So, America is right in the middle of a crisis revolving around the out of control police forces we have all over this country. Ferguson is the flashpoint but the issues across the country are exactly the same: cops can kill anybody they want - especially black people - and jack shit befalls them.
In Ferguson the real problem with the police is clear to see: rather than try to get to the bottom of an egregious shooting, the cops circle the wagons, fill the air with lies, fire tear gas, go full totalitarian on their fellow Americans.
The cops in Ferguson have worked to PROTECT the bad cop rather than work to find justice (ostensibly part of their job description).
Where are the good cops?
Hmmm?
St Louis has seen good cops, as detailing in my comment in a diary this morning: They ARE out there.
It's just pretty dangerous to be a witness to all this police brutality and turn people in. Bad things can happen to you. So, those oft-referenced 'good cops' aren't doing a thing about the travesty that has been allowed to occur and continue.
I am not a cop: I am a psychotherapist: my job is to ACTUALLY help people and none of my job allows me to get my jollies shooting at people or tear-gassing them.
Whic h brings me to this: ‘Touching therapy’ psychologist charged with sexual assault in Pennsylvania
Dr. Richard Lenhart, 53, of State College, Pennsylvania, sexually assaulted two female patients at his private practice under the guise of treatment and then billed insurers as if he had provided legitimate services, prosecutors said.
“The charges state Lenhart prescribed ‘touching therapy’ for the women, which included touching and holding the patients. The therapy allegedly included stroking, sexual contact and rubbing of genitals,” according to a news release from state Attorney General Kathleen Kane.
From 2008 to 2011, Lenhart submitted nearly 700 insurance claims seeking a total of more than $71,500 in reimbursement, falsely indicating he was rendering proper treatment, the attorney general’s office said.
This amazing scumbag is the same age as me and appears to have a doctorate. So he has 2 more years of education, for what that's actually worth.
He has used his position in the most unethical manner possible to victimize people who came to him seeking help and trusting him. Violating this trust is heinous.
To have actually BILLED for it? This guy needs to go to prison.
People hear these stories and tend to generalize. "Most therapists may be like this". I know people say it.
I have had ethics and professionalism hammered into me via my training (worked at a residency training program for psychiatrists for 8 years). It's not rocket science.
It's not hard.
Every 2 years we all have to jump through hoops ostensibly to maintain our high levels of education and professionalism: I have to log 35 Continuing Education Units every 2 years. 5 hours at least HAS to be Ethics, for what that is worth.
The the ethics class I had 2 years ago was outrageous: all therapists wanted to talk about was the appropriate length of time that should elapse between seeing a client and beginning some relationship with them.
I was appalled: Are they out of their damn minds?
I won't tolerate it.
Several years ago I worked at a very shitty program run by the state of Georgia - a litany of malfeasance and inequity. People dumber than hammers in charge.
They hired this guy as a "Substance Abuse Therapist" despite his lack of educational preparation for this. I tolerated him just because I wanted a job. He was utterl;y clueless about ethics and counseling. He was just a recovering alcoholic - in 1993 that's all you needed to be.
There was a teenage substance abuse program on site: there was a rather attractive teenage girl in the program. One day she came through and this guy leaned over to me and said "Man, how would you like a piece of that".
I immediately told him "If I ever hear anything remotely like that ever again you'll be unemployed." A beautiful look of horror crossed his face and I never did hear that shit again, but he managed to involve himself with a client in a 'dual relationship": You counsel me, I'll work on your car". Also an insanely bad idea, for you never know when your client/buddy might... I don't know... kidnaps his own kids during a divorce situation? The stupidity is bottomless.
I have little to fear in terms of reprisals. Therapists do NOT have a code of silence: we like to express ourselves and care for people. Sure, I want to choke some of my clients, but that's just people. One sucks it up and does the job correctly for the benefit of the client.
I do not think this is that difficult.
Good cops need a mechanism to turn in the one or two bad apples that have turned this nation upside down.