Psychologists Board -- Shame on You!!
Jun 26, 2012
So you've decided you should go and see someone to get some help -- your problems have finally caused you to suffer a toll you're not wanting to pay anymore -- job, relationship, substance abuse, suicide attempt, a friend committed suicide and you've decided that shouldn't have needed to happen -- like what happened to me, to get me to start this blog / website. But, you've been abused by those in positions of power in the past, so who can you trust -- let's see.
I was seeing a psychologist from the Dunedin Hospital service for counselling, Simon Kuttner, but certain things became evident (like his acting without supervision) so I stopped seeing him and lodged a complaint for "inadequate and inappropriate treatment" with the HDC and the Psychologists Board. In the course of the enquiry, whcich went nowhere, Kuttner revealed details from my clinical record, despite being given explicit instructions NOT to do so. This never resulted in any action being taken by any "responsible" party, like the Psychologists Board. So, if you wish to see someone, whatever you do, treat it as a business decision -- caveat emptor! Only problem will be that if something goes "wrong", short of your being the victim of a crime, stiff cheese!
The Health & Disability Commissioner acts as an apologist (that's someone who gives half-baked excuses, not someone who makes apologies); the professional boards defend their members (fee-paying members), not the Public, and the so-called "professionals", well, not very professional -- part of the defining characteristic of a professional is that they have a body of knowledge, and a set of language and reasoning skills based on that knowledge, that distinguishes them from the general public . Well, what if they prefer following half-baked philosophical mumbo jumbo that's anti-scientific? Well, that's what the Psychologists Board of New Zealand allowed Simon Kuttner to foist on this innocent guy, no questions asked, no need for justification. Never worry about the fact that it's actually against that Board's Code of Ethics for Psychologists to pressure clients to swallow the psychologist's pet philosophies, free of scientific basis -- Simon, you see, practises a form of philosophy called Anthroposophy -- look that up in Wikipedia and you'll see many of its practitioners regard it as a religion; and then see what Wikipedia says about its approach to Science -- definitly NOT pro-Science, and this is someone who is obligated to base his approach on scientific evidence?! A glaring contradiction between professed philosophy and actual practice. In actual practice, Kuttner's skills are so poor that, were he to have studied Psychology when I did, he would not have passed second-year counselling, let alone be allowed to practise professionally, But, then again, it's that fee-paying thing --- only this time, the University that allowed him to graduate. And clients, in the Public system, don't pay fees, so should they have to be grateful for ANYTHING they get, well obviously, Kuttner and the Psychologists Board think so.
And Kuttner complained that I had allegedly improperly investigated him on the internet -- well, as you can see, I am who I am, it's (mostly) all out there in the public arena, on the internet, and so far as what constitutes "improper investigation" -- at no time have I sought private, confidential information ahout him, and like everything else, he needs to improve his knowledge of professional matters -- look here about information it's proper, and prudent I would suggest, to find out about your therapist: [LINK]-- yes, that's right -- therapists have a right to confdentiality, and there are definite limits on what they can claim is confidential -- so, you don't have to be as up-front public as I am, but you, and therapists, can't claim confidentiality for those same things you claim public credit for! As Kuttner did for his charitable activities with Antroposophy -- good works for ill-perceived "reasons", but more likely just self-aggrandisement. Clinical records, though, ARE, confidential, Kuttner.
And Psychologists Board? -- shame on you for allowing these things to occur, and for abrogating your responsibility for not ensuring adequate quality of care for THIS member of the Public. Not only Kuttner needs to be reminded of ethical responsibilities, but especiallly the Board.
Both Ashburn Clinic (see my earlier post), and the NZ Psychologists Board have been made aware of my posts on this website concerning their actions, or lack of them. So, what? I'd like to encourage readers to check out this song by Elena Mitrano on YouTube: [LINK] -- you're not alone. YOUR VOICE deserves to be heard, and MUST be heard - you WILL stand a bettwr chance of recovery if it is.
van der Kolk's great paper on Developmental Trauma Disorder -- [LINK] -- has so far failed to yield the changes sought -- this is what motivated this site -- inadequate and inappropriate treatments being meted out to the sufferers of trauma-related disorders everyday -- why?! Why did everyone say, when I presented my Ph.D. research proposal to them "it's not in my backyard" (so why should I do anything about it?), or "Russell, you're too far ahead of the game" -- except that YOU are the ball being kicked around in the game -- the "real players" -- the HDC, the Psychologists Board, Kuttner, will go off and have a beer together after "the game" is over, and won't attend our funerals, so, are we alone, not so long as we are there for each other.
I'd like to leave you with a quote from Judith Herman, "inventor" of the term "Complex Trauma":
"It is very tempting to take the side of the perpetrator. All the perpetrator asks is that the bystander do nothing. He appeals to the universal desire to see, hear and speak no evil. The victim, on the contrary, asks the bystander to share the burden of pain. The victim demands action, engagement and remembering." (Herman, 1992)
And the likes of the HDC, the Psychologists Board, Kuttner, they take the on the role of the perpetrator -- You gotta have faith, in yourself, in yourself, because YOU know the truth of what was done to you, and YOU CAN see this through. Just as well. because you'll have to do it despite the actions of those at Ashburn Clinic, with the HDC, at the Psychologists Board, or at the hands of shonks like Kuttner.