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Response to Commentary by Donald Barstow (The End of the Sidewalk: Where Do I Go From Here?): Repressed Memory and the Attack on the Therapist: Pitfalls in Practice from the Legal Perspective

NCJ Number
170813
Journal
Journal of Child Sexual Abuse Volume: 6 Issue: 3 Dated: (1997) Pages: 123-128
Author(s)
O B Caudill Jr
Date Published
1997
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This article is a response to an earlier commentary and an overview of therapists' vulnerability to charges of "planting" client memories.
Abstract
Any therapist who assists clients in recovering or recalling memories is at the heart of a legal controversy. At issue is whether memories recovered by clients during therapy are reliable, or are they fabrications planted in susceptible minds by therapists who are at best inept or at worst unethical. The article discusses bases for attacks on therapists and charges of bias, and recommends actions to counter such allegations, including: (1) seeing a certain percentage of general patient base clients, which allows a therapist a broader perspective and is important for credibility; (2) extensive note-taking of the therapy process and frequent consultation with experienced peers; (3) remembering that recovered memories are not the focus of treatment or the therapeutic goal; and (4) making sure to explore with clients areas of contamination, such as exposure to television shows dealing with repressed memories, participation in lay support groups, and reading materials that may be suggestive of these matters. References

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