childhood photos constitute a source of detailed and vivid perceptual
images that may be combined with products of imagination to yield
compelling pseudomemories." The effect of photos and false memories in
their study was a dramatic 67 percent. (See p. 2) The state of New
Hampshire has passed an informed consent bill with the following
language (See p. 6)
"Clients have the right to documented informed consent: To be fully
informed of the risks and benefits of alternative treatments and the
risks and benefits of no treatment. When obtaining informed consent
for treatment for which safety and effectiveness have not been
established, therapists inform their clients of this and of the
voluntary nature of their participation."
This month, more recovered memory therapists have been held
accountable for their actions. Attorney Michael Shinn describes a
truly bizarre case on page 8.
There is good news from Massachusetts. Gerald Amirault should finally
be released from jail on April 30. After keeping him incarcerated as
long as she could without revealing the fundamental weaknesses of the
State's case, the district attorney said: "The Commonwealth does not
believe that it could garner evidence to meet its burden of proof
required under the statute that Mr. Amirault would likely reoffend."
Of course, there will continue to be setbacks, but much has been
accomplished. Thank you to all of the courageous families and
professionals whose willingness to be public helped accomplish so many
changes.
PAMELA
+------------------------------------------------------+
| SPECIAL THANKS |
| |
| We extend a very special `Thank you' to all of |
| the people who help prepare the FMSF Newsletter. |
| |
| EDITORIAL SUPPORT: Janet Fetkewicz, Howard |
| Fishman, Peter Freyd |
| COLUMNISTS: Members of the FMSF Scientific advisory |
| Board and Members who wish to remain anonymous |
| LETTERS and INFORMATION: Our Readers |
+------------------------------------------------------+
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Picture This
True photographs and false memories. Psychological Science 15 (3). pp.
149-154.
Lindsay, D.S., Hagen, L, Read, J.D., Wade, K.A. & Garry, M. (2004).
Many FMSF families are aware that trauma-memory-oriented therapists
often ask patients to bring family photographs to help recover
memories of abuse. Lindsay et al. hypothesized that "if a person
believes that certain kinds of events occurred in his or her
childhood, and is motivated to recall such events, childhood photos
constitute a source of detailed and vivid perceptual images that may
be combined with products of imagination to yield compelling
pseudomemories."
The researchers asked 45 undergraduates to try to remember three
school-related childhood events. Par-ents of the subjects gave the
re-searchers two true events. The researchers created a story about
put-ting Slime in the teacher's desk drawer but told the students that
their parents told them about the Slime (untrue). Half of the subjects
were also given photographs of their school classes.
The undergraduates were told to take some time to think about the
events and provide more information by imagining themselves as
children.
A substantial number of undergraduates in both groups developed false
memories. However, the rate of false-memory reports was twice as high
in the group that was shown the photos. The effect was dramatic: 67
percent of the students who received the photos developed false
memories.
According to Lindsay, "memories aren't things that are stored
somewhere in your head. Memories are experiences that we can have that
arise through an interaction between things that really have happened
to us in the past and our current expectations and beliefs." [1]
[1] (2004, April 8). So it's lies, damned lies and memories. South
Wales Evening Post. p. 15.
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Elizabeth Loftus Elected to National Academy of Sciences
On April 20, 2004, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) announced
the names of newly elected members. We are pleased to report that FMSF
Advisory Board member Elizabeth F. Loftus, Ph.D., Distinguished
Professor, Department of Psychology and Social Behavior and Department
of Criminology, Law, and Society, University of California, Irvine,
has been honored with membership.
The NAS was established in 1863 by an act of congress that was signed
by Abraham Lincoln. The Academy acts as an official advisor to the
federal government in matters of science or technology. Election to
membership in the Academy is considered one of the highest honors that
can be given to a U.S. scientist or engineer. There are currently
1,949 active members in the Academy, 56 of whom are in the section of
psychology and lingistics.
The FMSF Scientific and Professional Advisory Board now lists a total
of seven members of the NAS and IOM (Institute of Medicine): Aaron T.
Beck, Lila Gleitman, Ernest Hilgard, Philip S. Holzman, Elizabeth
Loftus, Paul McHugh and Ulric Neisser.
All but one of these distinguished scientists were on the founding
FMSF Advisory Board of just 15 members.
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Aaron Beck Receives 2004 Grawemeyer Award
In December 2003, Aaron T. Beck, M.D., was awarded the Grawemeyer
Award in psychology for the Year 2004. The honor includes $200,000
that Dr. Beck plans to use to help fund pioneering research on
cognitive therapy for schizophrenia.
Dr. Beck, FMSF Advisor, is commonly referred to as the "Father of
Cognitive Therapy." His work has had worldwide impact on the practice
of psychotherapy. He is Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry at the
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and is the founder and
president of the Beck Institute for Cognitive Therapy and Research.
Among his awards are those from the American Psychological
Association, the American Psychiatric Association, and the 2001 Heinz
Award for the Human Condition. In 2003, the Institute of Medicine
awarded him the Sarnat Prize.
Dr. Beck is also known for his warmth and humor. Psychologist Rob
DeRubeis recently commented about him: "When I sit with him, if I
think about it, I know I'm sitting with perhaps the most influential
psychiatrist of his time, if not ever. And at the same time, I'm aware
that he is as plain-spoken and down-to-earth as anybody I know."
Rob DeRubeis, Ph.D.
Beck in Action.
APS Observer 17 (3), pp. 7-8. (2004).
Winston, S. (2004, January 16).
Aaron Beck, MD, Received awards from the Institute of Medicine
and the University of Louisville.
Press release from University of Pennsylvania
Health Systems Office of Public Affairs.
______________________________SIDEBAR_______________________________
/ \
| FMSF Advisor David Dinges, Ph.D., will receive the "Decade of |
| Behavior Research Award for 2004" on May 10, 2004 from the |
| Federation of Behavioral, Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, |
| and the Decade of Behavior. Dinges will then give a Congressional |
| briefing about his work on sleep deprivation. |
\____________________________________________________________________/
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Repressed Memory Therapy Fiasco in the Netherlands:
A Brief History
Adriaan J.W. Mak
Canadian Contact for Victims of Psychotherapeutic Malpractice
Background
During the 1980s, many in the Netherlands expressed legitimate
concerns over the problem of childhood sexual abuse. At the same time,
some psychotherapists started looking in new directions to help adult
clients and were influenced by such books as Florence Rush's The Best
Kept Secret (1980) and Alice Miller's For Your Own Good (1983) and
Thou Shalt Not Be Aware (1984).
In response to the influence of women's groups, the government began
to examine the problem of violence against women and children. The
Ministry of Social Concerns commissioned feminist Nel Draijer to write
two reports, one of which was titled "A Gap in My Memory: The Sexual
Abuse of Girls by Relatives."[1] Draijer's documents indicated that
far more women were incest victims than had been previously thought,
and "A Gap in My Memory" came to dominate public debate and guide
government policy for over a decade.[2] Scores of therapists became
involved in searching for hidden incest memories in clients, and soon
some of these clients brought criminal charges against purported
molesters.
By mid-1994 a number of older parents falsely accused of incest had
joined Ouders voor Kinderen (Parents for Children). This Dutch
organization had been started by younger parents, many involved in
custody disputes. The older parents soon realized that the
circumstances surrounding their false accusations differed
substantially from the younger parents. They formed a sub-group
calling themselves the Working Group on Untrue Incest Memories, and a
year later they became independent with the name Working Group on
Fictive Memories (Werkgroep Fictieve Herinneringen - WFH) following
the initiative of the American-based False Memory Syndrome Foundation.
[3]
The new Werkgroep benefited from the experience of the FMSF and its
documentation of the problem in America. Although not many scholarly
articles critical of recovered memory therapy had been published in
the Netherlands[4], the Werkgroep was able to produce a bibliography
and a collection of articles. These were used to inform people about
the dangers of the therapeutic practice that was causing vulnerable
people to believe that a wide variety of adult problems are the result
of childhood trauma of which they had no memory.
Working toward a solution
The WFH set the following goals: to provide information for the
accused, the accusers, and therapists; to alert those involved in law
enforcement and the judiciary; and to advise the affected families on
how to deal with the problem. As in the United States, this was done
through newsletters, telephone contact, regional and national
meetings, and letter writing.
In May 1994, the Ministry of Justice published a report on Satanic
Ritual Abuse allegations[5] concluding that after thoroughly
investigating many reports brought by victims alleging such abuse, the
Ministry had been unable to find any verification for such crimes.[6]
By the end of 1994, the WFH reached the stage that it could provide
sound information to remind government ministries, elected officials,
the judiciary, and mental health organizations about their
responsibilities in the matter. The Werkgroep made a great effort to
educate the media and to seek support from academics whose areas of
research involved therapy, memory, and the law. Although progress was
agonizingly slow, the WFH activities met with success.
A string of official reports
In 1997, the Ministry of Justice commissioned the Netherlands
Institute for the Study of Criminality and Law Enforcement (NISCALE)
to study the matter. Chaired by Professor Peter van Koppen, this
advisory body published a report that fully condemned
repressed/recovered memory therapy: "Recovered crimes: Sexual abuse
reported to the police after therapy ? Advice to the Minister of
Justice."[7] Although the Ministry took note of the report, it did not
act on it for several years.
In 1999, in response to van Koppen's report, the Minister of Justice
asked the College of Attorneys-General (the chief legal officers in
each of the sixteen arrondissements) to create a team of top experts
drawn from a variety of fields to deal with the matter of false sexual
abuse reports made to the police. The team was called: Landelijke
Expertisegroep Bijzondere Zedenzaken (National Expert Group on Unusual
Sexual Crimes) and included experienced police investigators, jurists,
forensic experts, research psychologists, and sexologists, all of whom
had dealt with sexual offenders.[8] They carefully examined many cases
of abuse, both dubious and clear, screening out those that would not
merit prosecution. In 2001, this group's report also fully condemned
suggestive memory retrieval practices.[9]
In April 2000, the National Ombudsman, responding to requests from the
Werkgroep and its falsely accused parents, produced a report detailing
the history of the problem and its international scope. The
Ombudsman's report criticized the Ministry of Health's reluctance to
intervene and the refusal of the mental health professions to act on
the parents' complaints.[10]
In July 2000, the Ministry of Health asked its professional advisory
council (Gezondheidsraad) to tackle the problem. In August, this body
of eminent scientists appointed a commission that included both
recovered-memory proponents Nel Draijer and Otto van der Hart and also
their detractors, memory researcher Willem Albert Wagenaar and
research psychologist Harald Merckelbach. Although the Werkgroep
Fictieve Herinneringen questioned the inclusion of Draijer and van der
Hart, the chair explained that if they were left out, large numbers of
clinicians would reject the findings of the committee.
At long last the Netherlands Health Council "Gezondheidsraad",
released its 91-page report on January 2004. It answered many of the
concerns of the falsely accused parents and also reflected a few of
the opinions held by the recovered memory advocates on the committee.
An executive summary of the report called Dubious Memories (in
English) can be read on http://www.gr.nl/adviezen.php?ID=888. The full
report is called Omstreden Herinneringen [Dubious Memories],
Gezondheidsraad (Health Council of the Netherlands), 27 January 2004.
Among its many points, the report noted that many clinicians did not
seem to be aware of major recent scientific research findings in the
area of memory.
Major recommendations and findings of the Health Council:
a) a broad recognition that memories recovered during suggestive
therapy may be false, harm patients and those who are accused;
b) therapists are advised not to diagnose past trauma in a client on
the basis of a clinical pattern;
c) therapists appearing as expert witnesses in civil and criminal
cases must refrain from making judgements about the reliability of a
patient's /client's testimony;
d) the relevant regulated psychotherapeutic professional
organizations have to set guidelines for safe practice to avoid the
generation of false memories of sexual abuse in their clients.
These guidelines will also be binding on unregulated alternative
practitioners.
On February 26, 2004, The Ministry of Justice/College of
Attorneys-General team released its second and even more detailed
report about the genesis of false sexual abuse allegations.[11] The
report notes that the following factors may contribute to false
allegations: a) personal problems of the complainant, b) divorce or
separation, c) family conflicts, and d) credulity. The experts also
found the following factors to be crucial: a) suspicions of abuse
leading to a false belief that abuse had happened, b) direct
influencing by third parties, c) dream interpretation, d) films or
books about sexual abuse, and d) therapy and counselling.[12] The
report strongly criticized the role played by qualified and regulated
psychotherapists, as well as by alternative practitioners, because
they had lent credence to the notion that a client's symptoms were
sequelae of hitherto unremembered childhood trauma.
Other factors that led to change
In addition to the tremendous effort of parents and help from
concerned professionals, other factors contributed to raising
awareness about false memories in the Netherlands. Among these are
memory researcher Elizabeth Loftus's lecture visits to the Netherlands
and the 1996 Dutch translation/publication of The Myth of Repressed
Memory by Loftus and Ketcham.[13] This was quickly followed by
Recovered Memories and Other Misconceptions by Dutch scholars Hans
Crombag and Harald Merckelbach.[14] This book was written for
non-professionals so that journalists, jurists, and elected officials
would understand the issues.
In June 2000, the television documentary "Hidden mothers -- incest
pregnancies" seemed to be a terrible setback to the families in the
WFH, although it turned out to result in much publicity for them. The
program broke all codes of journalistic ethics when it photographed
actual places and showed alleged incest survivors telling gruesome
stories of forced abortions. The parents, who had not been warned, saw
themselves accused and practically identified by daughters spinning
wild tales confabulated during suggestive therapy.[15]
In reply to a Werkgroep complaint, the TV network responded with "Our
docu-drama takes place on a loftier level than a mere search for Truth
or Falsehood . . . . moreover, Perps are always in denial." A
spokeswoman for a government-subsidized sexual abuse center who was
called in by the network to represent professional expertise remarked:
"Truth has nothing to do with it; it is all about pain." Subsequent
legal action forced the network to admit to serious error and pay
restitution. The pregnancies and abortions were shown to be
fictional.[16]
In August 2001, the influence of Nel Draijer's work, which had already
begun to wane, received a major blow when researcher Han Israels[17]
re-analysed the findings of her 1988 report and found that many
statistics were faulty.
The Health Ministry's most recent action
It may have been mere coincidence, but on March 11, 2004, the
Netherlands Minister of Health announced drastic cutbacks in
government medical insurance funding for talk psychotherapies.
Although the Werkgroep Fictieve Herinneringen had expressed concern
only about recovered-memory therapy, far more had gone wrong in the
mental health industry. Based on research by the National Health
Council, the minister had been told in 2001 that not only were talking
cures not effective but also that the longer the period of therapy,
the less effective it became in relation to money spent.
The Netherlands has generous health and social service provisions, but
when the Medicare bill reached 9.75 percent of the Gross National
Product, the government assessed where it could cut costs. Hence, in
December 2003, the ministry announced that it planned to cut down
paying for psychotherapy from 90 sessions to 30. This now has been
further reduced to 25, but exceptions can be made for the seriously
mentally ill.
The announcement is causing a minor revolt in the psychotherapy
industry in the Netherlands, although it has nobody to blame but
itself. It has refused to regulate itself and has allowed all kinds of
treatments to go under the name of therapy. It abandoned the
scientific scrutiny of absurd alternative therapies and became rife
with outlandish, guru-driven practices, most of which were absolutely
useless talking cures and some of which were even dangerous, much of
it paid for with taxpayers' money.
Thanks to the work of a few vocal people in the Werkgroep Fictieve
Herinneringen and the university researchers such as Willem Albert
Wagenaar, Peter van Koppen, Harald Merckelbach, and Hans Crombag, the
ministry has finally seen the light. These vocal people were willing
to point out the farce of repressed /recovered memory therapy and the
fact that millions of precious health expenditures had been spent on
therapy that was useless.
(I am greatly indebted to Mr. Jan Buijs of the WFH for reviewing this
article and was helped by much of the information on the WFH's
website: http://www.werkgroepwfh.nl/)
[1] Draijer, N. (1988). Een lege plek in mijn geheugen: Seksueel
misbruik van meisjes door verwanten [A gap in my memory: The
sexual abuse of girls by relaives]. Den Haag: Ministerie van
Sociale Zaken en Werkgelegenheid.
[2] Draijer, N. (1990). Seksuele traumatisering in de jeugd: Lange
termijn gevolgen van misbruik van meisjes door verwanten [Sexual
traumatizing during youth: Long-term sequelae in girls abused by
relatives]. Amsterdam: Socialistische Uitgeverij Amsterdam.
Draijer used the reports as the basis for her 1990 doctoral
thesis. She is a traumatologist and a proponent of
repressed/recovered memories.
[3] The word "false" (in Dutch "vals") was avoided because in Dutch it
also may mean nasty, vicious, bogus, or forged. The word "incest"
also was dropped because people objected to receiving mail with
that word on the envelope.
[4] Some academic professionals, notably memory specialist Prof. Dr.
Willem Albert Wagenaar of Leiden University, were well aware of
what had been brewing in the U.S. They realized that many
therapists in the Netherlands had already been infected by the
notions of North American gurus teaching repressed memory,
multiple personality, and even ritual abuse theories.
[5] Hulsenbek, J.A. (1994). Rapport werkgroep ritueel misbruik [Report
of the Working group on ritual abuse]. The Hague: Ministry of
Justice.
[6] Nevertheless the Netherlands and Flemish Society for the Study of
Dissociative Disorders (Nederlandse en Vlaamse Vereniging ter
bestudering van Dissociatieve Stoornissen), the organization
responsible for the spread of MPD diagnoses, continued pushing for
further investigation as late as 1998.
[7] The report is available in English: Recovered crimes: Sexual abuse
reported to the police after therapy? Advice to the Minister of
Justice. Prof. Dr Peter van Koppen, 1997.
Coincidentally, at the same time as Van Koppen's report appeared,
the WFH published Een kleine fout [A minor slip-up], a brochure
documenting the problem of incest delusions resulting from
psychotherapeutic malpractice. It also described what the WFH had
done since 1994 to expose the problem. The title was taken from an
article by two leaders in the recovered-memory movement,
therapists Onno van der Hart and Kees van der Velden, who stated
in a journal for therapists:
"When therapists doubt the truthfulness of a patient's reporting
of sexual abuse and maltreatment, it is wiser to trust the patient
than not to do so. Should it turn out that in reality the patient
never was abused or maltreated, then the therapist has only made a
minor slip-up by trusting her." Prof. Dr. Onno van der Hart,
University of Utrecht, and Kees van der Velden, psychotherapist,
in Dth, tijdschrift voor Directive therapie [Journal for Directive
Therapy], 2-5-1995.
[8] Landelijke Expertisegroep Bijzondere Zedenzaken (National Expert
Group on Unusual Sexual Crimes) included people with solid insight
into the problem of memory distortion such as psychotherapist,
forensic psychologist and sexologist Prof. Dr. R.A.R Bullens of
the Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam; forensic psychologist, Prof.
Dr. P.J. van Koppen; and memory researcher and rector magnificus
at Leiden University Prof. Dr. W.A. Wagenaar. It produced its
first report called: De feiten beschouwd [Examining the facts]
verslag van de Landelijke Expertisegroep Bijzondere Zedenzaken
over de periode 1 oktober 1999 - 31 december 2000 [Investigation
report over the period from 1 October 1999-31 December 2000].
[9] This lengthy document, not available in English, analysed 26
cases. These involved allegations of remembered abuse a) prior to
age 3 years, b) satanic / ritual abuse, and c) allegations based
on supposedly repressed/recovered and often decades-old memories
of abuse that only surfaced after suggestive therapy. In the end,
two-thirds of the cases were dismissed. In nine cases the experts
deemed the complaint not credible. In fifteen cases the experts
found that the cases had been improperly investigated. Only in two
"always remembered" cases, did the experts find solid evidence to
support the allegations. The report criticized the methods of
investigation, the leading questioning used by some police
investigators and prosecutors, and the biased attitudes of
victim-assistants. As a result, the College of Attorneys-General
decided to upgrade the training of such officers.
[10] Rapport 2000/105, Nationale Ombudsman.
[11] Landelijke Expertisegroep Bijzondere Zedenzaken (National Expert
Group on Unusual Sexual Crimes) (2003, November). De
ontstaansgeschiedenis ontrafeld: Onderzoeksverslag over de periode
2001-2002 [The Genesis [of false sexual allegations] Unraveled:
Investigation report over the period from 2001-2002].
Unfortunately, no English-language version is available.
The team scrutinized 30 unusual cases. Ten of these cases involved
allegedly repressed memories recovered in therapy. Some of these
included memories of sexual abuse prior to age 3 years and
memories of ritual abuse. In one case the complainant claimed
always to have remembered the ritual abuse. In seven cases the
complainants were not sure whether the abuse memories had been
"recovered" or had always been remembered. Six of the cases
originated from caregivers who noticed symptoms in a child that
made them suspect that the child had been abused. The remaining
six cases were highly complex.
[12] The report devotes a special chapter to these last two factors
(therapy and counselling) because in 23 out of the 30 cases, the
accusers had been in therapy or counselling, in 6 of these cases
even switching from one therapist or counsellor to yet another
many times.
[13] Loftus, E., and Ketcham, K. (1996). Graven in het geheugen, de
mythe van de verdrongen herinnerin Dutch translation of The Myth
of Repressed Memory, (1994).
[14] Crombag, H.F.M., and Merckelbach, H. (1996). Hervonden
herinneringen en andere misverstanden [Recovered memories and
other misconceptions]. Amsterdam, Contact.
[15] During one of my visits to the Netherlands, I spent a day with
one of the families whose disturbed daughter had appeared on the
TV series. Having listened to many accounts of falsely accused
parents over the years, I again became aware of the enormous,
irreparable damage that misguided talking therapy can do to a
daughter sorely in need of proper evidence-based mental health
care. The devastation, which this monstrously sensational TV
program had further added to the already deeply grieving, falsely
accused, elderly parents, deserved to be met with the strongest
punishment the law has to offer. I do not think that happened.
[16] The network and its producer escaped facing prosecution for a
similar, equally absurd 1992 docu-drama involving a woman who had
been talked into having MPD, allegedly the result of years of
incest. Nevertheless this film was used for many years to train
therapists creating more MPD cases. ( De Ontkenning [Denial]. LAVA
Film Distribution & Sales.)
[17] Hans Israels is a sociologist and Freud scholar specialising in
the history of psychology and an expert in exposing scientific
fraud. He analyzed the findings of Draijer's 1988 report and found
that her figures did not quite add up. His book: Heilige
verontwaardiging: Een onderzoek naar de feministische visie op
incest, [Holy indignation: An investigation into the feminist
vision of incest] created quite a stir. Although many clinicians
condemned his work, beliefs in repressed/recovered memories were
now well on the way out. Those in government, although silent on
the issue, took note.
______________________________SIDEBAR_______________________________
/ \
| My point is that our cultural assumptions have shifted. The claim |
| of victimhood is no longer enough to make listeners suspend their |
| critical faculties, even when made by a noted feminist. |
| Wendy McElroy (2004, March, 17) |
| Feminist confession reveals cultural shift |
| www.ifeminists.net/introduction/editorials/2004/0317.html |
\____________________________________________________________________/
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Safe and Effective Mental Health Treatment Bill
Approved in New Hampshire
On February 20, 2004, the New Hampshire Board of Mental Health
Practice approved a new bill of rights for mental health patients.
The law states that patients have the right not only to information
about a therapist's qualifications, fees, diagnoses, treatment
options, confidentiality and complaint procedures but also to
"informed consent" and "effective treatment."
Consumer advocate Charles E. Proulx, Jr. and psychologist John Brown,
Ph.D., were the forces pushing for the new language and the passage of
this bill.
The new standard states:
"Clients have the right to documented informed consent: To be fully
informed of the risks and benefits of alternative treatments and the
risks and benefits of no treatment. When obtaining informed consent
for treatment for which safety and effectiveness have not been
established, therapists inform their clients of this and of the
voluntary nature of their participation."
The text of the patient bill of rights is on the Board of Mental
Health Practice Web site: www.state.nh.us/mhpb
Talbot, R. (2004, March 7)
Innovative rights bill OK'd for MH patients. Union Leader
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L E G A L C O R N E R
______________________
Crawford v. Washington
No. 02-9410 Supreme Court of the United States,
204 U.S. LEXIS 1838; 72 U.S.L.W. 4229, March 8, 2004 Decided
On March 8, 2004, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled, in a 9-0 decision,
that defendants have the right to cross-examine witnesses. The
decision disallows hearsay evidence that had increasingly been allowed
over the past quarter century.
The Crawford decision abandons a 1980 Supreme Court ruling, Ohio v.
Roberts, that allowed hearsay evidence if a judge found it
trustworthy. Michael Crawford was convicted of assault in 1999 because
he stabbed a man he thought had tried to rape his wife. Crawford
claimed self-defense, stating that the victim was going for a weapon
when he was stabbed. Crawford's wife did not testify in the trial, but
the judge said that the prosecution could use her taped statement in
which she said there was no weapon.
The Washington Court of Appeals reversed the conviction stating that
the wife's statement was not reliable. Then Washington Supreme Court
reinstated the conviction concluding that the wife's statement was
trustworthy. The U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Washington Supreme
Court decision by deciding that the wife's statement to the police was
not admissible because the defense could not cross-examine her.
Justice Antonin Scalia wrote the opinion and stated, "Dispensing with
confrontation because testimony is obviously reliable is akin to
dispensing with jury trial because a defendant is obviously guilty."
Some prosecutors are concerned that Crawford will limit their ability
to try sensitive domestic abuse and child abuse cases. For example, in
some cases, prosecutors previously relied on statements from police in
trials. Now they must produce a witness.
_________________________________________
Is Reason Returning to the Supreme Court?
Some impressions upon reviewing
MICHAEL D. CRAWFORD, PETITIONER v. WASHINGTON
No. 02-9410, SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES
by R. Chris Barden, Ph.D., J.D.
The Constitution-Bill of Rights of the United States is a sacred
contract binding together the lives, fortunes and honor of the
citizens of the United States of America. The Framers incorporated
centuries of wisdom by codifying -- in clear language -- fundamental
rights that could not be usurped by the Government. The Supreme Court
was viewed as the protector of those fundamental -- clearly documented
-- liberties.
In contrast, for the past several decades too many of the U.S. Supreme
Court's decisions have seemed little more than fanciful constructions
of "politically correct" notions. From "penumbras" to "particularized
guarantees of trustworthiness" to other forms of legislating from the
bench, the court has often departed from the original intent of the
Founding Fathers. The result has been a steady erosion in respect for
the law and the Court. For example, the Sixth Amendment to the U.S.
Constitution guarantees defendants in criminal trials the right to
confront and cross-examine accusers. That fundamental right was
abrogated by a series of unfortunate rulings from the U.S. Supreme
Court beginning with Ohio v. Roberts 448 U.S. 56 (1980). The Roberts
ruling led down a dark path to defendants facing conviction from
nothing more than videotaped "victim statements" without an
opportunity for confrontation or cross-examination.
In the recent and historic 9-0 decision in Crawford v. Washington, the
U.S. Supreme Court overturned Ohio v. Roberts, thus returning the
protection of the Sixth Amendment to the people. The Court's decision
in Crawford is a stinging rebuke of the kind of run-a-way judicial
"legislation" that has plagued America for decades. In an intense
stinging critique of former decisions by the Court, Justice Scalia
wrote, "Dispensing with confrontation because testimony is obviously
reliable is akin to dispensing with jury trial because a defendant is
obviously guilty . . . . this is not what the Sixth Amendment
prescribes." He continued "the Roberts test allows a jury to hear
evidence, untested by the adversary process, based on a mere judicial
determination of reliability. It thus replaces the constitutionally
prescribed method of assessing reliability with a wholly foreign one."
The Crawford decision is also a not-so-subtle admission that many,
many citizens may well have been improperly imprisoned using methods
and procedures that were clearly unconstitutional. How such a travesty
of justice survived for decades is an excellent -- and well-documented
-- example of how unrestrained political ideology and junk social
science have damaged America's legal system. In looking back on the
last 24 years, judges and prosecutors must now answer the question of
how they failed to enforce one of the most fundamental of all American
rights -- the right to confront and cross examine one's accusers. In
considering how many people in America are convicted and imprisoned on
the testimony of a single witness one comes to realize the essential
nature of the right to confrontation and cross-examination. How could
the legal system "lose" this important right for 24 years?
Even more harmful and widespread has been the devastating effect of
this lost protection on the family law system. With the ease of
prosecutions based upon nothing more than videotaped "victim
statements," countless parents across the U.S. (almost always fathers)
have been forced to "negotiate" away fundamental parental rights under
the threat that the custodial parent could easily "produce"
allegations of some kind of abuse -- especially with the aid of
"therapists" -- some being hired for just such a purpose. The Crawford
decision is likely to impede the spread of such continuing corruption
in the family law system.
The rise of pernicious "politically correct" legal and psychobabble
theories in the 1960s and 1970s left America with a legal system
increasingly contaminated by pseudoscience. For example, in this Alice
in Wonderland world children could be abusively and repeatedly mis-
interviewed by "therapists" or investigators -- using threats, bribes,
and lies -- until a "story" was in place. Then a videotape of the
child "performing" the "story" could be played to a jury with no
opportunity for cross-examination. How many citizens were convicted
using such barbaric -- clearly unconstitutional -- methods? Even more
sinister (and bizarre) were criminal prosecutions based upon nothing
more than the hypnotically "recovered memories" of psychotherapy
patients.
The tide began to turn towards rationality in the 1990s. With a series
of historic decisions including Daubert and Kumho, the Court called
for trial judges to carefully review and rein in pseudoscience. This
led to the end of "expert" testimony regarding "repressed memories"
and various "abuse syndromes." The scientific-forensic use of DNA
evidence proved conclusively that the criminal justice system, once
believed to be highly reliable in avoiding convictions of the
innocent, was in fact, convicting many innocent citizens. A wave of
highly successful lawsuits against "recovered memory therapists"
coupled with Daubert hearings exposing the irrationality of these and
other psychobabble notions, added to the perception that the legal and
mental health systems had gone badly off track. Definitive research on
the suggestibility of children's memory was perhaps the final straw in
helping the public, legal profession and law enforcement communities
realize that they had been deceived by junk science, psychobabble
theories of "victimhood".
The essential task of catching and convicting criminals will continue
after the Crawford decision -- with the reliable scientific methods
required by Daubert-Kumho and the confrontation protections required
by the Sixth Amendment. The dedicated men and women who work hard to
make our society safe may now pursue their important work using more
rational and reliable methods and procedures. Dedicated law
enforcement professionals should be able to rely upon legal and
scientific processes that are fair and reliable -- the Crawford
decision is a major step in that direction.
Finally, it is indeed heartening that the Crawford decision relies
upon clear, rational historical evidence of the intent of the Founding
Fathers. This is a breath of fresh air and stability from a Court that
has shown a predilection to wander into international law and
psychobabble theories in support of some of its opinions. Hopefully,
the Crawford decision bodes well for our hopes that the Supreme Court
will continue to enforce and protect the precious Constitution that
binds us together as a nation.
_______________________
Update of Amirault Case
Gerald Amirault is expected to be released at the end of April. [The
AP reported his release as this e-mail edition was being prepared.]
Amirault was convicted of molesting children at the family-run Fells
Acres day care center in 1986. Although he was granted parole last
October, Middlesex, Massachusetts District Attorney Martha Coakley had
six months in which to file an appeal. After keeping Amirault
incarcerated as long as she could without revealing the fundamental
weaknesses of the State's case, on April 21 she said: "The
Common-wealth does not believe that it could garner evidence to meet
its burden of proof required under the statute that Mr. Amirault would
likely re-offend."
In July 2001, the state Board of Pardons had recommended that
Amirault's sentence be commuted, but this was rejected by then-acting
Gov. Jane Swift. Gerald's sister, Cheryl Amirault LeFave, and his late
mother, Violet Amirault were released in 1995.
The Amirault case has become one of the most disputed child-
molestation cases in the country. The Amiraults always denied the
accusations, insisting that they were victims of the day care sex
abuse hysteria that swept the country in the 1980s. The accusers have
not wavered in their belief that they were abused. In recent years,
however, a compelling body of scientific evidence has shown that the
interviews of the children were highly suggestive and their stories
not reliable.
According to Coakley, Amirault (50) will be on parole until November
2023. He will be required to register as a sex offender, submit to
drug testing, and is banned from being in contact with children under
the age of 18. Any violation could send him back to prison under state
law.
Ellement, J. (2004, April 22)
Amirault will soon be a free man: Convicted
molester heads home next week. Boston Globe
Maguire, K. (2004, April 21)
Mass. Day-care rapist closer to parole
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
____________________________________________________
Psychologist, Spiritual Counselor and "Soul Surgeon"
Settle Case with Former Patient
Lackey v. DePaoli, Earl and NW Family Ministries,
Case No 0201-00733 filed Feb., 2002 and Lackey v. Baker and Lacey.
Case No. 0303-03121, filed Feb. 2001 Circuit Ct. Multnomah, County, OR
by Michael Shinn, Esq.
A final settlement of the extraordinary case of Diane Lackey v. Pastor
Peter DePaoli and Rhonda Earle, dba [1] Northwest Family Ministries,
Pastor Clifford A. Baker and Deborah Lacey, dba Catalyst Connections,
Inc, defendants has been reached. This case shares similarities with
many other false memory syndrome cases reported in the FMSF newsletter
over the years. However, it features what may be a unique distinction:
the therapists asserted that Dr. Joseph Mengele, the notorious medical
"experimenter" at Auschwitz, is the founder of Multiple Personality
Disorder in America, and that he helped develop satanic rituals for
the Masonic Temple which Masons use to this day.
Diane Lackey is a dynamic, attractive mother and successful
businesswoman. She also has a personal history which included drug
abuse and bisexual relationships. In June of 2001, she had a traumatic
breakup with her life partner of three years. This sent her into a
deep depression. She had a delusional episode in which she believed
she was possessed by demons.
She began reading the Bible and rendering literal interpretations of
it. She went to the New Song Church for "deliverance." There she met
Pastor Cliff Baker who signed her up for his "prayer ministry"
program. Participa-tion in this program required her to sign a legal
"release, assumption of the risk and indemnity agreement" which
attempted to exonerate the pastor from all legal liability before his
counseling had even begun. When she entered this program, Ms. Lackey
had no memories whatsoever of being physically or sexually abused by
anyone in her family. She had no memory of participating in any sex
rituals as a child, or of being involved with Masons in any way.
During the ensuing four months, Diane dutifully attended Baker's
sessions, which failed in any way to address what was later diagnosed
as Bipolar Disorder. This manifested itself with delusions and
hallucinations about demons and little inner voices. (Delusions are a
key characteristic of several mental disorders). It never dawned on
Pastor Baker that these might be symptoms of a mental illness.
Instead, he introduced Diane to Deb Lacey who has a doctorate in
divinity. She has assigned herself the title of "Soul Surgeon" and
promotes herself as an expert on MPD.
The Soul Surgeon worked with Diane Lackey in three lengthy sessions.
Her "therapy" required Diane to describe and then to renounce every
sexual act that she had ever committed. She was compelled to do this
in the presence of Lacey, Baker, and a "prayer intercessor." She found
this humiliating and agonizing. Lacey did additional work with Diane's
demons. Pastor Baker later testified that he witnessed Diane
levitating a foot above the floor and spinning around so furiously
that they had to pull her back into her chair to prevent her from
hitting her head on the wall.
Ms. Lacey inquired about Diane's heritage. She wanted to know if
anyone in her family had been a member of the Masons, Mormons,
Oddfellows, Elks, Moose or Eagles lodges, Job's Daughters and the
Rainbow or Order of Demolay. She elicited the fact that an uncle had
been a member of the Masons and declared that therein lay the key to
Diane's problems. Presumably, membership in any of the other
aforementioned organizations would also have been inculpatory.
She then required Diane to read a "Prayer of Release for Freemasons
and Their Descendants" to Lacey, Baker, and the intercessor. This five
page document included such passages as: "I renounce the oaths taken
and the curses involved in the First or Entered Apprentice degree,
especially their effects on the throat and tongue. I renounce the
Hoodwink, the blindfold, and its effect on emotions and eyes,
including all confusion, fear of the dark, fear of the light and fear
of sudden noises.... I renounce the mixing and mingling of truth and
error, and the blasphemy of this degree of Masonry."
When asked why Diane was forced to renounce Masonic activity of which
she had no memory or known history whatsoever, Baker and Lacey
testified that as a descendant of a Mason, she was equally afflicted
and needed this cleansing ceremony. They overlooked the fact that
Diane was adopted and that "Uncle Bob" was not even a blood relative.
Under the tutelage of Baker and Lacey, Diane began developing
horrifying images of being subjected to lurid sex orgies with Uncle
Bob and his Masonic colleagues. Deb Lacey persuaded Diane that she had
been victimized at the age of four, because that was the age she
assigned to one of her inner voices, Sarah. Diane confronted Uncle Bob
about these activities, and promised to expose him. He wisely reported
this to the local police and to her father. Her father informed her by
e-mail that Uncle Bob didn't even join the Masons until she was 13 and
that there was no indication she was ever abused by anyone as an
infant or child.
By now, Diane believed she was possessed by eleven alter
personalities. Perplexed by her father's e-mail, she inquired of
Pastor Baker if these might be false memories. No, he said, lying
about their guilt was characteristic of Masons. She needed to trust
her new memories and could expect to retrieve more of them.
To assist her in this adventure, Baker brought her to Pastor Peter
DePaoli (a licensed clinical psychologist) at Northwest Family
Ministries. During her first session there, Diane was shown a
videotape of Dr. Joseph Mengele and the Auschwitz death camp.
Questioned about this in depositions, DePaoli claimed he knew little
about Mengele and just happened to show her the video because she had
some questions about Mengele. I impeached DePaoli with a 45-minute
tape recording of a speech he gave in 1998 in which he told the
International Conference of Pastoral Counselors that his research had
uncovered the fact that Mengele was the "father of MPD in America,"
(where he came after WWII and not to Argentina). DePaoli convinced
Diane Lackey that she was possessed by a Mengele demon, among many
others.
Throughout the course of the summer of 2002, Diane was plagued with
terrifying images of Joseph Mengele, Masonic temple orgies, blood
sacrifices, and demons of all varieties. When these images became so
bizarre that she realized they were not likely true, she informed
Baker that she suspected they were false memories. She was considering
suing DePaoli. In response, Baker affirmed DePaoli's work and promptly
terminated his counseling relationship with her.
When she came to my law office, I referred her to competent mental
health professionals. After months of therapy and psychiatric
medication, she finally broke away from the demon delusions and was
able to revive her nearly bankrupt business.
Early in the legal proceedings, Pastor Baker filed a motion to have
the case dismissed noting that he was a "spiritual" counselor and that
his First Amendment rights protected him. The plaintiff argued that a
counselor was like a primary care physician, with the responsibility
not only to treat problems, but also to recognize and diagnose
problems that are beyond the counselor's ability to treat. Although he
was her pastor, he was also her professional counselor and provided
direct therapeutic services and arranged for additional psychological
care from others. As such, he was bound by the responsibilities
detailed in the Pastoral Counselors' Code of Ethics.
Among these were the duties to:
* Evaluate the nature and potential causes of her problems;
* Engage in a "differential diagnosis." (Even though he was not a
licensed clinical psychologist, due care in the setting should
include a consideration of all potential causes rather than limited
ones.);
* Keep himself adequately informed about available treatment;
* Provide the client with adequate warnings about any significant
hazards or risks that accompanied certain methodologies;
* Refrain from reinforcing methodologies and treatment which were
known to be unscientific and lacked reliable independent
corroboration.
Plaintiff's attorney: Michael R. Shinn of Portland, Portland, Oregon.
Defendants' attorneys: Michael Hoffman, Paul Cooney, David Ryan of
Portland, Oregon.
[1] "dba" refers to "doing business as."
______________________________SIDEBAR_______________________________
/ \
| It is not enough to demand evidence and answers from accusers. It |
| is necessary to extend justice to those who are and have been |
| wrongfully accused. |
| Wendy McElroy (2004, March, 17) |
| www.ifeminists.net/introduction/editorials/2004/0317.html |
\____________________________________________________________________/
**********************************************************************
Recovering from Recovered Memories
Mark Pendergrast
Here is another installment from Mark Pendergrast's book proposal
for Recovering from Recovered Memories, continuing with a fictional
case study from Chapter 1, "How Could This Have Happened to Me?"
Pendergrast has written this quite realistically and objectively, so
much so that those who are "believers" in massive repression could
probably see the story as supporting the idea that the father really
was an abuser. The next installment (the end of the chapter) will
put the story in context.
Betty O'Connor came from a very close-knit, traditional Massachusetts
Irish Catholic family. Her mother was over-protective and fussed over
her. Her father, who had romped and played with her when she was a
child, became more emotionally distant as she matured, but he still
gave her everything money could buy. A good student, Betty was
somewhat awkward socially, but she found herself in high school
theater productions, where she could throw herself into different
roles.
Her freshman year of college, Betty was desperately homesick. She was
not used to being away from the safety and security of her family. She
had dated only one boy in high school, and she had never gone beyond
kissing good night. Betty went to a fraternity party where she drank
too much, and her date took advantage of the situation to force her
into sexual intercourse. Horrified and angry at what had happened to
her, but too embarrassed to tell her parents, Betty went to see Sheila
White, a college counselor.
Sheila was extremely sympathetic and explained that Betty had been
date-raped. Rather than concentrating on her current stress, however,
the counselor began to ask her detailed questions about her parents,
particularly about her feelings towards her father. "Your reactions to
this date-rape incident were so strong," Sheila said, "that I think we
have to look into your childhood for clues. I think there may be
something you've buried that is trying to come out." She gave her a
book called The Courage to Heal and asked her to read it.
Betty protested that she loved her parents. Sure, her father was too
strict about some things, and he had stopped hugging her when she
turned into a teenager, but that was all. He loved her. He really
loved her.
Sheila smiled a tight, knowing smile. "Oh, yes," she said, her voice
turning hard. "I'm sure he loves you, all right." Then, leaning
forward earnestly, she looked right into Betty's frightened eyes, held
her hand, and spoke softly. "Betty, please read the first three
chapters of this book, and I'll see you next week. OK?"
Betty, a good student, did as she was told. Sheila White seemed to
know what she was doing, and she had such a soothing manner. That
night, Betty began to read The Courage to Heal. "Forgetting is one of
the most effective ways children deal with sexual abuse," she read.
"The human mind has tremendous powers of repression. Many children are
able to forget about the abuse, even as it is happening to them."
Betty threw the book away from her, to the other side of the bed. She
couldn't breathe. Then she found herself hyperventilating, taking
great gulps of air and crying aloud. No! This book couldn't be meant
for her! She had never been sexually abused as a child. Never. But --
why would Sheila have given her the book if she wasn't?
Hesitantly, fearfully, Betty picked up the book again. "You may think
you don't have memories," she read, "but often as you begin to talk
about what you do remember, there emerges a constellation of feelings,
reactions, and recollections that add up." Then she read a warning
from the authors that reading the book could be extremely upsetting.
I'll say, Betty thought. "If you breeze through these chapters," she
read, "you probably aren't feeling safe enough to confront these
issues."
I'm brave enough to face anything if I have to, Betty thought, but I
just don't believe this. Yet she read on, becoming absorbed in the
book. It kept setting off alarm bells with virtually every sentence.
It was as if Ellen Bass and Laura Davis, the authors, knew her
personally and were writing straight at her. "Do you feel powerless,
like a victim?" Oh, yes, she did. "Do you feel different from other
people?" Absolutely. She felt that everyone else at college seemed so
sure of themselves. She felt so out of place, so odd. "Do you feel you
have to be perfect?" Tell me about it! It seemed that nothing she did
could ever really measure up to her parents' expectations. "Do you
feel alienated or lonely?" And on and on. These were the symptoms of
someone who had been sexually abused.
By the time she came for her second appointment, Betty had read not
only three chapters, but most of the book. She looked horrible. She
hadn't slept. She was completely torn up. Could it be true? Could she
have been abused as a child? Who could have done it? The Courage to
Heal had example after example of fathers abusing their daughters. But
it just couldn't have been her father. Maybe her Uncle John, her
mother's brother? He used to visit all the time. Maybe it was him.
Betty poured out her fears and suspicions to Sheila, but her counselor
remained noncommittal. "Yes, it could have been your uncle. That's
quite possible. We just don't know. As you are feeling safer in
therapy, your repressed memories may begin to come back. For the
moment, though, we just have to live with uncertainty. I want you to
join a local group I know about for incest survivors. Even if you're
not sure about your memories, it is a good idea, and stories in the
group may trigger something for you. Besides, you will feel validated
and safe there. When I feel that you are ready to handle it, when it's
appropriate, we might try guided imagery." Sheila explained that this
was a relaxation technique that gave access to the subconscious.
Betty joined the incest survivors group. The horrifying stories didn't
"trigger" specific memories for her, but they certainly upset her
enormously, and that must indicate something. She went to the
bookstore and bought other books. Secret Survivors, by E. Sue Blume.
Repressed Memories, by Renee Fredrickson. They all said the same
thing. She fit most of the incest survivor checklists.
During the next few sessions, Sheila continued to explore Betty's
feelings about her father. Yes, she remembered now being afraid of him
as a child. It had been exciting to play horsy with him, and to have
him tickle her, but he had gone too far. There was something else
there. And at night, why had he always insisted on telling her
bedtimes stories alone? Why wasn't her mother there? Why didn't her
mother ever tell her stories? And why had her father suddenly frozen
up when she became a teenager? What was that about?
Finally, on her fifth visit to Sheila, Betty asked if she could try
guided imagery. She knew something about it now from reading Renee
Fredrickson's description, and she simply had to know the truth.
Sheila agreed, and Betty closed her eyes. Sheila's soothing voice
instructed her to create her own "safe place," a peaceful scene. Betty
chose a beautiful lake in the summertime, with a soft breeze blowing.
She described it aloud, in a soft, distant, sleepy voice. "Now, I want
you to picture a road leading away from the lake," Sheila said.
Leading her down the road, Sheila took her back to the house where she
lived as a three-year-old. She went up the steps and through the front
door, then up the stairs to the bedroom. . . .
"Now what do you see? What do you feel? Who's there with you?" Sheila
said. Betty was silent. Her breathing stopped. She gripped the edges
of her chair. "No, no, NO!" she screamed suddenly. "Leave me alone!
Stop!" Her entire body contorted.
Alarmed, Sheila quickly ended the guided imagery session, taking Betty
back to the safe place at the lake, and then bringing her back to the
present. "Oh, my God," Betty sobbed. "Oh, my God." And she cried and
cried. Sheila held and rocked her, soothingly brushing her hair out of
her face. "It's all right, it's going to be all right," she said. "I
know it hurts. But this had to be. You had to face it."
Now Betty knew. It was her father. She was, indeed, an incest
survivor. Over the next few months, she solidified and rehearsed the
memories and added many more. Some came through guided imagery, but
she also journaled about her dreams. The memories became more
concrete, vivid, and violent. It turned out that she had been abused
from the time she was three until she was fourteen years old, not only
by her father, but her uncle and grandfather. And her mother had known
and done nothing.
After spending several counseling sessions working on drafts of a
letter to her parents, Betty finally mailed it. She told her father
that she now remembered all of the horrors she had been forced to
endure in her childhood. She was now trying to heal. She told him that
unless he confessed and sought therapy for himself, she could no
longer feel safe in his presence. And unless her mother admitted that
she had stood by and done nothing, she, too, would be cut out of
Betty's life.
Betty's parents called. They denied the allegations and begged her to
come home to talk it all over. She refused. Shortly afterwards, Betty
dropped out of college. She secured a job as a secretary, though her
life was in such an upheaval, she found it difficult to concentrate.
Sheila continued to see her, even though Betty could not afford to pay
her regular fee. "You've gone through so much, and you've been so
brave," Sheila told her. "I can't abandon you now, as your family has.
You have had enough trauma in your life."
Fortunately, this story has a somewhat happy coda, though the real
ending has yet to occur. After five years, both Betty and her
counselor finally burned out on her therapy. "I know that I'm an
incest survivor," Betty wrote in her diary, "and my family betrayed my
trust. They stole my childhood. But I can't go on like this. It's just
too hard. I feel like a walking, open, raw wound all the time. I need
a break." She decided to drop out of her incest survivor group and go
back to college. She needed money from her family to do so. Besides,
even if she still believed in her memories, she missed her parents and
her brothers and sisters. Fearfully, she called her mother. "Mom, I'm
not taking anything back, and I don't want to see Dad, but could we
meet for lunch?" Her mother agreed.
Today, Betty has graduated from college, and she is seeking a career
in public relations. She regularly visits her family, including her
father, but she has not taken back her allegations. She refuses to
talk about them and simply acts as if nothing ever happened. Though
there is a great deal of unspoken tension, her parents have decided
that time must pass before Betty will be able to talk about her
"memories." Fortunately, they have educated themselves on the issue
and have let Betty know that when she is ready, they have a reading
list for her. So far, she refuses to deal with the issue at all. She
knows that there is a great deal of controversy surrounding recovered
memories, but she can't bring herself to admit that she could have
been so wrong. And so she simply avoids talking about it or dealing
with it. She tries not to think about it.
**********************************************************************
F R O M O U R R E A D E R S
___________________
Recommended Reading
I am still excited about the wonderful article in the March 11 issue
of the New York Review of Books by Fred Crews. I have been reading the
article very slowly so that I can try to get every point being made. I
just finished reading the section about PTSD and how that "ailment" is
used as a kind of garbage pail for all sorts of pseudo-illnesses such
as recovered memories and MPD.
That article is a real crash course on "pop psychology" and the
struggle to bring "reason" back to reality. The article seems to
indicate that a "war" is going on between two sides. At this point in
time it seems that "our side" is doing the challenging and the other
side is taking the defense. It seems as though there is much more
skepticism in the general public now than a decade ago.
I know I will want to re-read it a few times more and that I will also
need to look up some words in the dictionary, but it is a very
exciting piece of writing and I recommend it to all FMSF Newsletter
readers.
A mom
Crews, F. (2004, March 11). The trauma trap. New York Review of Books
51 (4), pp. 37-40.
___________________________
Picked Up Where We Left Off
Our daughter called us this past September after no communication for
12 years. I really believed that this would never happen, but no one
could have foretold the sequence of events.
The event that brought about contact was the unfortunate death of my
husband's brother and his wife. They were flying across Canada in
their own plane to visit us when they crashed in a dense forest area.
The date of the accident was 9/11, but even more unlikely, the crash
site was very close to our son's summer camp, so he was able to handle
the sad details of the accident for the rest of the family.
You can imagine the emotional double whammy on hearing from our
daughter the following morning. She was terribly upset, of course,
about the death of her aunt and uncle. She said that she had wanted to
call for the past 2 years, but she was afraid that we would hang up.
She said that she wouldn't blame us if we did.
We have since visited her and her three children. Actually, we have
seen the children each summer for the past 6 or 7 years because their
father brought them to our summer cottage. We missed 5 years of their
lives, but they did not forget us and we have a good relationship with
them.
This past Christmas there were gifts and phone calls all around. We
all seemed to be able to almost pick up where we left off without much
difficulty. We have not discussed the past 12 years and do not intend
to. I think we all prefer it that way.
Thanks to FMSF, we feel that we have an understanding of what went
wrong. We were educated by many wonderful people at the various
conferences and meetings. We will be eternally grateful for the
wonderful support we received from the Foundation and the network of
other accused persons and our relatives and friends.
A very happy mom
_________
A Miracle
My wife died in January of this year. One of our daughters, the only
person in the entire family who had remained in touch with our
accusing daughter over the past decade, called her that night to let
her know.
My wife had pre-planned the contents of her memorial service -- what
we call a "Thanksgiving celebration of life." The next day, I called
our accusing daughter and asked if she would like to read one of the
scriptures at the service since her brother and sister would be
reading the others. She agreed.
On the day we gathered for the service, I asked her to come to the
microphone to read her passage. When she reached the podium, she gave
me a hug and said, "Hi, Dad." And later in the service, at the time
for reflections, she came forward to the microphone again and she
contributed enthusiastic memories -- as did her daughter, our
granddaughter. Even at the reception, my accusing daughter was not
only there physically but she actively participated.
Our many friends "in the know" were as touched by this miracle as I
was, I'm sure. I have no predictions about what may happen beyond
today, but I wanted to share this remarkable event with you.
A dad
____________
Always Worry
Our daughter has been back for some time. She has even told us that
she doesn't know why she ever thought that she had been abused. We are
very glad that she is back, but we always worry that it will happen
again.
A mom and dad
_______________
Patience Worked
We have some good news. Our son, who has had no contact with us for
many years, called to apologize for treating us the way he has for so
long. He did not recant his accusations, but his apology was a great
step in the right direction for uniting our families again
Having patience and waiting for him to realize on his own that we are
not the ogres he has made us out to be has been the only course we
could take and we are continuing to take. Now, without any pressure
from us, recent events in his own life have made a change, if only a
small one, in his attitude toward us. It is a start.
Thankful parents
**********************************************************************
* N O T I C E S *
**********************************************************************
* *
* Illinois-Wisconsin FMS regional meeting *
* *
* Sunday, May 23, 2004 *
* 1-5 pm *
* Falk Pavilion (near Milwaukee) *
* *
* Tentative program: *
* Speaker, movie, roundtables *
* Larry's famous sandwiches *
* *
**********************************************************************
* The National Association for Consumer Protection in Mental Health *
* Practices and the Commission for Scientific Medicine and Mental *
* Health have announced they are merging to form a stronger *
* international force against mental health quackery. *
* *
* Barden, C and Lilienfeld, S., April 23, 2004 *
* Call 716-636-1425 x 218 for information *
**********************************************************************
* *
* FREE *
* "Recovered Memories: Are They Reliable?" *
* Call or write the FMS Foundation for pamphlets. Be sure to *
* include your address and the number of pamphlets you need. *
* *
**********************************************************************
* PSYCHOLOGY ASTRAY: *
* Fallacies in Studies of "Repressed Memory" and Childhood Trauma *
* by Harrison G. Pope, Jr., M.D. *
* Upton Books *
* *
* This is an indispensable guide for any person who wants or needs *
* to understand the research claims about recovered memories. A *
* review by Stuart Sutherland in the prestigious Nature magazine *
* (July 17, 1997) says that the book is a "model of clear thinking *
* and clear exposition." The book is an outgrowth of the "Focus on *
* Science" columns that have appeared in this newsletter. *
* To Order: 800-232-7477 *
**********************************************************************
* *
* WEB SITES OF INTEREST *
* *
* comp.uark.edu/~lampinen/read.html *
* The Lampinen Lab False Memory Reading Group *
* University of Arkansas *
* *
* www.exploratorium.edu/memory *
* The Exploratorium Memory Exhibit *
* *
* www.ctnow.com/memory *
* Hartford Courant memory series *
* *
* www.tmdArchives.org *
* The Memory Debate Archives *
* *
* www.francefms.com *
* French language website *
* *
* www.StopBadTherapy.com *
* Contains phone numbers of professional *
* regulatory boards in all 50 states *
* *
* www.IllinoisFMS.org *
* Illinois-Wisconsin FMS Society *
* *
* www.ltech.net/OHIOarmhp *
* Ohio Group *
* *
* www.afma.asn.au *
* Australian False Memory Association. *
* *
* www.bfms.org.uk *
* British False Memory Society *
* *
* www.geocities.com/retractor *
* This site is run by Laura Pasley (retractor) *
* *
* www.geocities.com/therapyletters *
* This site is run by Deb David (retractor) *
* *
* www.sirs.com/uptonbooks/index.htm *
* Upton Books *
* *
* www.angelfire.com/tx/recoveredmemories/ *
* Locate books about FMS *
* Recovered Memory Bookstore *
* *
* www.religioustolerance.org/sra.htm *
* Information about Satanic Ritual Abuse *
* *
* www.angryparents.net *
* Parents Against Cruel Therapy *
* *
* www.geocities.com/newcosanz *
* New Zealand FMS Group *
* *
* www.werkgroepwfh.nl *
* Netherlands FMS Group *
* *
* www.falseallegation.org *
* National Child Abuse Defense & Resource Center *
* *
* www.nasw.org/users/markp *
* Excerpts from Victims of Memory. *
* *
* http://www.rickross.com/groups/fsm.html *
* Ross Institute *
* *
* www.hopkinsmedicine.org/jhhpsychiatry/perspec1.htm *
* Perspectives for Psychiatry by Paul McHugh *
* *
* www.enigma.se/info/FFI.htm *
* FMS in Scandinavia - Janet Hagbom *
* *
* www.ncrj.org *
* National Center for Reason & Justice *
* *
* LEGAL WEBSITES OF INTEREST *
* www.caseassist.com *
* www.findlaw.com *
* www.legalengine.com *
* www.accused.com *
* www.abuse-excuse.com *
* *
**********************************************************************
* New Web Site of Interest *
* *
* Is Theophostic Ministry biblical? Is it safe? What are theologians *
* and Christian apologists saying about this controversial Christian *
* therapy? Visit this site to read a free e-book (in PDF and HTML): *
* "Lying Spirits: A Christian Journalist's Report on Theophostic *
* Ministry." This in-depth, investigative report is written by Jan *
* Fletcher, a Christian journalist from Campbellsville, KY., home of *
* Theophostic Ministry. *
* *
* http://www.undergroundbride.com/lyingspirits.html *
**********************************************************************
* *
* New Web Site of Interest *
* *
* http://home.wanadoo.nl/traumaversterking *
* *
* This English language website has been established *
* by a retractor in the Netherlands. *
* *
**********************************************************************
* REMEMBERING TRAUMA *
* by Richard McNally *
* Harvard University Press *
* The most comprehensive review of research about trauma and memory *
* *
* Highly recommended *
* *
**********************************************************************
* SNOWBIRDS *
* Please send the FMSF your change of address. *
**********************************************************************
* *
* SCIENCE and PSEUDOSCIENCE in CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY *
* *
* S. O. Lilienfeld, S.J. Lynn and J.M. Lohr (eds.) *
* New York: Guilford Press (2003) *
* *
* Highly recommended *
* *
**********************************************************************
* VICTIMS OF MEMORY: SEX ABUSE ACCUSATIONS AND SHATTERED LIVES *
* by Mark Pendergrast. *
* Upper Access Books. *
* *
* "An impressive display of scholarship...a comprehensive treatment *
* of the recovered-memories controversy.... Pendergrast offers a *
* broader portrayal of the social and cultural contexts of the *
* recovered-memories phenomenon [than other books on the subject]. *
* His treatment is also distinguished by some welcome historical *
* perspective....Pendergrast demonstrates a laudable ability to lay *
* out all sides of the argument....[He] renders a sympathetic *
* portrayal of recovery therapists as well-intentioned but *
* misinformed players in a drama that has veered out of control." *
* Daniel L. Schacter *
* Scientific American *
* To order: 800-310-8320 or *
* www.upperaccess.com/books.htm#226v2 *
**********************************************************************
* *
* THE RUTHERFORD FAMILY *
* SPEAKS TO FMS FAMILIES *
* *
* The video made by the Rutherford family is the most popular video *
* of FMSF families. It covers the complete story from accusation, to *
* retraction and reconciliation. Family members describe the things *
* they did to cope and to help reunite. Of particular interest are *
* Beth Rutherford's comments about what her family did that helped *
* her to retract and return. *
* To order video send request to *
* FMSF Video, Rt. 1 Box 510 *
* Burkeville, TX 75932 *
* $10.00 per tape *
* Canada add $4.00 per tape *
* Other countries add $10.00 per tape *
* Make checks payable to *
* FMS Foundation *
* *
**********************************************************************
_____________________________________
F M S B U L L E T I N B O A R D
Contacts & Meetings:
_____________
UNITED STATES
ALABAMA
See Georgia
ALASKA
Kathleen 907-333-5248
ARIZONA
Phoenix
Pat 480-396-9420
ARKANSAS
Little Rock
Al & Lela 870-363-4368
CALIFORNIA
Sacramento
Joanne & Gerald 916-933-3655
Jocelyn 530-873-0919
San Francisco & North Bay
Charles 415-984-6626 (am); 415-435-9618 (pm)
San Francisco & South Bay
Eric 408-738-0469
East Bay Area
Judy 925-952-4853
Central Coast
Carole 805-967-8058
Palm Desert
Eileen and Jerry 909-659-9636
Central Orange County - 1st Fri. (MO) @ 7pm
Chris & Alan 949-733-2925
Covina Area
Floyd & Libby 626-330-2321
San Diego Area
Dee 760-439-4630
COLORADO
Colorado Springs
Doris 719-488-9738
CONNECTICUT
S. New England
Earl 203-329-8365 or
Paul 203-458-9173
FLORIDA
Date/Boward
Madeline 954-966-4FMS
Central Florida - Please call for mtg. time
John & Nancy 352-750-5446
Sarasota
Francis & Sally 941-342-8310
Tampa Bay Area
Bob & Janet 727-856-7091
GEORGIA
Atlanta
Wallie & Jill 770-971-8917
ILLINOIS
Chicago & Suburbs - 1st Sun. (MO)
Eileen 847-985-7693 or
Liz & Roger 847-827-1056
Peoria
Bryant & Lynn 309-674-2767
INDIANA
Indiana Assn. for Responsible Mental Health Practices
Pat 260-489-9987
Helen 574-753-2779
KANSAS
Wichita - Meeting as called
Pat 785-738-4840
KENTUCKY
Louisville- Last Sun. (MO) @ 2pm
Bob 502-367-1838
MAINE
Rumford
Carolyn 207-364-8891
Portland
Wally & Boby 207-878-9812
MASSACHUSETTS/NEW ENGLAND
Andover - 2nd Sun. (MO) @ 1pm
Frank 978-263-9795
MICHIGAN
Grand Rapids Area-Jenison - 1st Mon. (MO)
Bill & Marge 616-383-0382
Greater Detroit Area
Nancy 248-642-8077
Ann Arbor
Martha 734-439-4055
MINNESOTA
Terry & Collette 507-642-3630
Dan & Joan 651-631-2247
MISSOURI
Kansas City - Meeting as called
Pat 785-738-4840
St. Louis Area - call for meeting time
Karen 314-432-8789
Springfield - Quarterly (Apr., Jul., Oct., Jan. -
last Sat. of month) @12:30pm
Tom 417-753-4878
Roxie 417-781-2058
MONTANA
Lee & Avone 406-443-3189
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Mark 802-872-0847
NEW JERSEY
Southern
Sally 609-927-5343
Northern
Nancy 973-729-1433
NEW MEXICO
Albuquerque -2nd Sat. (bi-MO) @1 pm
Southwest Room - Presbyterian Hospital
Maggie 505-662-7521 (after 6:30 pm)
Sy 505-758-0726
NEW YORK
Manhattan
Michael 212-481-6655
Westchester, Rockland, etc.
Barbara 914-761-3627
Upstate/Albany Area
Elaine 518-399-5749
NORTH CAROLINA
Susan 704-538-7202
OHIO
Cleveland
Bob & Carole 440-356-4544
OKLAHOMA
Oklahoma City
Dee 405-942-0531
Tulsa
Jim 918-582-7363
OREGON
Portland area
Kathy 503-655-1587
PENNSYLVANIA
Harrisburg
Paul & Betty 717-691-7660
Pittsburgh
Rick & Renee 412-563-5509
Montrose
John 717-278-2040
Wayne (includes S. NJ) - 2nd Sat. (MO)
Jim & Jo 610-783-0396
TENNESSEE
Nashville - Wed. (MO) @1pm
Kate 615-665-1160
TEXAS
Houston
Jo or Beverly 713-464-8970
El Paso
Mary Lou 915-591-0271
UTAH
Keith 801-467-0669
VERMONT
Mark 802-872-0847
VIRGINIA
Sue 703-273-2343
WASHINGTON
Kathy 503-557-7118
WISCONSIN
Katie & Leo 414-476-0285 or
Susanne & John 608-427-3686
WYOMING
Alan & Lorinda 307-322-4170
_____________
INTERNATIONAL
BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA
Vancouver & Mainland
Lloyd 250-741-8941
Victoria & Vancouver Island
John 250-721-3219
MANITOBA
Roma 204-275-5723
ONTARIO, CANADA
London
Adriaan 519-471-6338
Ottawa
Eileen 613-836-3294
Warkworth
Ethel 705-924-2546
Burlington
Ken & Marina 905-637-6030
Waubaushene
Paula 705-543-0318
QUEBEC, CANADA
St. Andre Est.
Mavis 450-537-8187
AUSTRALIA
Evelyn
everei@adam.com.au
BELGIUM
werkgr.fict.herinneringen@altavista.net
ISRAEL
FMS ASSOCIATION fax 972-2-625-9282
NETHERLANDS
Task Force FMS of Werkgroep Fictieve
Herinneringen
Jan 31-184-413-085
NEW ZEALAND
Colleen 09-416-7443
SWEDEN
Ake Moller FAX 48-431-217-90
UNITED KINGDOM
The British False Memory Society
Madeline 44-1225 868-682
__________________________________________________
Deadline for the July/August Newsletter is June 15
Meeting notices MUST be in writing
and should be sent no later than TWO MONTHS PRIOR TO MEETING.
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 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". 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.
**********************************************************************
Pamela Freyd, Ph.D., Executive Director
FMSF Scientific and Professional Advisory Board, May 1, 2004
AARON T. BECK, M.D., D.M.S., U of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA;
TERENCE W. CAMPBELL, Ph.D., Clinical and Forensic Psychology,
Sterling Heights, MI;
ROSALIND CARTWRIGHT, Ph.D., Rush Presbyterian St. Luke's 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, Philadelphia, PA;
HENRY C. ELLIS, Ph.D., University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM;
FRED H. FRANKEL, MBChB, DPM, Harvard University Medical School;
GEORGE K. GANAWAY, M.D., Emory University of Medicine, Atlanta, GA;
MARTIN GARDNER, Author, Hendersonville, NC;
ROCHEL GELMAN, Ph.D., Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ;
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., (deceased)Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New
York, NY;
ERNEST HILGARD, Ph.D., (deceased) 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;
ROBERT A. KARLIN, Ph.D. , Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ;
HAROLD LIEF, M.D., University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA;
ELIZABETH LOFTUS, Ph.D., University of California, Irvine, CA;
SUSAN L. McELROY, M.D., University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH;
PAUL McHUGH, M.D., Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD;
HAROLD MERSKEY, D.M., University of Western Ontario, London, Canada;
SPENCER HARRIS MORFIT, Author, Westford, MA;
ULRIC NEISSER, Ph.D., Cornell University, Ithaca, NY;
RICHARD OFSHE, Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley, CA;
EMILY CAROTA ORNE, B.A., University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA;
MARTIN ORNE, M.D., Ph.D., (deceased) U of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
LOREN PANKRATZ, Ph.D., Oregon Health Sciences Univ., Portland, OR;
CAMPBELL PERRY, Ph.D., (deceased) 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, Boston, MA;
JAMES RANDI, Author and Magician, Plantation, FL;
HENRY L. ROEDIGER, III, Ph.D. ,Washington University, St. Louis, MO;
CAROLYN SAARI, Ph.D., Loyola University, Chicago, IL;
THEODORE SARBIN, Ph.D., University of California, Santa Cruz, CA;
THOMAS A. SEBEOK, Ph.D., (deceased) U of Indiana, Bloomington, IN;
MICHAEL A. SIMPSON, M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P., M.R.C, D.O.M., Center for
Psychosocial & Traumatic Stress, Pretoria, South Africa;
MARGARET SINGER, Ph.D., {deceased) 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 Ctr, Piscataway, NJ;
JEFFREY VICTOR, Ph.D., Jamestown Community College, Jamestown, NY;
HOLLIDA WAKEFIELD, M.A., Institute of Psychological Therapies,
Northfield, MN;
CHARLES A. WEAVER, III, Ph.D. Baylor University, Waco, TX
**********************************************************************
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**********************************************************************