Castlewood eating disorder lawsuit to be dismissed, Woman killed in human sacrifice ritual in Nalasopara, 6 arrested

Castlewood eating disorder lawsuit to be dismissed
December 16, 2013  By Blythe Bernhard

Two years after Lisa Nasseff accused psychologist Mark Schwartz of implanting her with false memories of sexual abuse and satanic cult activity, her lawsuit against Castlewood Treatment Center and its former director will be dismissed Friday, according to filings in St. Louis County Circuit Court.

Attorneys say Nasseff’s case was resolved favorably for both sides. Few details were available. The case appeared headed for settlement, then last month the court file indicated the case would be dismissed.

Separate lawsuits from three other women with similar claims of brainwashing, hypnosis and concocted memories during their lengthy stays at the eating disorder treatment clinic on the outskirts of Castlewood State Park in Ballwin appear headed to the same conclusion.

But an additional 25 to 30 families across the country who have formed the group Castlewood Victims Unite say the dismissal of the cases and the expected confidentiality agreements are disappointing....

Castlewood staff deny the allegations of brainwashing and say no therapist has ever created false memories or hypnotized clients.

Since the fourth lawsuit was filed by Colette Travers in late 2012, Castlewood has made sweeping changes to its leadership team and public relations strategy....

The decision for Schwartz and Galperin to step down was made by the couple, the Castlewood board of directors and the owners, Trinity Hunt Partners of Dallas, which bought the sprawling treatment center in 2008. At the time of the agency’s $25 million move into behavioral health, Trinity Hunt referred to Schwartz and Galperin as “highly regarded clinicians with extensive experience in treating individuals suffering from eating disorders and psychological trauma.” Their departure is not related to the lawsuits, according to Nancy Albus, who has worked at Castlewood for 10 years and was promoted to CEO a year ago....

“It’s time to really address some of the misperceptions and misrepresentations and show the quality of care we provide,” Albus said in a recent interview inside the spacious home where 16 men and women can live while undergoing intensive therapy for eating disorders. Castlewood’s properties include space for 26 residential clients as well as outpatient services....

Eating disorders have the highest death rate of any mental illness. Some residents of Castlewood are so ill that they require feeding tubes, and others are so weak that they use wheelchairs. Almost all are also dealing with anxiety, depression or post-traumatic stress disorder. About half of the people who come to Castlewood have been deemed treatment failures by other facilities, according to staff members.

Much of the debate surrounding Castlewood has been its use of a therapy called internal family systems, which involves encouraging patients to improve the parts of themselves that are destructive. Several experts in eating disorders have said internal family systems is not the standard of care because malnourished patients and those on psychotropic drugs are particularly vulnerable to having their memories and personalities twisted.

Jim Gerber, Castlewood’s clinical director, said internal family systems is just one of the options available to residents, and that accessing painful memories is a part of the healing process. People who have compartmentalized memories might need help to access them during therapy, but it’s not a “fishing expedition,” he said.

“We have to deal with a person’s past experience,” Gerber said. “The goal is for a person to come to an understanding of their life to deal with what they struggle with in the present. In no intervention does someone say ‘this happened to you.’”

Several alumni and current residents who agreed to recent interviews at the facility say they credit Castlewood with saving their lives and could not relate to the experiences detailed in the lawsuits.
http://www.stltoday.com/lifestyles/health-med-fit/health/castlewood-eating-disorder-lawsuit-to-be-dismissed/article_28cf3275-a29e-5391-997e-243bdae361c3.html



Woman killed in human sacrifice ritual in Nalasopara, 6 arrested
Sandhya Nair, TNN Dec 15, 2013

MUMBAI: A day after the state assembly passed the anti-superstition bill, a tantrik and five others were arrested by Thane rural police for killing a 50-year-old woman in a human sacrifice ritual....
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-12-15/mumbai/45215790_1_tantrik-anti-superstition-bill-nalasopara