Eileen Aveni’s Reply to Evan Anderson, Director of The Grey Faction of The Satanic Temple in Context:
The Campaign to Discredit Mental Health Professionals
Eileen Aveni LMSW, LCSW, ACSW, BCD
May 28, 2021
(Please note: This article and page is strictly the
opinion of the author and not necessarily the opinion of the SMART
newsletter or the webmaster. All accusations are alleged)
I am one in a long and growing list of mental health professionals
who have been targets of an aggressive, systematic, and vitriolic
harassment and disinformation campaign by Evan Anderson and The Grey
Faction of The Satanic Temple (TGF/TST) over at least the past five
years. This campaign explicitly attempts to discredit and marginalize
professionals who study, treat, and educate on ritual abuse,
torture-based mind control, human trafficking, and the production of
child abuse materials.
The targets of The Grey Faction of The Satanic Temple’s propaganda
campaign include criminologists, psychological and forensic researchers,
university professors, and licensed and registered mental health
professionals—psychologists, psychiatrists, clinical social workers,
marriage and family counselors, professional counselors, and more, who
provide psychotherapy to children and adults subjected to these extreme
forms of child abuse and who, as a result, suffer complex, developmental
psychological trauma, including Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)
and dissociated and recovered memories of being abused.
This article is a reply to the harassment and false accusations
propagated against me and my mental health colleagues by Evan Anderson,
Director of The Grey Faction of The Satanic Temple, with background
information to place the current campaign in important historical
context.
Forms of The Grey Faction / The Satanic Temple Harassment
Forms of harassment engaged in by Evan Anderson and The Grey Faction of The Satanic Temple (TGF/TST) include:
- An aggressive Internet disinformation campaign characterized by ad
hominem attacks, bombastic, sensational, and repetitive language, a tone
of hatred, ridicule, and arrogance, websites displaying morbid and
shocking imagery, false, distorted, and exaggerated claims, and
statements and quotations presented as facts that lack any basis and
omit references. They fail to acknowledge credible academic and news
sources that refute their claims and arguments, they cite the
professionals they attack out of context, build arguments on logical
fallacies, limit arguments to a few, repetitive points, reference
non-scholarly materials to negate scholarly data, and most egregious,
fail to acknowledge the testimony of countless survivors of extreme
abuse.
Evan Anderson and The Grey Faction of The Satanic Temple’s ad hominem
attacks include scathing personal accusations that lack basis in fact
and even include mockery of the physical characteristics of those they
target.
In addition, TGF/TST materials frequently describe the now-voluminous
academic, forensic, and clinical evidence of ritual abuse, organized
abusive groups, and the resulting psychological and physical symptoms as
“delusional,” “irresponsible” “bizarre,” “evidence-free,” reckless”
“unscientific,” and “discredited.”
- Filing multiple, frivolous licensing board complaints against mental
health professionals on the basis of their publishing and/or
presentations about extreme forms of abuse and Dissociative Identity
Disorder (DID) and broadcasting these complaints widely on the Internet.
These complaints are not generated or filed by patients objecting to
the practices of their psychotherapists.
- Filing multiple complaints to credentialing bodies and professional
organizations against individuals, educational institutions, and
professional organizations that provide continuing education or
university academic credit for teaching about extreme forms of abuse,
and broadcasting these complaints widely on the Internet. This is an
effort to thwart the academic freedom to educate on these subjects.
- Infiltrating and physically disrupting professional conferences and
government meetings, and recording and publicizing confidential
presentations and documents.
Aims of The Grey Faction / The Satanic Temple Propaganda
The propaganda spread by Evan Anderson and The Grey Faction of The Satanic Temple includes efforts to:
- Discredit the diagnoses of dissociative disorders, especially
dissociative amnesia and Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), despite
these diagnoses’ longstanding inclusion in The Diagnostic and
Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association.
- Argue that DID is an iatrogenic artifact of bad therapy rather than
the result of childhood trauma. This position has little if any research
basis. (See: Dalenberg, C. J., Brand, B. L., Gleaves, D. H., Dorahy, M.
J., Loewenstein, R. J., Cardeña, E., … & Spiegel, D. (2012).
Evaluation of the evidence for the trauma and fantasy models of
dissociation. Psychological Bulletin, 138(3), 550. Available online at Evaluation of the evidence. See also: Brand, B. “Is dissociation trauma based or fantasy based.” Available online at Trauma based or fantasy based.)
- Convince the public and the mental health profession (a) that
memories of child abuse are not dissociated, (b) that recovered memories
of child abuse are likely to be false, (c) that any memories of abuse
are likely to be “false memories,” and (d) that psychotherapists
commonly “implant” “false memories” of child abuse in adult and child
clients.
Extensive research both on memory and on child abuse contradicts
these positions. The research shows that memories of child abuse and
other trauma is encoded in the brain differently from every day
memories. They can be (a) more enduring than memories of more typical
events, (b) more focused on the details that posed danger than on
peripheral stimuli, (c) more somatosensory, (d) initially dissociated,
and (e) recalled with significant accuracy years, even decades, later.
(See: Chapter 16: Trauma and Memory, by M. Rose Barlow, Kathy Pezdek,
and Iris Blandón-Gitlin. APA Handbook of Trauma Psychology: Vol. 1.
Foundations in Knowledge, S. N. Gold (Editor-in-Chief) (2017), American
Psychological Assn. Available online at Trauma and Memory.
See also: Canada Department of Justice: The Impact of Trauma on Adult
Sexual Assault Victims, PART III – How Trauma Affects Memory and Recall.
Available online at Canada Justice.)
- Argue that established psychotherapy methods, such as Eye Movement
Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), hypnotherapy, guided imagery,
art, and journaling, induce “false memories.”
- Discredit child abuse victims’ memories and psychological trauma,
including: (a) children’s disclosures, (b) delayed disclosures, (c)
amnesia for child abuse, (d) repressed or dissociated memories of child
abuse, (e) recovered memories of child abuse, (f) formation of
dissociated identities in response to child abuse, and, (g) memories of
child abuse that is extreme, particularly abuse that is ritualistic or
perpetrated by networks of offenders.
Of course, denying the validity both of children’s memories of abuse
and of delayed (i.e., adult) memories of abuse is to deny the
possibility of any memory of child abuse. Obviously, this denial is untenable.
- Coerce and intimidate psychotherapists into: (a) dismissing
dissociative disorders as not actual or as iatrogenic, (b) discussing
recovered memories of abuse as not true, (c) dismissing as delusional
any memories of ritualistic abuse or abuse by networks of offenders,
and, (d) not filing mandated reports of suspected child abuse to child
protection or law enforcement based on clients’ reports of recovered
memories of extreme abuse.
Such propaganda spread by Evan Anderson and The Grey Faction of The
Satanic Temple creates a hostile backdrop for the provision of
psychotherapy on a number of fronts.
- It can stir fear of public ridicule and legal actions in
psychotherapists as they diagnose dissociative disorders, respond to
clients’ reports of child abuse, especially the most extreme forms of
abuse, and treat their trauma.
- It can cause psychotherapists and their professional organizations
to avoid writing and teaching about recovered memories, dissociative
disorders, and extreme abuse, especially ritualistic abuse.
- It can create unwarranted self-doubt in individuals who have
memories of child abuse or who have troubling dissociative symptoms.
The TGF/TST propaganda is so outrageous as to be entertaining were it
not hindering the spread of truth and inhibiting the development of
individual and profession-wide understanding of the nature and
prevalence of abuse and its sequelae. This, however, appears to be the
purpose of the propaganda, and results in fewer people being protected
from horrific, ongoing abuse
Nevertheless, many survivors do come forward seeking the help they
need to get free from abusive groups and to experience healing from
their trauma. And many professionals continue to work in the field
unflinchingly.
My Professional Background
I have been a psychotherapist for 42 years, certified and licensed in
Michigan continuously since 1979 as well as licensed in Virginia since
2016, and have specialized in treating trauma throughout my career. I
have successfully treated at least 75 survivors of ritual abuse and
consulted for mental health professionals, police and other law
enforcement agencies, psychiatric hospitals, church hierarchies, and
pastoral leaders on at least another 100 ritual abuse cases.
In addition, I have treated thousands of individuals suffering from
other forms of extreme and complex trauma and have consulted extensively
for the entities listed above, plus child protection agencies, medical
hospitals, courts, the U.S. State Department, and Victims of Pan Am
Flight 103 (the Lockerbie bombing family support/advocacy organization).
For the last 25 years, I have been an international speaker, teacher,
and consultant on extreme abuse, including ritual abuse, mind control,
organized abuse (RA/MC/OA), and Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) to
mental health professionals, law enforcement, churches, and community
groups. I have appeared frequently on radio and television broadcasts,
and have spoken to countless community groups on the treatment of
systematic, planned, organized, extreme abuse, complex trauma, and
harassment—including clergy abuse, ritual abuse, mind control
programming, government medical and psychological experimentation,
terrorism, and human trafficking.
In 2011, I was invited to Malaysia to create and teach a Master’s
level psychotherapy methods course and provide a therapy/counseling
internship for 41 graduating counseling students. Before this time,
nationwide standards had required internship supervisors to have only
field experience, not professional degrees in therapy or counseling.
Inaugurating the university’s new high-tech counseling center wing, I
provided students advanced training in methods and careful, monitored
individual and group supervision of some of the most complex cases that
can occur in treatment—a program that was now equal to international
standards.
During my three-plus months in Malaysia, I also taught courses on
trauma treatment at several other Malaysian universities, and presented
workshops and seminars to a newly formed Malaysian counseling
association, to sexual assault women’s centers, to counseling centers,
and to a ministry serving trafficking victims fleeing to Malaysia from
other nations.
I was the 2016 Chair of the RAMCOA Special Interest Group (SIG), a
division of the International Society for the Study of Trauma and
Dissociation (ISSTD), a large body of mental health professionals from
many nations. (The ISSTD sets professional standards for practice and
treatment guidelines in the field of trauma and dissociation. See https://www.isst-d.org/resources/adult-treatment-guidelines/)
I am developing and testing a new model of treating and eradicating
mind control called the “Migration Model” for treatment of extreme abuse
survivors with DID. (See “The Migration Model: A New Approach to Mind
Control Treatment in Ritual Abuse Clients.” International Society for
the Study of Trauma and Dissociation Conference, Chicago, IL, 90-minute
workshop, March 24, 2018. Abstract available online (recording and
slides available to ISSTD members) at Migration Model-ISSTD. See also https://www.ra-free.org/migration-model.)
I serve on the Boards of two domestic and international organizations serving extreme abuse survivors.
I am currently researching and writing on the connection between trafficking and RA/MC/OA.
For more of my expertise, refer to the Partial CV at the end of this article.
Despite my training, extensive experience, and international
standing, I now find myself professionally harassed by frivolous
accusations and an online smear campaign by individuals and groups who
lack the professional background to assess the psychiatric diagnoses and
treatments they disparage, and who ignore or deny the decades of
thoroughly documented, worldwide forensic, clinical, and historical
evidence of the systematic abuses I and my colleagues treat.
Let me provide some historical context for my story, because the
attacks on the profession and on survivors didn’t start with Evan
Anderson or The Grey Faction of The Satanic Temple. The attacks have a
long, sordid history dating back to the era when extreme abuse survivors
first started to seek professional help.
The History of Professional Harassment
CHILD ABUSE ENTERS THE PUBLIC AWARENESS
In the 1970s, child physical abuse slowly began to enter the
awareness of mental health professionals following the 1968 publication
of “The Battered Child,” by Ray E. Helfer and Ruth S. Kempe (1968:
London: Pearson Education). In 1974, the Child Abuse Prevention and
Treatment Act established the National Center on Child Abuse and
Neglect. In the 1980s, child sexual abuse slowly began to enter
the awareness of mental health professionals. In 1981, twenty-five
volunteer and professional organizations formed the National Child Abuse
Coalition to put pressure on Congress to create more laws addressing
sexual abuse. That same year, Harvard University professor of psychiatry
Judith Lewis Herman published her book “Father-Daughter Incest” (1981:
Harvard University Press). Child abuse began to be increasingly
discussed in the media and victims increasingly disclosed their abuse to
the authorities and in psychotherapy.
SEXUAL AND RITUAL ABUSE
By the mid-1980s, victims of extreme abuse, including ritual abuse,
slowly began to come forward. In 1991, the Los Angeles County Commission
for Women published the “Report of the Ritual Abuse Task Force”
(available online at L.A. Task Force). The mental health community and child protection agencies listened.
Slowly, training began to be offered to mental health professionals,
child protection agencies, and law enforcement. Although the existence
of this purposeful, abhorrent, sadistic behavior was initially hard to
synthesize, awareness was growing, journal articles began to be
published, and investigation protocols began to be developed within
child protection agencies.
PSEUDO-SCIENTIFIC PROPAGANDA BACKLASH
At the same time, a backlash campaign was begun to dispute the
reality and prevalence of the child abuse that was being revealed,
especially extreme abuse. In March of 1992, the backlash became
institutionalized when Peter and Pamela Freyd, whose daughter, Jennifer
Freyd, had accused her father of sexually abusing her, co-founded the
False Memory Syndrome Foundation (FMSF) with the help of about 20
prominent mental health professionals, including Paul McHugh and
Elizabeth Loftus. In actuality, FMS is not a syndrome. Rather, as
Stephanie Dallam says, it is “a pseudoscientific syndrome that was
developed to defend against claims of child abuse.” (Dallam, S. (2002). “Crisis or Creation: A systematic examination of false memory claims”. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse 9 (3/4): 9–36. See also Child Abuse Wiki-FMS.
See also “The False Memory Syndrome at 30: How Flawed Science Turned
into Conventional Wisdom,” by Joshua Kendall (February 7, 2021),
available online at FMS at 30. See also online documentation at Pseudoscience.)
Particular focal points of FMSF propaganda included alleging (1) that
parents and/or therapists influence children to believe they had been
abused or to disclose child abuse, (2) that delayed disclosure of child
abuse is likely not credible, (3) that memories of child abuse do not
become repressed or dissociated, (4) that memories of abuse are not
later recovered, (5) that Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) is not an
actual disorder but an artifact of bad therapy, and, with the greatest
vigor (5) that ritual abuse and mind control do not exist and that any
reports of such abuse are false, resulting from “satanic panic,” “moral
panic,” “mass hysteria,” overzealous therapists, therapists trying to
prolong their patients’ therapy for financial profit, Christian belief
in demons, and patients influencing each others’ memories.
A PROFESSION UNDER SIEGE
The FMSF encouraged psychotherapy patients to sue their therapists
for “implanting” “false memories” or causing them to develop purported
“False Memory Syndrome.” They launched letter-writing campaigns to
legislators urging passage of legislation that would reduce successful
legal prosecution of child abuse. They courted the media, and both
newspapers and television gave their propaganda a megaphone. In some
cases, FMSF urged and abetted public harassment of therapists (See:
“Notes from a Practice under Siege: Harassment, Defamation, and
Intimidation in the Name of Science,” by David L. Calof, Ethics and
Behavior, 1998, 8 (2):161 –187. Available online at https://ritualabuse.us/research/memory-fms/notes-from-a-practice-under-siege.)
The combination of these large-scale publicity campaigns and lawsuits
had a deep impact on abuse survivors and on the practice of
psychotherapy. Workshops on risk management and law and ethics
instructed psychotherapists to educate patients about the malleability
of memory, not to tell their patients that they judged any reported
memories of abuse to have basis, and even not to ask patients whether
they had ever been abused as a child. Professional standards of care
were re-written to adapt to these risk management concerns. Therapists
began to practice more and more “defensive psychotherapy.” Some
psychotherapists stopped treating child abuse victims and survivors.
Many therapists dismissed DID as iatrogenic or rare. Many therapists and
hospital programs responded to patients’ reports of extreme abuse with
dismissal, incredulity, or advice to focus only on present-day concerns.
Some therapists closed their practices.
Fortunately, some therapists continued to recognize ritual abuse and
mind control as actual and extreme forms of abuse. Some continued to
teach and publish. Many continued to serve survivors quietly. In
addition, survivors supported each other by creating grass-roots
organizations and survivor support groups.
THE EVIDENCE BUILDS
Since the early 1990s, the documented evidence of horrific and
widespread abuse, including ritual abuse, has only grown. Here are just a
few of the more recent examples.
- The 2007 “Extreme Abuse Survey” of ritual abuse survivors, with
responses from over 2,000 respondents in 40 countries, conducted by the
German and American researchers Thorsten Becker, Wanda Karriker, Bettina
Overkamp, and Carol Rutz. (Available online at https://www.extreme-abuse-survey.org/survey.php?en=b. A summary of findings from the survey is available for downloading in PDF format by clicking http://endritualabuse.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Findings-from-the-2007-EAS-Series-June-25-2016.pdf.)
- The 2008 “Torture of Canadian women by Non-state Actors in the
Private Sphere: A Shadow Report” by Canadian activists Jeanne Sarson and
Linda MacDonald, who are now working with the United Nations to expose
and combat abuse, exposing ritual abuse networks throughout Canada.
(Available online at Shadow Report.)
- The 2014 article “Empirical and Forensic Evidence of Ritual Abuse,”
Chapter 6 in “Cult and Ritual Abuse: Narratives, Evidence, and Healing
Approaches,” 3rd ed., by James Randall Noblitt and Pamela Perskin Noblitt (2014: Praeger). (Available online at http://endritualabuse.org/empirical-and-forensic-evidence-of-ritual-abuse/)
- The explosive, four-part, 2019 New York Times investigative series
“Exploited,” exposing the multi-billion dollar online child sexual abuse
industry, created both by large-scale organized crime networks and
peer-to-peer networks in the community, aided and abetted by high tech
networks, which displays the same forms of torture-level abuse reported
by survivors of ritual abuse and mind control.
Part 1: The Internet is Overrun with Images of Child Sexual Abuse. What Went Wrong? (Sep 29, 2019)
Part 2: Child Abusers Run Rampant as Tech Companies Look the Other Way (Nov 9, 2019)
Part 3: Video Games and Online Chats are ‘Hunting Grounds’ for Sexual Predators (Dec 7, 2019)
Part 4: Fighting the Good Fight Against Online Child Sexual Abuse (Dec 23, 2019)
- Laila Mickelwait’s “Traffickinghub” petition, calling for the
shutdown of online porn site, Pornhub, which hosts millions of videos of
sex trafficking and child rape, and for the prosecution of its owners
and executives. See Trafficking Hub Petition – Shut Down Pornhub #Traffickinghub
- Nicholas Kristof’s December 4, 2020, New York Times editorial, The Children of Pornhub, which was instrumental in prompting credit card companies to drop services to Pornhub.
- Nicholas Kristof’s December 9, 2020, follow-up New York Times editorial, An Uplifting Update on the Terrible World of Pornhub.
- Nicholas Kristof’s April 16, 2021, New York Times editorial, Why Do We Let Corporations Profit from Rape Videos?
- The frequently updated “Ritual Abuse, Ritual Crime and Healing”
website, listing some of the criminal convictions of perpetrators of
ritual abuse around the world. Conviction List: Ritual Abuse Cases – RA Info (ra-info.org)
- The “Child Abuse Wiki” website, whose goal is to publicize “accurate
and scientific information on child abuse issues…backed by journal
articles and reputable sources…in an easy to read format” (See http://www.childabusewiki.org/index.php?title=Ritual_Abuse)
The Grey Faction of The Satanic Temple (TGF/TST)
The False Memory Syndrome Foundation folded in 2019. Since then, Evan
Anderson and The Grey Faction arm of The Satanic Temple have taken the
lead in publicly harassing those helping extreme abuse survivors. In
fact, The Grey Faction is explicitly dedicated to disrupting the work of
mental health professionals who are working to rescue and help victims
of child abuse, rape, and trauma worldwide. It maintains a page on The
Satanic Temple website as well as a separate site of its own. Both
promulgate appallingly outdated and wildly inaccurate information about
extreme abuse, its prevalence, the trauma it is known to cause, and its
treatment. The group actively promotes harassment and disparagement of
professionals serving the survivor population
and—[inexplicably]—continues to deny the existence of ritual abuse
itself.
The Grey Faction of The Satanic Temple’s materials frequently refer
to therapists who acknowledge the reality of ritual abuse and mind
control as “Conspiracy Therapists.” It’s a clever pun, but don’t let it
fool you. It is TGF/TST who are conspiracy theorists. As Dr. Alison
Miller, a retired but still-harassed psychologist who has contributed
enormously to the professional literature on ritual abuse writes: “It
appears that the leadership of the Grey Faction believe there is a
conspiracy of highly credentialed mental health professionals, including
psychiatrists, psychologists, clinical social workers, criminologists,
psychotherapists and counselors, all of whom agree with my understanding
of this kind of trauma” (see Alison Miller’s Reply).
The following pages of the “Stop Mind Control and Ritual Abuse Today
(SMART)” website give further insight into the goals and tactics of The
Grey Faction of The Satanic Temple.
https://ritualabuse.us/ritualabuse/grey-faction-satanic-temple-and-lucien-greaves-fact-sheet/
https://ritualabuse.us/research/rebuttals-of-satanic-panic-theory-and-false-memory-syndrome/
As elaborated on the above sites, Evan Anderson and TGF/TST make many
unfounded and unsubstantiated claims on the one hand, and, on the
other, deny many thoroughly documented facts regarding ritual abuse,
including the existence of networks of abusers and traffickers that
utilize ritual abuse and mind control. No one who has researched the
topic of ritual abuse can not know about this information. It
is well-established in the professional, scientific, and forensic
literature and publicized on the Internet and, more and more, in
mainstream media. The evidence includes government documents revealing
systematic abuse and mind control experiments in military and government
settings spanning several decades. These materials, released pursuant
to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), include documentation of the
CIA’s “Mk-Ultra” mind control experimentation program that was exposed
in the 1970’s. These records are available on the CIA’s website, www.cia.gov/readingroom/search/site/mk-ultra.
Since 2019, even mainstream media have been exposing egregious abuse,
including international prostitution and trafficking rings, as well as
the large-scale and exponentially growing production and publication of
sadistic child abuse materials.
The existence of the latter is irrefutable: the videotaped evidence
is seized by law enforcement. This form of extreme abuse includes
elements reported by victims of ritual abuse and mind control,
including: torture, multiple perpetrators, multiple victims, sadistic
sexual abuse, coercion of victims to harm and kill other victims
(“coerced perpetration”), terrorization of victims into silence,
including threats of harm to loved ones. The central difference is the
motives of the perpetrators. The producers of child abuse materials
appear to primarily be motivated by sadism (sexual and otherwise),
whereas perpetrators of ritual abuse and mind control also have
ideological or religious motives. The multi-billion-dollar industry also
clearly incentivizes those with financial motives. Regardless of the
motives, the child abuse materials include torture and coerced
perpetration.
My Personal Professional Journey
Over much of my career as a therapist, I have focused on helping
survivors of trauma, ranging from sexual abuse victims to individuals
who have lost family members to suicide or to terrorist attacks (such as
the 1988 PanAm Flight 103/Lockerbie bombing).
In the early 1990s, this took a new and unexpected direction. Some
clients who had originally come to me for more typical issues began to
share memories of physical and sexual abuse and even torture that
initially seemed unbelievable. I was shocked, but I listened. Over a
period of several years, the parallels among the stories of unrelated
clients became too obvious to ignore or discount. Patterns that emerged
matched patterns therapists around the country (indeed, around the
world) were also hearing from their clients. We gradually networked with
each other to share and develop strategies and techniques that would
help these clients. Universities and hospitals somehow learned of my
experience (I hadn’t told them) and referred clients to me who had
psychological or physical evidence of such backgrounds (sometimes even
including genital and other anatomical mutilation). As time went on, I
consulted with and for dozens of other therapists, physicians,
hospitals, and organizations who had encountered and were now serving
this population.
I observed the False Memory Syndrome scandal as it developed. I
watched as respected colleagues fell victim to public harassment, false
information, and costly legal battles. I quietly continued to serve
victims of extreme abuse as they came—or returned—for help, which they
did.
My Professional Harassment Experience
In the past several years, I have been subjected to costly and
time-consuming harassment in the form of formal allegations of
professional misconduct. All were dismissed except one that was so vague
as to be unanswerable. The series of cases started with a
no-longer-funny comedy of bureaucratic errors. The cases are all closed.
I will explain them in detail for the sake of full disclosure and
clarity. It began with unpublished changes to Michigan’s licensing
regulations.
MICHIGAN LICENSING CHALLENGE
Unpromulgated Regulations
In 2016, the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs
(LARA) created, but did not publicize, new regulations regarding
tri-annual renewal of LMSW licenses. The new regulations stipulated that
at least half of the 45 CEUs required for licensing renewal every three
years be earned in person. Because of the 3-year cycle of renewals
(with some clinicians renewing one year, others the next year, and the
rest the third year of the cycle), the regulations were not to be
enforced until 2020. None of this was communicated to clinicians.
When my license came up for renewal in April of 2017, I submitted
certification forms for the 45+ CEUs I had earned (though only a list of
courses taken, not the certification forms themselves, was actually
required).
Premature Enforcement
Soon afterwards, a LARA investigator called me to say that, in
reviewing the certificates, she noticed I had not taken enough in-person
credits under the new regulations. This was the first I had heard of
these regulations. As noted above, they had not been promulgated to
clinicians. They did not appear on the LARA license renewal website, nor
on CEU providers’ sites. I would not learn until later that they would
not actually go into effect until 2020. The investigator did not explain
this (perhaps she did not know). I agreed to “make up” the “missing”
in-person credits. After some searching for useful, appropriately
advanced coursework, and further discussion with the LARA investigator,
she agreed that if I took 20 in-person credits by August, 2017, my
license would not lapse.
Extra CEUs
I enrolled in a 40-CEU course that would be offered over two
weekends. The course providers indicated that 20 credits would be
awarded after the first weekend of training in August 2017—meeting my
commitment to LARA—and the remaining 20 would be awarded after the
second weekend of training in January, 2018. I called the LARA
investigator, and she approved the plan.
However, when I completed the first weekend, the course providers
changed their policy, and announced they would instead award all 40
credits after the second training weekend in January, 2018. I phoned the
LARA investigator again, explained the situation, and was told this
would be acceptable.
To summarize to this point: I had already met the 2017 requirements
for renewing my license, since the new regulations were not to go into
effect until 2020, and so my license was, in fact, continuously valid.
While working to meet the new regulations, I met with unexpected delays
from the CEU providers, but was told by LARA that my efforts were
sufficient to maintain my license in the interim.
Online Licensure Record Incorrectly Marked “Lapsed”
Unbeknownst to me, at some point in this process, my license was
incorrectly marked as “Lapsed” on the LARA public website. This led to
yet another unfortunate development that unnecessarily damaged my
professional reputation.
I often work in collaboration with other professionals, including
medical professionals, in my clients’ care. In late 2017, one of my
ritual abuse clients was hospitalized briefly. With the client’s
permission, I offered detailed background and perspectives to a hospital
psychiatrist treating her. Shortly thereafter, the client reported to
me that the psychiatrist had told her I did not have a license. (This
was how I learned that LARA had improperly listed my license as lapsed
on their public website.)
I reported the error to LARA. Then I attended the second half of the
CEU course in January of 2018 and submitted the certificate for 40 CEU
credits to LARA.
2018 Complaint
On February of 2018, a complaint was filed against me alleging that I
had been operating without a license and challenging my handling of the
above client’s case.
LARA investigated the complaint, and in March 2019, consolidated the
allegations into five “counts.” After receiving my oral and written
responses to the allegations, LARA offered to dismiss four of them,
including the allegation that I had practiced without a license. Those
four counts were: COUNT I. Professional negligence and failure to
exercise due care—DISMISSED. COUNT II. Failure to conform to minimal
standards of acceptable and prevailing practice for a social
worker—DISMISSED. COUNT III. Lack of good moral character—DISMISSED.
COUNT V. Unlicensed practice as a social worker—DISMISSED.
This left COUNT IV, “practice outside the scope of her license.”
Despite numerous conversations, LARA staff gave no indication, orally or
in writing, as to which specific, alleged conduct might have fallen
into this category, nor of what evidence I could offer to defend myself
against the imprecise charge. (Section 16221(c)(iii) of the Code
provides no help. It, too, simply reads, “Practice outside the scope of a
license.”)
Given the unsustainable costs of continued defense against an
unspecified offense, as well as LARA’s threat to re-open the four
dismissed counts for re-adjudication if I contested the remaining count,
I entered a plea of “no contest.” For those not familiar with this bit
of legalese, it means I did not admit to the validity of the charges,
but I allowed LARA to proceed as if I had admitted to them and impose a
penalty accordingly. (My lawyer has since told me that she has never
known Michigan’s Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs to
dismiss all charges in a complaint, an approach which baffles lawyers in
other states.)
My penalty for the undefined operation “outside the scope” of my
license was a $1,000 fine, a year of probation, quarterly supervision
meetings with another highly experienced therapist, and completion of
several additional CEU courses on specified topics that I was
more than qualified to teach myself—three CEUs in “the area of
telehealth” (which I had already been practicing for 19 years) and three
“in the area of DSM and diagnosing mental health disorders” (which I
had, in fact, previously taught).
Summary
In short, (1) LARA’s enforcement of unpublicized new regulations 3
years ahead of schedule, (2) a CEU provider’s failure to grant CEUs when
promised, and (3) LARA’s improper online listing of my license as
lapsed despite agreeing that my extra renewal efforts were acceptable,
led to (4) a psychiatrist who was treating one of my clients falsely
believing I was operating without a license, (5) the psychiatrist
inaccurately informing my client that I was operating without a license,
and (6) a complaint being filed against me with the Michigan licensing
board.
(7) Four of five Counts in the case were dismissed. (8) A fifth Count
of unspecified professional malfeasance, so vague that I had no way to
disprove it, resulted in (9) a fine and the time and expense of
supervision and earning superfluous CEUs, and (10) an improper and
permanent blemish on my professional record.
I completed all of the requirements of the LARA probation stipulation in December, 2020.
NEW, FRIVILOUS CHARGES FROM THE GREY FACTION’S EVAN ANDERSON
It was during the above probation period that Evan Anderson, Director
of The Grey Faction of The Satanic Temple, jumped into the fray.
In 2016, I had moved to Virginia and had obtained a second license
there. In January, 2020, Evan Anderson of TGF/TST filed two identical,
frivolous complaints against me in Virginia and Michigan. The rambling,
five-page documents include several allegations.
- First, Evan Anderson of TGF/TST alleges that I am guilty of
“propagating the irresponsible conspiracy theory that there exist
widespread cults engaging in systematic ritualized abuse.” His only
citation refuting their existence is an obsolete (1992) FBI report, long
since superseded by decades of research and clinical and forensic
evidence of large, organized perpetrator groups.
- Evan Anderson of TGF/TST further alleges that I espouse “the related
and similarly evidence-free conspiracy theory of ‘government mind
control’” programs. Then he explicitly acknowledges that the CIA was
involved in mind control programming (i.e., Mk-Ultra), as revealed in
Congressional hearings. He apparently believes that the 1977,
Congressionally-mandated shutdown of the program was completed. However,
many survivors born since 1977 report being subjected to Mk-Ultra.
- In another inaccuracy typical of TGF/TST materials, Evan Anderson of
TGF/TST claims that I had two prior complaints filed against me—one in
February, 2018, and another in March, 2019. These are simply the dates
of two documents in the same, resolved case which I described in detail
above. (The Grey Faction website repeats this erroneous claim of two
separate previous complaints.)
- Evan Anderson of TGF/TST spends nearly two pages of the five-page
complaint quoting from a presentation of mine—one that healthcare
professionals may take for CEU credits. Though he alleges that “nearly
every slide” of the dense, 37-slide presentation “contains statements
that are utterly reckless,” he fails to identify a single specific error
or offer evidence in refutation of any point.
- Evan Anderson of TGF/TST then spends several paragraphs discussing other therapists who serve extreme and ritual abuse survivors.
- Evan Anderson of TGF/TST alleges that I hold “numerous beliefs about
mental health and religion” that are not compatible with psychological
practice, though he has never had a client relationship with me based on
which he could judge whether any religious or philosophical views I may
hold improperly impact my therapeutic work. (None of my thousands of
current or former clients, religious, non-religious, or antagonistic
toward religion, has ever expressed such a concern.)
- Uncharacteristically, near the end of the five pages, Evan Anderson
of TGF/TST does finally challenge a specific scientific statement, one I
made during a presentation in 2014. In response to my assertion that
schizophrenia is “sometimes curable,” Anderson counters, “Of course,
there is no cure for schizophrenia.” As with so many of Evan Anderson’s
and TGF/TST’s declarations on issues of fact, he is uninformed.
Schizophrenia can go into remission or full recovery, particularly if
treated early. Here are just four of many peer-reviewed journal articles
published over the last 20 years addressing prevention, remission, and
recovery from schizophrenia (listed in chronological order). In one
recent review of international outcomes (repeating a study conducted in
1985), complete recovery increased to 37.75% from the 1985 rate of
20.4%, with even better results for first episode psychosis (FEP): 57.1%
in the recent study vs 20.7% in 1985 (see Huxley, P., et al, below).
- Grigoriadis S., PhD, MD1, Seeman, M. V., MDCM, FRCPC, FACP “The Role
of Estrogen in Schizophrenia: Implications for Schizophrenia Practice
Guidelines for Women.” First Published June 1, 2002. Canadian Journal of
Psychiatry. (Available for download in PDF format from https://doi.org/10.1177%2F070674370204700504.)
- AlAqeel, B.; Margolese, H. C. “Remission in Schizophrenia: Critical and Systematic Review” Harvard Review of Psychiatry: December 10, 2012 – Volume 20 – Issue 6 – p 281-297.
- Woodberry, K. A. MSW, PhD; Shapiro, D. I. PhD; Bryant, C. BS;
Seidman, L. J. PhD. “Progress and Future Directions in Research on the
Psychosis Prodrome: A Review for Clinicians.” Harvard Review of
Psychiatry: March/April 2016 – Volume 24 – Issue 2 – p 87-103.
- Huxley, P., Krayer, A., Poole, R., Prendergast, L., Aryal, S., Warner, R. “Schizophrenia outcomes in the 21st century: A systematic review” First published: 15 May 2021. Available online at https://doi.org/10.1002/brb3.2172
- Evan Anderson of TGF/TST ends his complaint against me by “Taking it
as a given that your department does not agree with the troubling views
. . . propagated in her professional capacity as a licensed
professional.”
This was far from a “given,” however. In fact, Virginia and Michigan
both promptly dismissed the twin complaints. Virginia explicitly
identified the allegations as “frivolous.”
As is typical of The Grey Faction of The Satanic Temple, in these
frivolous (but time-consuming and expensive), harassing complaints, Evan
Anderson trotted out their usual, vague, repetitive refrains such as
“dangerous and debunked” and “evidence-free” theories, and “utterly
reckless” beliefs, without acknowledging the extensive professional
literature which substantiates the theories and knowledge.
Meanwhile, they continue to irresponsibly promulgate their own
dangerous and debunked, evidence-free, and utterly reckless information
about me, other professional colleagues, and more importantly, about
ritual abuse and its sequelae.
As of this writing, The Grey Faction of The Satanic Temple website:
- States that I am under probation, which I am not (see above). It
makes no mention of Evan Anderson’s complaints to Michigan and Virginia,
nor of them being dismissed as frivolous.
- Highlights a complaint they made to the California Board of
Psychology against psychologist Ellen Lacter, Ph.D., but fails to
mention that the Board dismissed their complaint.
- Highlights a 2019 complaint they lodged with the Canadian College of
Psychologists of British Columbia (CCPBC) against world renowned
therapist Dr. Alison Miller and claims “credit” for ending Dr. Miller’s
career, saying that she is “no longer permitted to practice” when, in
fact, she had retired two years before they lodged their complaint. The
CCPBC dismissed the case in October, 2019. Yet as of this writing, 18
months later, TGF/TST’s inaccurate claims remain headlined on their
website. For Dr. Miller’s own description of this set of events, see Alison Miller’s Reply.
- Lists eminent therapist and ritual abuse historian Dr. Randy
Noblitt’s license as nearly 7 months past expiration, though the
California Board of Behavioral Sciences website lists it as current.
Evan Anderson and The Grey Faction of The Satanic Temple have not
acknowledged their errors or omissions, nor apologized for their
numerous disproven accusations and dismissed professional complaints.
What motivates their inaction? Once aware of the facts, why persist in
promoting the falsehoods?
And in the face of incontestable evidence that ritual abuse is a
devastating, worldwide phenomenon, why claim that ritual abuse crimes
are “rare” and then—on the same website—contradictorily refer to “the
non-existent ritual abuse”?
The most generous interpretation would be that The Satanic Temple
wants to keep its own satanic rituals from being tarnished by
association with horrific crimes that we know are committed either as or
in the guise of satanic rituals. But if this were their motivation,
wouldn’t they oppose the crimes and work to expose those who commit them
so that TST’s reputation wouldn’t be further sullied by association,
rather than deny that they occur?
In fact, however, I am not aware of anywhere that The Satanic Temple
even expresses opposition to ritual abuse—a glaring omission—much less
fights it. Instead, they merely, repeatedly, implausibly, and
unconvincingly deny that ritual abuse exists and scorn and target those
who offer help to its survivors.
These are not the methods, tactics, or behaviors of people who have
sound thinking or helpful information to share. Rather, they are
strategies intended to obfuscate and distract from their lack of sound thinking, evidence, and logic.
Conclusion
Despite the multiple instances of harassment that I have personally
experienced at the hands of Evan Anderson and The Grey Faction of The
Satanic Temple, despite their ongoing misinformation campaign, it is my
privilege to continue to serve extreme abuse survivors, and continue to
see them healed of unimaginable trauma from cult, military, government,
trafficking organizations, and other abusing groups who purposely
traumatize them with the expectation that they will never remember or
recover from their abuse. They are my daily inspiration in strength and
perseverance.
From the early days—when the False Memory Syndrome Foundation was
created to attack and discredit complex trauma survivors coming forward
for help and the professionals trying to assist them—to today—when Evan
Anderson, The Grey Faction of The Satanic Temple, and their allies use
similar tactics to deny the existence of extreme abuse and of ritual
abuse in particular—the scholarly research into trauma based on clinical
and forensic evidence continues to mount. The field of trauma treatment
is now enabling mental health professionals to recognize and resolve
some of the most baffling diagnostic presentations in survivors and help
them to finally heal from conditions that before now were
misunderstood.
The fields of law enforcement, child protection, medicine,
government, and faith communities have also benefited from these
advances. They, too, have gradually learned to more accurately identify
mental health issues in their respective populations and to establish
better protocols for care and management.
Complex trauma exists. As difficult as it is for society to grasp
the reality that some trauma comes from the most egregious and horrific
abusive acts—behavior that we would never have thought
possible—survivors of even the most inhumane and torturous types of
abuse bravely emerge from the shadows hoping that we will caringly meet
them in their secret, inward places and gradually help them overcome
what was done to them. Survivors are waiting.
Harassment such as that carried out by The Grey Faction of The
Satanic Temple is a distraction not only to mental health practitioners
such as myself, but to criminologists, university professors, and
psychological and forensic researchers, as well. The badgering and
bullying tactics impede the provision of help to the many wounded
survivors of extreme abuse who deserve respect, admiration, compassion,
and assistance rather than the dismissive and obstructive interference
of TGF/TST and its allies.
Nevertheless, the field of trauma is advancing now more than ever
with voluminous amounts of credible evidence and academic research. We are far beyond needing to verify that extreme abuse happens.
We not only know it does happen, we now have an increasing number of
tools and an ever-expanding knowledge base to resolve extreme trauma.
If abuse survivors can endure these despicable acts and still want to
live, still hope to make a new life for themselves, then surely we can
stand up to the hostility and backlash while we help lead them out of
their darkness. We can also help lead members of the public out of their
natural denial, to not only grapple with the realities of extreme
abuse, but to move beyond incredulity to action, such as helping enact
laws to uncover and prosecute criminal networks and individual
perpetrators. Survivors need hope that one day these abuses will stop.
They are waiting for us to move beyond our own fears of backlash and
attack. Survivors are waiting–everywhere.
First Postscript: A Closing Word to Mental Health Professionals
I want to speak some words of encouragement to my fellow mental health professionals.
First, though working with survivors of extreme abuse and trauma is
challenging, and is likely to induce secondary post-traumatic stress or
compassion fatigue, it is worth it. The survivors I have had the
privilege to work with over the past several decades are consistently
among the most inspiring, resilient, and persevering people I have ever
met.
Second, don’t go it alone. It is a challenging arena. Surround
yourself with—and get supervision from—professionals experienced in the
extreme abuse field. Join the International Society for the Study of
Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD) and other organizations that recognize,
research, and offer conferences and advanced training in the treatment
of extreme abuse.
Third, if you experience “push-back” from individuals or groups like
The Grey Faction of The Satanic Temple, take heart. Know that you are
probably doing something right. Their list of “Conspiracy Therapists” is
a virtual “Who’s Who” of reputable, dedicated, trailblazing
professionals in the mental health field. So don’t give up. Survivors
need to be listened to, and deserve our support and help.
Let’s not keep them waiting.
Second Postscript: A Closing Word to Survivors
I also want to speak some words of encouragement to any survivors of extreme abuse who are reading this.
First, know that you are not alone. There are professionals who can
and want to help you, either directly or by providing regular
consultation to your current therapist if you are already in therapy.
Second, there are support groups of other survivors, such as
Survivorship (Survivorship.org). There you will find others who, like
you, are resilient, persevering, and inspiring! Numerous other websites
offer comprehensive information about extreme trauma (see the Resource
List below for some reputable ones).
Third, approach the half-baked propaganda and websites of
organizations like The Grey Faction of The Satanic Temple with great
skepticism. You’ll recognize them by their slanderous accusations,
denials of current research, and even denials of your personal
experience. Don’t let them discourage you from seeking help. Therapists
have been developing our understanding and treatment of trauma and
extreme abuse for decades. Many, many people like you are getting help
and getting out of their abusing groups.
You don’t need to wait any more.
Resource List
BOOKS AND ARTICLES
AlAqeel, B.; Margolese, H. C. “Remission in Schizophrenia: Critical and Systematic Review” Harvard Review of Psychiatry: December 10, 2012 – Volume 20 – Issue 6 – p 281-297.
Aveni, E. (2017) “The Complexities of Identifying Ritual Abuse and Mind Control in Your Client.” (Available online at www.ra-free.org/complexities-of-identifying-ritual-abuse.)
Aveni, E. (2018) “The Migration Model.” (Available online at www.ra-free.org/migration-model.)
Aveni, E. (2018) “How to Decrease In-Fighting and Increase Respect for The Gifts of All Internal Parts.” (Available online at www.ra-free.org/how-to-decrease-internal-system-infighting.)
Barlow, Rose M., Kathy Pezdek, and Iris Blandón-Gitlin. “Chapter 16:
Trauma and Memory,” APA Handbook of Trauma Psychology: Vol. 1.
Foundations in Knowledge, S. N. Gold (Editor-in-Chief) (2017), American
Psychological Assn. (Available online at Trauma and Memory.)
Becker, Th., Karriker, W., Overkamp, B., & Rutz, C. (2007) The Extreme Abuse Survey. (Available online at https://www.extreme-abuse-survey.org/survey.php?en=b). For “Findings from the Survey…”, see Karriker, et al (2008).
Calof, D. L. (1998) Notes from a Practice under Siege: Harassment,
Defamation, and Intimidation in the Name of Science. in Ethics and
Behavior, 1998, 8 (2):161-187.) https://ritualabuse.us/research/memory-fms/notes-from-a-practice-under-siege/
Canada Department of Justice. (2019) The Impact of Trauma on Adult
Sexual Assault Victims, PART III – How Trauma Affects Memory and Recall.
(Available online at http://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/rp-pr/jr/trauma/p4.html)
Cheit R. (2014) The Witch-Hunt Narrative: Politics, Psychology and
the Sexual Abuse of Children, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Dalenberg, C. J., Brand, B. L., Gleaves, D. H., Dorahy, M. J.,
Loewenstein, R. J., Cardeña, E., … & Spiegel, D. (2012). Evaluation
of the evidence for the trauma and fantasy models of dissociation.
Psychological Bulletin, 138(3), 550.
Grigoriadis S., PhD, MD1, Seeman, M. V., MDCM, FRCPC, FACP “The Role
of Estrogen in Schizophrenia: Implications for Schizophrenia Practice
Guidelines for Women.” First Published June 1, 2002. Canadian Journal of
Psychiatry. (Available online for PDF download at https://doi.org/10.1177%2F070674370204700504)
Helfer, R. E. and Kempe, R.S. (1968) The Battered Child. London: Pearson Education.
Herman, J. L. (2015) Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence–From Domestic Abuse to Political Terror. Basic Books.
Hoffman, W. (2019) The Enslaved Queen: A Memoir about Electricity and Mind Control. New York City: Aeon Books.
Hoffman, W. (2019) White Witch in a Black Robe: A True Story About Criminal Mind Control. New York City: Aeon Books.
Huxley, P., Krayer, A., Poole, R., Prendergast, L., Aryal, S., Warner, R. “Schizophrenia outcomes in the 21st century: A systematic review” First published: 15 May 2021. (Available online at https://doi.org/10.1002/brb3.2172)
Karriker, W., Becker, Th., Rutz, C., & Overkamp, B.,
(2008). Findings from the 2007 Extreme Abuse Survey (EAS) Series. (PDF
available for download by clicking: http://endritualabuse.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Findings-from-the-2007-EAS-Series-June-25-2016.pdf). For the Extreme Abuse Survey itself, see Becker, et al (2007).
Keller, M. H., Dance, G. J. X. and Bowles, N. (2019) “Exploited.” Four-part New York Times investigative Journalism Series.
PART I, Keller and Dance (Sep 29, 2019): “The Internet is Overrun with
Images of Child Sexual Abuse. What Went Wrong?” (Available online at Exploited Part 1)
PART 2, Keller and Dance (Nov 9, 2019): “Child Abusers Run Rampant as Tech Companies Look the Other Way” (Available online at Exploited Part 2)
PART 3, Bowles and Keller (Dec 7, 2019): “Video Games and Online Chats
are ‘Hunting Grounds’ for Sexual Predators” (Available online at Exploited Part 3)
PART 4, Dance (Dec 23, 2019) “Fighting the Good Fight Against Online Child Sexual Abuse” (Available online at Exploited Part 4)
Kendall, J. (2021) “The False Memory Syndrome at 30: How Flawed Science Turned into Conventional Wisdom. (Available online at FMS at 30)
Kristof, N. (December 4, 2020), New York Times editorial, “Children of Pornhub.” (Available online at The Children of Pornhub)
Kristof, N. (December 9, 2020), New York Times editorial, “An
Uplifting Update on the Terrible World of Pornhub.” (Available online at
Uplifting Update)
Kristof, N. (April 16, 2021), New York Times editorial, “Why Do We
Let Corporations Profit from Rape Videos?” (Available online at Why Do We)
Los Angeles County Commission for Women. (1991) “Report of the Ritual Abuse Task Force” (Available online at L.A. Task Force).
Miller, A. (2014) Becoming Yourself: Overcoming Mind Control and Ritual Abuse. London: Karnac.
Miller, A. (2013) Healing the Unimaginable: Treating Ritual Abuse and Mind Control. London: Routledge.
Miller, A. (2019) “Reply to Evan Anderson, Grey Faction Director of
The Satanic Temple.” Letter to the Inquiry Committee, College of
Psychologists of British Columbia. (Available online at Alison Miller’s Reply).
Noblitt, J. R., Perskin-Noblitt, P. (2008) Ritual Abuse in the
Twenty-First Century: Psychological, Forensic, Social, and Political
Implications. Bandon, Oregon: Robert D. Reed Publishers.
Noblitt, J. R., Perskin-Noblitt, P. (2014) “Empirical and Forensic
Evidence of Ritual Abuse,” Chapter 6 in Cult and Ritual Abuse:
Narratives, Evidence, and Healing Approaches, 3rd ed., Westport, CT: Praeger. (Available online at Empirical and Forensic Evidence)
Porges, S. (2011) The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological
Foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-regulation
(Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology). New York City: W.W.
Norton.
Richardson K. (2015) “Dissecting Disbelief: Possible Reasons for the
Denial of the Existence of Ritual Abuse in the United Kingdom.”
International Journal for Crime, Justice & Social Democracy 4:
77-93.
Rutz, Carol. (2001). A Nation Betrayed (The Chilling True Story of
Secret Cold War Experiments Performed on Our Children and Other Innocent
People). Grass Lake, MI: Fidelity. A 10-page summary is available
online at A Nation Betrayed.
Salter M. (2012) “The Role of Ritual in the Organized Abuse of Children.” Child Abuse Review 21: 440-451.
Salter M. (2013) Organized Sexual Abuse, London: Glasshouse/Routledge.
Sarson, J. and MacDonald, L. (2008) Torture of Canadian Women by
Non-state Actors in the Private Sphere: A Shadow Report. (Available
online at Shadow Report)
Schröder J., Nick S., Richter-Appelt H., et al. (2018) Psychiatric
Impact of Organized and Ritual Child Sexual Abuse: Cross-Sectional
Findings from Individuals Who Report Being Victimized. International
Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 15: 2417.
Schwartz, H. L. (2000) Dialogues with forgotten voices: Relational
perspectives on child abuse trauma and the treatment of severe
dissociative disorders: Basic Books.
Schwartz, H. L. (2013) The Alchemy of Wolves and Sheep: A Relational
Approach to Internalized Perpetration in Complex Trauma Survivors.
London: Routledge.
Scott S. (2001) Beyond disbelief: The politics and experience of ritual abuse. Buckingham: Open University Press.
Van der Kolk, B. (2015) The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and
Body in the Healing of Trauma. United Kingdom: Penguin Publishing.
Woodberry, K. A., Shapiro, D. I., Bryant, C., Seidman, L. J.
“Progress and Future Directions in Research on the Psychosis Prodrome: A
Review for Clinicians.” Harvard Review of Psychiatry: March/April 2016 – Volume 24 – Issue 2 – p chi87-103.
DOCUMENTARIES
Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich. (2020) Dir. Lisa Bryant.
RadicalMedia, James Patterson Entertainment, Third Eye Motion Picture
Company. Film. Four-part documentary series detailing the history of the
international trafficking ring run by Jeffrey Epstein.
Operation Touissant. (2018) Dir. Nick Nanton, Ramy Romany.
Perf. Tim Ballard, Anthony Robbins, Glenn Beck. DNA Films. Film.
Documentary following a rescue mission performed by former Homeland
Security Special Agent Tim Ballard’s child slavery rescue group,
Operation Underground Railroad.
WEBSITES
http://www.childabusewiki.org
Website whose goal is to publicize “accurate and scientific information
on child abuse issues…backed by journal articles and reputable
sources…in an easy to read format.” Relevant pages include:
www.childabusewiki.org/index.php?title=Ritual_Abuse
www.childabusewiki.org/index.php?title=False_Memory_Syndrome
https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/search/site/mk-ultra
CIA documentation of U.S. government Mk‑Ultra mind control
experimentation made available through the Freedom of Information Act
(FOIA).
http://www.endritualabuse.org
American ritual abuse expert Dr. Ellen Lacter’s “End Ritual Abuse”
website, an extensive compendium of information on extreme and ritual
abuse.
www.extreme-abuse-survey.org/ 2007 “Extreme Abuse Survey” by Becker, Th., Karriker, W., Overkamp, B., & Rutz, C.
www.isst-d.org Website of the
International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD),
the world’s premiere professional organization devoted to the study of
trauma and extreme abuse.
www.justice.gc.ca/eng/rp-pr/jr/trauma
Canada Department of Justice trauma information website (see article
referenced in BOOKS AND ARTICLES list, above, under “Canada Department
of Justice”).
https://lailamickelwait.com Website of American anti-trafficking activist Laila Mickelwait. (See also https://traffickinghub.com)
www.nonstatetorture.org
Jeanne Sarson and Linda MacDonald’s “Persons Against Non-State Torture”
website, exposing ritual abuse networks throughout Canada. Includes the
Sarson and MaDonald “Shadow Report” (see BOOKS AND ARTICLES, above).
www.organisedabuse.com Australian criminologist Dr. Michael Salter’s “Organized Abuse” website.
www.ourrescue.org Website of Operation Underground Railroad (OUR), Tim Ballard’s international child trafficking rescue organization.
http://www.ra-free.org American ritual abuse and extreme trauma expert Eileen Aveni’s website for survivors and therapists.
www.ra-info.org/faqs/ra-convictions “Ritual Abuse, Ritual Crime, and Healing” website, providing Information and resources for survivors, therapist, and others.
www.ritualabuse.us Ritual
abuse expert Neil Brick’s “Stop Mind Control and Ritual Abuse Today
(SMART)” website, an extensive compendium of information about ritual
abuse as well as fact sheets about The Satanic Temple, The Grey Faction,
and its representatives.
http://www.teachtrauma.com Towson University’s (Towson, MD, USA) website based in their world-class trauma study program.
https://traffickinghub.com
Laila Mickelwait’s “Trafficking Hub” website, exposing the online porn
site Pornhub’s profiteering from child abuse and trafficking. (See also https://lailamickelwait.com)
Partial Curriculum Vitae: Eileen Aveni LMSW, LCSW, ACSW, BCD
SELECT PROFESSIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
2016 Chair of the RAMCOA Special Interest Group (SIG), a division of
the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation
(ISSTD), a large body of mental health professionals from many nations.
(The ISSTD sets professional standards for practice and treatment
guidelines in the field of trauma and dissociation. See https://www.isst-d.org/resources/adult-treatment-guidelines/).
Frequent consultant to mental health professionals, law enforcement,
churches, and other community groups throughout the U.S., as well as
Australia, England, Switzerland, Malaysia, & Canada.
Member of a Michigan Legislative Task Force which helped develop a bill addressing ritual abuse and trafficking.
Helped to develop and run a Safe House for RAMCOA survivors for 2½
years and founded a RAMCOA survivors therapy group which I ran for 8
years.
Co-founded and was Clinical Director of a regional Christian counseling center for 14 years.
Involved with the U.S. State Department and the Harvard Omega Project
serving families of the PAN AM 103 air bombing over Lockerbie,
Scotland.
Have a high level of expertise differentiating psychological,
medical, and spiritual causes and effects of trauma, then determining
appropriate interventions.
Regular trainer to law enforcement, community and church groups to
understand signs of sadistic abuse, sex trafficking and mind control and
facilitate them coming alongside victims.
Over 20 years’ experience offering tele-therapy and tele-consulting
worldwide utilizing video conferencing, email, chat, and phone.
Expert witness in several trials.
Served a semester in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, as a clinical therapy
internship supervisor and university course developer. Taught graduate
counseling students and professionals who were serving SE Asian trauma
and sex trafficking refugees, among others. Key instructional goal: to
align students’ practices with global standards of treatment
professionalism. Offered numerous city-wide seminars to the community on
trauma. Guest speaker at several SE Asian professional mental health
conferences and several Malaysian universities teaching workshops on
complex trauma and related topics. Developed and videotaped training
modules for future graduate students.
Board Member of Survivorship, a non-profit organization supporting RAMCOA survivors, their therapists and helpers.
Board Member of the Daniel Coalition, a non-profit offering
consulting to survivors and Catholic churches in Michigan dealing with
clergy abuse.
Have spoken and taught domestically and internationally, including
for the ISSTD, Survivorship, S.M.A.R.T. (Stop Mind Control and Ritual
Abuse Today), as well as for individual churches and community
organizations. Regular radio guest over several years covering mental
health issues on a talk radio program in SE Michigan, Ohio, and Canada.
Several of my courses have been offered for CEUs for professional development and licensure.
Board Certified Diplomate in Clinical Social Work (BCD), a member of
the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress (BCETS), and a
member of the National Center for Crisis Management.
SELECT LIST OF PRESENTATIONS
“Sexual Abuse Recovery” – offered at least 15 times in many venues to
community and professional groups and as a frequent featured speaker on
“Love Talks” a daily radio call-in program on WCM Radio where I taught
and answered listener’s questions, Detroit, MI/Western Ontario, Canada, 2
hours. 1991-97.
“Involving and Training the Community to Support RA Survivors –
Believe the Children Conference 1994, 1995, as part of C.A.R.E. Inc.
“Creating a Healing Community Within a Church for Ritual Abuse
Survivors to Recover” – co-taught at least 20 times over 3 years
(1994-1996) while working with C.A.R.E., Inc. in multiple cities to
professional conferences and community groups.
“Sudden vs. Anticipated Death and the Difference in the Resolution of the Trauma” – part of 2nd Tuesday Talk Series (community talks offered by Crossroads Counseling Center of Ann Arbor, MI), 1994-97.
“Therapy for Dissociative Disorders” – part of 2nd Tuesday Talk
Series (community talks offered by Crossroads Counseling Center of Ann
Arbor, MI), 1995-97.
“Issues in the Repressed Memory Debate” – part of 2nd Tuesday Talk
Series (community talks offered by Crossroads Counseling Center of Ann
Arbor, MI), 1995-97.
“Issues in Processing Traumatic Memories” – part of 2nd Tuesday Talk
Series (community talks offered by Crossroads Counseling Center of Ann
Arbor, MI), 1995-97.
“Dissociative Identity Disorder – Identifying Symptoms in Your
Client” – a masterclass presented to all graduate counseling students,
requested by Regent University’s School of Psychology and Counseling,
4-hour workshop, Fall, 1996.
“Issues and Approaches in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Dissociative
Identity Disorder” – My presentation was followed by “Integrating
Personalities in Healing DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder)
Personalities: A Role for Therapist, Pastor and Client” presented by
Loris Gillen, M.Ed, from Melbourne, Australia, also a specialist in
dissociative disorder treatment. We followed this with a joint Q and A
for both presentations. At the American Association of Christian
Counselors World Congress, 2½ hour combined workshop, November, 1997.
“Freedom from Bondage: The Reality of Pornography” – Calvary Life
Assembly Counseling Center, Melaka, Malaysia, two 1-hour workshops, Sept
2 and 3, 2011.
“Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) – Recognizing It and
Approaches to Treatment,” – Calvary Life Assembly Counseling Center,
Melaka, Malaysia, ½ day workshop, Sept 7, 2011.
“Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) – Recognizing It and
Approaches to Treatment,” Wisma WIM, Taman Tun, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, ½
day workshop, Oct 1, 2011.
“From Hush to Healing – Childhood Sexual Abuse Recovery Treatment in
Adults” – Part 1 and Part 2, Wisma WIM, Taman Tun, Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia, two ½ day workshops, Oct 8 and 15, 2011.
“Mitigating Stress and Mental Health Management” – co-taught with
Evelyn Biles, D.Min., UCSI University staff, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia,
full-day workshop, Oct. 22, 2011.
“Grief Therapy” – HELP University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, ½ day workshop, Oct 2011.
“Trauma, Loss and PTSD” – All Women’s Action Society (AWAM – a
women’s crisis center), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, ½ day workshop, October,
2011.
“Sexual Abuse Trauma and Recovery” – All Women’s Action Society (AWAM
– a women’s crisis center), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, ½ day workshop,
October, 2011.
“Ethics” – Alpha Omega International College graduate counseling
students, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2-hour workshop, November, 2011.
“Lessons from an Eight Year Therapy Group for DID (Dissociative
Identity Disorder) Clients” – International Society for the Study of
Trauma and Dissociation Conference, Baltimore, MD, November, 2013.
“Atypical Presentations of DID: Clues and Treatment Approaches” –
International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation
Conference, Long Beach, CA, 90-minute co-presentation, October, 2014.
“Helping You Work with Your Internal System” – The 2016 Annual Ritual
Abuse, Secretive Organizations and Mind Control Conference, Windsor
Locks, CT, co-presented with a ritual abuse survivor, 4-hour workshop,
August 13, 2016.
“Assessment & Treatment Strategies and Techniques for Working
with Survivors of Ritual Abuse” – International Society for the Study of
Trauma and Dissociation Conference, Washington, DC, 90-minute
co-presentation with Alison Miller, PhD, April 1, 2017.
“The Many Faces of Sex Trafficking: The Interplay between Sex
Trafficking, Mind Control and Ritual Abuse” – International Society for
the Study of Trauma and Dissociation Conference, Washington, DC, April
2, 2017.
“How to Decrease Internal System In-Fighting and Increase Respect for
The Gifts of All Internal Parts” – The 2017 Annual Ritual Abuse,
Secretive Organizations and Mind Control Conference, Windsor Locks, CT,
2-hour workshop, August 12, 2017.
“The Complexities of Identifying Ritual Abuse and Mind Control in
Your Client” – International Society for the Study of Trauma and
Dissociation (ISSTD), Webinar, 1-hour workshop as part of day long
Webinar conference. Other speakers included: Valerie Sinason, Ph.D.
(England), Alison Miller, Ph.D (Canada), Lynette Danylchuk, Ph.D (ISSTD
Past President, U.S.A.), and Michael Salter, Ph.D (Australia), September
6, 2017 (For CEU credit description: https://www.ce-credit.com/courses/102260/the-complexities-of-diagnosing-ritual-abuse-and-mind-control-in-your-client. For ISSTD webinar library listing: https://www.isst-d.org/training-and-conferences/webinar-library/ Series VII, 2017). For an online article based on the presentation, see www.ra-free.org/complexities-of-identifying-ritual-abuse.
“The Migration Model: A New Approach to Mind Control Treatment in
Ritual Abuse Clients” – International Society for the Study of Trauma
and Dissociation Conference, Chicago, IL, 90-minute workshop, March 24,
2018. Abstract available online (recording and slides available to ISSTD
members) at https://www.eventscribe.com/2018/ISSTD/agenda.asp?day=3/24/2018&theday=Saturday&h=Saturday%20%20March%2024&BCFO=P|G. For an online article based on the presentation, see www.ra-free.org/migration-model.
“How to Decrease In-Fighting and Increase Respect for The Gifts of
All Internal Parts” – The Survivorship.org Ritual Abuse and Mind Control
2018 Conference, Long Beach, CA, 2-hour workshop, May 19, 2018. For an
online article based on the presentation, see https://www.ra-free.org/how-to-decrease-internal-system-infighting.
“The Complexities of Identifying Ritual Abuse and Mind Control in
Your Client” – The Survivorship.org Ritual Abuse and Mind Control 2019
Clinician’s Conference, Long Beach, CA, 90-minute workshop, May 3, 2019.
For an online article based on the presentation, see www.ra-free.org/complexities-of-identifying-ritual-abuse.
(copied from https://ritualabuse.us/smart/eileen-aveni-reply-to-the-grey-faction-director/ with permission)
