FMS Foundation Amicus Curiae Briefs
Last updated December 1998
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Since 1995, the FMS Foundation has submitted 13 amicus curiae
briefs to appellate courts in 10 states and to one United States
Court of Appeals. The briefs sought to provide courts with the
latest mainstream scientific literature available on issues related
to the development of recovered memories.
_______________
Publication 802
Alabama Supreme Court, McDuffie v. Sellers-Bok
No. 1940524 submitted May, 10, 1995.
Brief argues that under the principles of special relationships and
circumstances, foreseeability, direct victims and public interest
considerations, mental health professionals may owe a duty to third
parties.
Final Decision
McDuffie v. Sellers-Bok, 676 So.2d 1359, (Ala. Sept. 29, 1995).
The Alabama Supreme Court without comment, affirmed the decision of
the Alabama Circuit Court, Montgomery Co., No. CV-94-1772 (Dec. 1,
1994), which had dismissed two counts dealing with malpractice and
breach of fiduciary relationship.
_______________
Publication 803
Rhode Island Supreme Court, Heroux v. Carpenter;
Kelly v. Marcantonio, No. 95-39; 94-727, submitted August 30, 1995.
Brief addresses questions certified to the court concerning accrual of
claims under state discovery statute and alleged inability to recall
related to the disability statute. It also presents a review of the
current scientific understanding of the theory of repression and
relevant case law.
Final Decision
Kelly, v. Marcantonio, 678 A.2d 873, (R.I., July 11, 1996).
The Rhode Island Supreme Court held that the reliability of repressed
memory theory must first be determined prior to extending the statute
of limitations. The court instructed trial judges to hold an
evidentiary hearing reviewing "the entire scientific theory of
repressed recollection and the scientific method through which such
recollections are recovered" to determine whether the specific
"repressed recollection" is "sufficiently relevant, reliable, and
scientifically and/or medically established." The court held that the
claim may be brought only if the trial judge determines that the
theory is "scientifically accepted and valid" and the evidence shows
the Plaintiff to be of "unsound mind."
_______________
Publication 805
Texas Supreme Court, S.V. v. R.V.
No. 94-0856, submitted February 6, 1995.
Brief reviews current scientific understanding of the reliability of
"recovered repressed memory," including the lack of any reliable test
to determine the accuracy of a repressed memory. It also considers
the applicability of discovery exception set forth by petitioner.
Final Decision
S.V. v. R.V.
933 S.W.2d 1, 39 Tex. Supp. J. 386, (Tex., March 14, 1996).
The Texas Supreme Court held that in order to apply the discovery rule
to toll the statute of limitations under any set of facts, including
repressed memory claims, the wrongful event and injury must be
"objectively verifiable" and inherently undiscoverable. After a
thorough review of expert testimony and scientific literature, the
court concluded that the scientific community has not reached
consensus on how to gauge the truth or falsity of "recovered"
memories. Therefore, the court held that expert opinion in this area
does not meet the objective verifiability requirement for extending
the discovery rule.
_______________
Publication 806
U.S. District Court, 5th Circuit, Knode v. Hartman
No. 94-11120, submitted June 3, 1996.
Brief reviews the scientific literature regarding "repressed memory,"
indications of the scope of the problem from various sources, and
recent decisions concerned with the reliability of repressed memory
claims.
Final Decision
Knode v. Hartman, U.S. Court of Appeals, 5th Cir.
No. 94-11120, Sept. 9, 1996, unreported.
The U.S. Court of Appeals found a "repressed memory" claim barred by
Texas' two-year statute of limitations. The court concluded that
"recovered" memories of Complainant's sister were not sufficient to
establish the objective verification of the claims as required under
S.V. v. R.V., 933 S.W.2d 1 (Tex., 1996).
_______________
Publication 807
Pennsylvania Supreme Court, Dalrymple v. Brown
055 E.D. App. Dkt. 1996, submitted Nov. 1, 1996.
Brief considers the applicability of the discovery rule and disability
tolling exceptions to the statute of limitations under the
Pennsylvania standard of reasonable diligence to "repressed memory"
claims. Brief also reviews the current scientific understanding of
"repressed memory" and the judicial response to these claims in sister
jurisdictions.
Final Decision
Dalrymple v. Brown
1997 WL 499945 (Pa., Aug. 25, 1997).
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court refused to apply the discovery rule to
cases involving "repressed memories." The court held that repressed
memories do not provide the kind of objective evidence required to
invoke the discovery rule or to demonstrate an undiscoverable injury.
The concurring opinion noted that, "the validity of repressed memory
theory is subject to considerable debate in the psychological
community and some courts have rejected its admissibility."
_______________
Publication 808
Illinois Supreme Court, M.E.H. v. L.H.
No. 81943, submitted February 12, 1997.
Brief argues that the unproven reliability of repressed memory claims
is an insufficient basis to apply "discovery rule." Brief also reviews
factors leading to the development of false memories, the repressed
memory debate, current scientific findings, and relevant case law in
other jurisdictions.
Final Decision
M.E.H. v. L.H.
1997 WL 562001 (Ill., Sept. 4, 1997), slip copy.
Affirmed dismissal, holding that even if the discovery rule were
applied, this case was not filled in a timely way. "Whether plaintiffs
have acted within a reasonable time turns on the particular facts and
circumstances presented to the court." The Illinois appellate court,
M.E.H. v. L.H., 669 N.E.2d 1228 (Ill.App.2nd Dist., 1996), had earlier
declined to apply the discovery rule, citing Tyson v. Tyson with
approval, "If we applied the discovery rule to such actions, the
statute of limitations would be effectively eliminated and its purpose
ignored. A person would have an unlimited time to bring an action,
while the facts became increasingly difficult to determine. The
potential for spurious claims would be great and the probability of
the court's determining the truth would be unreasonably low."
_______________
Publication 809
New Hampshire Supreme Court, State v. Hungerford and State v. Morahan
No. 95-429, submitted February 14, 1997.
Brief argues that under either a Frye or Daubert analysis, the theory
of repression clearly fails to meet the criteria for admitting
scientific evidence. It also reviews factors leading to the
development of false memories, the repressed memory debate, current
scientific findings, and relevant case law in other jurisdictions.
Final Decision
State of New Hampshire v. Hungerford
1997 WL 358620 (N.H., July 1, 1997).
The New Hampshire Supreme Court affirmed the lower court's ruling that
the party offering repressed memory testimony of either an expert or
complainant has the burden to prove it sufficiently reliable to be
admitted. The question of reliability is to be considered on a
case-by-case basis, but "tempered with skepticism" according to
factors based on Daubert and the availability of any direct
corroboration. The court concluded that the phenomenon cannot
currently be considered reliable nor has it gained general acceptance
in the scientific community. The court noted that if the phenomenon
were ever able to satisfy the court's objections and be found
reliable, then additional inquiry into the circumstances of memory
recovery (especially any therapeutic process) may be called for. See,
State v. Hungerford, 1995 WL 378571 (N.H. Super., May 23, 1995).
_______________
Publication 810
Second Appellate District, California, Engstrom v. Engstrom
No. VC016157, submitted March 17, 1997.
Brief argues that under the Kelly/Frye rule, testimony regarding and
derived from repressed memories does not meet the "general acceptance"
standard and is therefore per se inadmissible. It also reviews factors
leading to the development of false memories, the repressed memory
debate, current scientific findings, and relevant case law in other
jurisdictions.
Final Decision
Engstrom v. Engstrom, No. B098146
(Cal. App., 2nd App. Dist., Div. 2, June 18, 1997) unpublished.
In an unpublished opinion, a California Court of Appeal affirmed a
Superior Court's judgment of non-suit since appellant had no memories
of childhood abuse other than those generated during the period he was
in therapy and "compelling" evidence showed that those memories did
not meet the Kelly-Frye standard of admissibility. The court ruled,
therefore, that appellant was "rightly precluded from testifying to
any recovered repressed memories." The court also noted that even
were an appellant to meet the "delayed discovery" provision of
California statute of limitations, an additional evidentiary hurdle
must be surmounted before that appellant could actually testify to any
claimed recovered repressed memories. See, Engstrom v. Engstrom,
Superior Ct., Los Angeles Co., California, No. VC-016157 (October 11,
1995).
_______________
Publication 811
Tennessee Supreme Court, Hunter v. Brown
No. CV-00070, submitted April 15, 1997.
Brief considers the reasonable person standard for application of the
discovery rule in "repressed memory" cases. It also reviews factors
leading to the development of false memories, the repressed memory
debate, current scientific findings, and relevant case law in other
jurisdictions.
Final Decision
Hunter v. Brown
955 S.W.2d 49, (Tenn., November 10, 1997).
The Tennessee Supreme Court affirmed an earlier ruling by a Tennessee
Appellate Court, Hunter v. Brown, 1996 WL 57944 (Tenn.App. 1996), but
declined to rule on the question of general applicability of the
discovery rule in "repressed memory" cases because it found that under
the facts of the case, the claim was time-barred. The earlier
appellate decision had noted that the "inherent lack of verifiable and
objective evidence in these cases distinguishes them from cases in
which Tennessee courts have applied the discovery rule [previously]."
_______________
Publication 812
New Hampshire Supreme Court, Hungerford v. Jones
No. 97-657, submitted January 14, 1998.
Brief argues that in order to provide a meaningful remedy to injured
third parties, access to the courts by such third parties must be
allowed. Brief discusses the theory of repression, repressed memory
therapy and techniques, professional organizations response, lawsuits
against therapists, third party suits involving repressed memory,
suits involving misdiagnosis of sexual abuse in minors, legislation
and public policy considerations.
Present Status
This case has been fully briefed and oral arguments were heard before
the New Hampshire Supreme Court on May 6, 1998. The court is
considering two questions referred by a U.S. District Court,
Hungerford v. Jones, U.S. Dist. Ct., N.H., No. 96-C-599: Does a mental
health care provider owe a legal duty to the father of an adult
patient to diagnose and treat the patient with requisite skill and
competence of the profession when the diagnosis is that the father
sexually abused or assaulted the patient? Does a mental health care
provider owe a duty to act with reasonable care to avoid foreseeable
harm to the father of an adult patient resulting from treatment or
other action taken in relation to mental health conditions arising
from the diagnosis of past sexual abuse or assault?
_______________
Publication 813
Illinois Supreme Court, Doe v. McKay
No. 83094, submitted January 23, 1998.
Brief argues that in order to provide a meaningful remedy to injured
third parties, access to the courts by such third parties must be
allowed. Brief discusses the theory of repression, repressed memory
therapy and techniques, professional organizations response, lawsuits
against therapists, third party suits involving repressed memory,
third-party suits involving misdiagnosis of sexual abuse in minors,
legislation and public policy.
Final Decision
Doe v. McKay
1009 Ill. LEXIS 913 (Ill., 1998).
The Illinois Supreme Court affirmed a trial court's dismissal of a
third party claim, holding that to allow the suit would improperly
enlarge physicians' duty of care and could be inconsistent with a
therapist's duty of confidentiality to his or her patient. A strongly
worded dissent noted that the plaintiff was not a "random member of
the general public," but was a relative of the patient, was accused of
sexual abuse, and was used as a tool in plaintiff's treatment program.
Concerns about compromising patient confidentiality make no sense, the
dissent wrote, where the therapist chose to make that third party an
integral part of a patient's treatment and did so with the patient's
consent.
_______________
Publication 814
Wisconsin Supreme Court, Sawyer v. Midelfort
No. 97-1969, submitted July 17, 1998.
Brief argues that a therapist employing negligent "memory recovery"
practices which lead to allegations of criminal sexual abuse owes a
duty to the accused individual. The false allegation gravely injures
the accused person in a direct and foreseeable way. Professional
organizations have set forth guidelines for practice in this area
which do not place undue burden on therapists.
Present Status
This case has been fully briefed and argued before the Wisconsin
Supreme Court. Defendants appeal an appellate court ruling, Sawyer
v. Midelfort, 217 Wis.2d 795, March 17, 1998, which reversed dismissal
of a third-party malpractice claim. The court held that under the
facts of the case, a duty was owed to the parents, that public policy
does not preclude recovery, and that summary judgment had been
improperly granted on grounds of laches and the statute of
limitations.
_______________
Publication 815
Georgia Supreme Court, Kohout v. Charter Peachford Hospital
No. S98C1773, submitted Sept. 17, 1998.
Brief argues that the severe injury to patients and society due to
unsafe repressed memory therapy merit allowing malpractice actions
brought by former patients of therapists practicing repressed memory
therapy. It also describes therapeutic techniques shown capable of
fostering and reinforcing false memories, clinical challenges to the
MPD diagnosis, the current scientific understanding of the theory of
repression, and summarizes recent legal action against repressed
memory therapists.
Present Status
Appeal pending. Plaintiff appeals a decision by an appellate court,
Engstrom v. Kohout, 1998 Ga. App. LEXIS 995, July 15, 1998 which
refused to extend the statute of limitations in this malpractice
claim. The appellate court rejected plaintiff's argument that the
two-year clock on her malpractice suit should have started only after
she realized the nature and extent of her injuries from the false
memories when she left treatment and began therapy elsewhere in May
1995, six months before the suit was filed.
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F R O M O U R R E A D E R S
__________________
Opening Our Hearts
I want to thank all the retractors who have had the courage to tell us
their stories through this newsletter. Many of us have had real
trouble understanding both how this could have happened and why it is
impossible to talk sensibly to the accusers. Explanations from
retractors are a real help.
While, I am a "non-accusing sibling" myself, I can really see how
my twin sister got into this. All it takes is a period of crisis, The
Courage to Heal and a "supportive" therapist. I was in crisis when my
sister gave me The Courage to Heal. For a few days I dabbled on the
fringes of this quicksand into Hell. By the grace of God (and I mean
this seriously) my therapist was not supportive. In fact, she was the
kind of therapist survivors are warned against. She told me it was
rare for people to forget abuse.
But I am surely as suggestible as my identical twin. I was in a bad
way. If my therapist had suggested abuse, I would have believed
her. This therapy not only tells you you were an abused, neglected
lump of misery as a child, it "empowers" you to experience first-hand
agony and terror often far exceeding what genuinely abused children
suffer. Michael in the last Newsletter spoke of nightmares. For my
sister there were the voices -- voices she identified as our parents
telling her to cut herself, to burn herself, to kill herself. She
tried all three. Only when she broke off contact with my parents was
she able to still those voices. And all the logic, all the pleas for
simple justice, at this point cannot convince her that these voices
were of her own making, not of our parents.
To the victim of this kind of therapy, it must seem a travesty to
suggest that all this pain was totally unnecessary, was for nothing.
Our lost children, brothers and sisters did not become accusers out of
spite, malice or stupidity. These are intelligent vulnerable people.
The only rope we can throw them is our unending love. It may well be
that in some cases "tough love" -- requiring apologies and
recantations -- is best. It may be that this kind of stout-hearted
sticking to principles is the way love is shown in your family. It may
be this is exactly the kind of rope your family needs. I think it is
essential that families not perjure their honest feelings.
But it is equally important to realize that our children and
brothers and sisters are trapped in pain. If we can ease this pain by
opening our hearts in unconditional forgiveness and love, then we
should.
"He drew a circle that shut me out --
Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout.
But Love and I had the wit to win;
We drew a circle that took him in."
Edwin Markham
A Sister
____________________________
It Would Be Easier to Forget
It would be much easier for me not to tell my story, but instead to
try to forget all the bizarre and unreal things that have happened to
me. But I cannot forget. I must tell. I am one of the lucky ones. I
now realize that my memories were false. After five long, tortuous
years, I "escaped" from the hands of the mental health professionals
who had helped me "recover" my repressed memories and led me down a
path of lies, deceit, and darkness from which there seemed to be no
return. Now I am compelled to do everything within my power to help
families and victims alike understand the complex nature and severity
of this phenomenon and somehow find a way to stop the therapists and
doctors that are tearing families apart. It is my prayer that other
victims will realize that there is hope and reach out for help as I
did.
There are now many stories of how therapists are destroying
people's lives with false memories. Sadly and much to my regret, my
story is one of those. Although there are many similarities in every
story, each one is unique and heartbreaking, a nightmare beyond
belief. No human should have to endure such torture, no families
should have to defend themselves against such accusations. It has been
said that understanding is the beginning of knowledge. I hope that my
first-hand experience and knowledge of this subject will bring about
understanding for the many innocent people who have in one way or
another been affected by the recovered memory movement.
Retractor
____________________
Another Happy Ending
Thank you for all you persistent and wonderful work. Over the past
several years whenever I read the letters in the newsletter about
uniting families, I always hoped someday it would be our family. We
are senior citizens and time has become important to us.
I want you to know that "another happy ending" has finally happened
in our family too. Our daughter has written telling her dad how much
she loves him and they now spend hours talking on the phone. We are
taking the first steps toward a wonderful future. Through all this, we
never gave up hope.
Mom and Dad
________________
Food for Thought
I continue to distribute many up-to-date articles about FMS to
professionals. The other day after I gave information (Houston and
Braun update) to a new psychologist, he made an interesting comment.
He said that everything that I gave him is about ethics. He agreed
with me when I replied: "What was done to our daughter was not
ethical."
A Mom
______________
Reconciliation
Here's where your daughters are probably "stuck." I could not face the
horrible thing I had done to my parents, so I HAD to believe the
memories were true. In other words, even though I got away from that
horrible therapist, I could not go back to my entire extended family
(parents, brothers, cousins, grandmother) and say that I was
temporarily insane and nothing had happened.
Unfortunately, my mother initially made that a condition of my
re-joining the family...I had to clear my father's name. I was not
capable of doing that, because, of course, I had real problems at that
point. It was easier for my self-esteem to pretend that I had been
sexually abused by someone and it was still my parents' fault because
they should have protected me.
Over the years, my mother and I talked first about every year, then
every 6 to 8 months about trivial stuff, then were able to meet 7
years after the "incident." She implicitly dropped the condition that
I needed to clear my father's name, which helped a lot. I wasn't as
embarrassed and ashamed. And by that point I was correctly placing
responsibility on the therapist's doorstep as opposed to blaming
myself.
A Retractor
______________________________SIDEBAR_______________________________
/ \
| PSYCHOLOGY ASTRAY: |
| FALLACIES in STUDIES of "REPRESSED MEMORY" and CHILDHOOD TRAUMA |
| by Harrison G. Pope, Jr., M.D. |
| Upton Books |
| |
| This is an indispensable guide for any person who wants or needs |
| to understand the research claims about recovered memories. A |
| review by Stuart Sutherland in the prestigious Nature magazine |
| (July 17, 1997) says that the book is a "model of clear thinking |
| and clear exposition." The book is an outgrowth of the "Focus on |
| Science" columns that have appeared in this newsletter. |
\____________________________________________________________________/
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
| B O O K S ! B O O K S ! B O O K S ! |
| |
| In the July/August 1997 newsletter we listed some books that had |
| appeared since the Foundation began in 1992 that might be of |
| interest to newsletter readers. Following is an update to that |
| list. It is far from exclusive. |
| |
| Appelbaum, Paul. S., Uyehara, Lisa & Elin, Mark (Eds.) |
| TRAUMA and MEMORY: CLINICAL and LEGAL CONTROVERSIES |
| Oxford University Press, 1996. |
| |
| Bowman, Marilyn |
| INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES in POSTTRAUMATIC RESPONSE |
| Lawrence Erlbaum, 1997. |
| |
| Campbell, Terence |
| SMOKE and MIRRORS: DEVASTATING EFFECT of FALSE SEXUAL ABUSE CLAIMS |
| Insight Books, 1998. |
| |
| Crews, Fred |
| UNAUTHORIZED FREUD: DOUBTERS CONFRONT a LEGEND |
| Viking, 1998. |
| |
| deRivera, Joseph & Sarbin, Theodore. R. (Eds.) |
| BELIEVED-IN IMAGININGS: NARRATIVE CONSTRUCTION of REALITY |
| American Psychological Association, 1998. |
| |
| Esterson, Allen |
| SEDUCTIVE MIRAGE: An EXPLORATION of the WORK of SIGMUND FREUD |
| Open Court, 1993. |
| |
| Feldman, Mark & Feldman, Jacquline |
| STRANGER than FICTION: WHEN OUR MINDS BETRAY US |
| American Psychiatric Press, 1998. |
| |
| Goodwin Jean & Goodwin, Ken |
| MEMORY MAYHEM in AUSTRALIA |
| 1998. (Personal stories) |
| |
| Haaken, Janice |
| PILLAR of SALT: GENDER, MEMORY, and the PERILS of LOOKING BACK |
| Rutgers University Press, 1998. |
| |
| Knapp, Samuel & VanderCreek, Leon |
| TREATING PATIENTS with MEMORIES of ABUSE: LEGAL RISK MANAGEMENT |
| American Psychological Association, 1998. |
| |
| Kotker, Zane |
| TRY to REMEMBER |
| Random House, 1997. (novel) |
| |
| Laurence, D.M. & Titus, R. |
| SKELETONS WITHOUT BONES |
| Wine Press, 1998 (personal account of sister) |
| |
| Lynn, Stephen, J. & McConkey, Kevin (Eds.) |
| TRUTH in MEMORY |
| Guilford, 1998. |
| |
| Oliphant, B. J. |
| DEATH SERVED UP COLD |
| Fawcett, 1994. (Mystery) |
| |
| Prager, Jeffrey |
| PRESENTING the PAST: |
| PSYCHOANALYSIS and SOCIOLOGY of MISREMEMBERING |
| Harvard University Press, 1998. |
| |
| Read, J. Don & Lindsay, D. Stephen |
| RECOLLECTIONS of TRAUMA: |
| SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE and CLINICAL PRACTICE |
| Plenum, 1997. (NATO Conference Papers) |
| |
| Rossman, Mark & Craig, William. |
| YOU the JURY |
| Seven Locks, 1997. (Legal) |
| |
| Sandler, J. & Fonagy, Peter. (Eds.) |
| RECOVERED MEMORIES of ABUSE: TRUE or FALSE |
| International Universities Press, 1997. (Conference Proceedings) |
| |
| Schacter, Daniel |
| MEMORY DISTORTION: |
| HOW MINDS, BRAINS and SOCIETIES RECONSTRUCT the PAST |
| Harvard University Press, 1995. |
| |
| Walker, III, Sydney |
| DOSE of SANITY: MIND, MEDICINE, and MISDIAGNOSIS |
| Wiley, 1996. |
| |
| Webster, Richard |
| GREAT CHILDREN'S HOME PANIC |
| Orwell Press, 1998. |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
______________________________SIDEBAR_______________________________
/ \
| |
| Pamela Freyd and Eleanor Goldstein |
| SMILING THROUGH TEARS |
| Upton Books * ISBN No 9-89777.125.7 * $14.95 |
| |
| Over 125 cartoons by more than 65 cartoonists lead the way through |
| a description of the complex web of psychological and social |
| elements that have nurtured the recovered memory movement. Ask |
| your bookstore to order the book or call 1-800-232-7477. |
| |
\____________________________________________________________________/
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M A K E A D I F F E R E N C E
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
| When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall |
| one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle. |
| Edmund Burke |
| Thoughts on the Cause of the Present Discontent Vol. i. p. 526. |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
This is a column that will let you know what people are doing
to counteract the harm done by FMS. Remember that six years ago,
FMSF didn't exist. A group of 50 or so people found each other
and today more than 18,000 have reported similar experiences.
Together we have made a difference. How did this happen?
Excerpt from Talk Presented at Indiana FMS Conference 4/18/98 by
Mother of a Retractor:
Even though our daughter is a retractor, my husband and I are not
giving up this fight against False Memory Syndrome. We want to
continue to educate others about the dangers of Recovered Memory
Therapy. It breaks my heart to know that there are so many still whose
families are not back together yet.
I wish I could give you the secret as to how to be reunited with
your son or daughter. I can only give you suggestions, most of which
come from the writings of retractors. What do you say or not say? What
do you do or not do? What is the key to unlocking our daughter's
heart?
From the many stories I have heard from retractors I believe that
deep down inside, your daughter or son continues to love you and
sincerely misses being with the family. She or he longs to see you but
is being told that in order to heal must separate from her family. (Or
being told similar anti-family and other anti-Christian statements.)
In a recent newsletter from Ohio a retractor wrote her story. In it
she writes: "I distinctly remember my point of revelation. I was
sitting at the edge of a pool after a night swim, writing in my
journal. It was as if the truth that had been in my heart for all
those years was finally free. I wept at the joy I felt for feeling the
freedom of speaking to my parents, and seeing them again."
The retractor from Ohio had a list of suggestion for parents that
are included in the following:
* At any opportunity, send a note to your children, write from your
heart. Let your children know that you love them and miss them. It is
a good idea to send notes on plain stationary. Flowers and colors are
used by some therapists to help "realize" or "remember" hidden
meanings, and can be used against you.
* Try in as many ways as you can to show your children that you
love them and would never hurt them. Call as often as you think you
can. Write a note every couple weeks. Send no items though. They can
be used against you. Keep everything plain, simple and clear.
* Send a friendly post card at the very least. Many therapists will
tell their patients that if they get mail from home not to open it,
but to bring it into therapy and they will help "interpret" the
letter. Not many people can go to the mail box and pull out a post
card and resist just turning it over and looking at it.
* Get FMS information in any library your daughter may visit. One
retractor said that she had gone into the library looking for
information on "False Memory Syndrome" and could not find any. Ask
your librarian to start a file on the new articles about FMS. My
husband has been very successful in getting our local library to add
many of the new books on FMS. The tragic part though is they still
have nineteen copies of The Courage to Heal out on their shelves. Buy
one of the many good books out about FMS and place it in your church
library.
* Keep the doors open for your children. There is no way to know
how hard your children have tried to resist the therapist's
suggestions or how much they have even doubted their own memories.
Your child's therapist has an answer and excuse for every thing, and
interprets things anyway he wants. When our daughter returned home
she said she had wanted to come home and see her parents, but nobody
would let her. The first thing our daughter did when she came home was
to give us a big hug and say she had always loved us. But how in the
world were we to know that?
* Don't ask your children why they fell for the brainwashing of the
therapist; they will probably not know. Only after they start to heal
and learn more about false memories will they begin to understand what
has happened.
* Encourage and support your children. Listen to their stories even
if it hurts. They need you and other compassionate friends to listen
while they cry. Don't deny your children the opportunity of talking
about their ordeal.
The best medicine for your children is to spend time with parents
and family. We all would love that! Some parents want to work out all
details or have a complete retraction and apology before contact.
Don't wait that long. Start the process now. Don't throw up road
blocks. Give it a try. Welcome your children with open arms.
I challenge each and every one of you to go out and educate others
about FMS. I encourage each and everyone of you to do something to
reach your children.
Do something! Never give up!
God be with all of you as you work through this process of being
reunited with your precious family.
Mother of a Retractor
______________________________SIDEBAR_______________________________
/ \
| "But, of course, once again these are victims who don't know they |
| are victims. The recovered memory scandals have shown us there is |
| one very good reason why such people don't realize they are |
| victims, and that is that they are not. But victimology teaches |
| that the fact that someone doesn't realize they are a victim makes |
| them even more of a victim." |
| Melanie Phillips, July 2, 1998 |
| The Observer News Page; Pg. 27 |
\____________________________________________________________________/
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* N O T I C E S *
**********************************************************************
* *
* EXPLORING THE INTERNET *
* *
* A new web site of interest to FMSF Newsletter readers: *
* http://www.StopBadTherapy.com *
* Useful information on this site includes: *
* *
* * Phone numbers of professional regulatory boards in all 50 *
* states. *
* *
* * Links for e-mailing the American Psychiatric Association, the *
* American Psychological Association, the American Medical *
* Association, and the National Association of Social Workers. *
* *
* * Lists of online and printed resources: links, articles, books *
* *
**********************************************************************
* http://www.FMSFonline.org *
* is the address of the website that FMSF is developing. *
* The site currently has background information on the *
* U.S.A. v Peterson trial in Houston, Texas. *
**********************************************************************
* *
* AREA CODE CHANGE? *
* Please help us save time trying to call you! *
* IF YOUR AREA CODE HAS CHANGED, PLEASE LET US KNOW. *
* *
**********************************************************************
* ADDRESS CHANGE and SNOWBIRD ALERT! *
* Please remember, we need your address change every time you move. *
* THANK YOU FOR HELPING US TO SERVE YOU BETTER. *
**********************************************************************
* *
* Any FMSF parents of retractors visiting *
* Champaign-Urbana, Illinois *
* are invited to stay free at our house. *
* Carole Ann and David P. Hunter, *
* 2511 Bedford Drive, Champaign, IL 61820 *
* 217-359-2190 *
* hunter4000@aol.com *
* *
**********************************************************************
* ESTATE PLANNING *
* If you have questions about how to *
* include the FMSF in your estate planning, *
* contact Charles Caviness 800-289-9060. *
* (Available 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Pacific time.) *
**********************************************************************
* *
* Another MPD Movie Planned *
* "The Crowded Room," based on the real-life story of *
* William Milligan is to be produced for *
* New Regency Productions and Warner Brothers. *
* *
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* PBS Frontline documentaries *
* "DIVIDED MEMORIES" and "SEARCH for SATAN" *
* are available from PBS. *
* Call 1-800-828-4PBS for information. *
* The Golden Baton award for four programs, *
* including the repressed memory expose, *
* has been given to Frontline. *
**********************************************************************
_____________________________________
F M S B U L L E T I N B O A R D
Key: (MO)-monthly; (bi-MO)-bi-monthly; (*)-see Notices above
Contacts & Meetings:
_____________
UNITED STATES
ALASKA
Kathleen (907) 337-7821
ARIZONA
Barbara (602) 924-0975; 854-0404(fax)
ARKANSAS
Little Rock
Al & Lela (870) 363-4368
CALIFORNIA
Sacramento - (quarterly)
Joanne & Gerald (916) 933-3655
Rudy (916) 443-4041
San Francisco & North Bay - (bi-MO)
Gideon (415) 389-0254 or
Charles 984-6626(am); 435-9618(pm)
East Bay Area - (bi-MO)
Judy (925) 376-8221
South Bay Area - Last Sat. (bi-MO)
Jack & Pat (408) 425-1430
3rd Sat. (bi-MO) @10am
Central Coast
Carole (805) 967-8058
Central Orange County - 1st Fri. (MO) @ 7pm
Chris & Alan (714) 733-2925
Covina Area - 1st Mon. (MO) @7:30pm
Floyd & Libby (626) 330-2321
San Diego Area
Dee (619) 941-4816
COLORADO
Colorado Springs
Doris (719) 488-9738
CONNECTICUT
S. New England - (bi-MO) Sept-May
Earl (203) 329-8365 or
Paul (203) 458-9173
FLORIDA
Dade/Broward
Madeline (954) 966-4FMS
Boca/Delray - 2nd & 4th Thurs (MO) @1pm
Helen (407) 498-8684
Central Florida - Please call for mtg. time
John & Nancy (352) 750-5446
Tampa Bay Area
Bob & Janet (813) 856-7091
GEORGIA
Atlanta
Wallie & Jill (770) 971-8917
HAWAII
Carolyn (808) 261-5716
ILLINOIS
Chicago & Suburbs - 1st Sun. (MO)
Eileen (847) 985-7693
Liz & Roger (847) 827-1056
Peoria
Bryant & Lynn (309) 674-2767
Champaign
David Hunter (217) 359-2190V
INDIANA
Indiana Assn. for Responsible Mental Health Practices
Nickie (317) 471-0922; fax (317) 334-9839
Pat (219) 482-2847
IOWA
Des Moines - 2nd Sat. (MO) @11:30 am Lunch
Betty & Gayle (515) 270-6976
KANSAS
Kansas City - 2nd Sun. (MO)
Pat (785) 738-4840
Jan (816) 931-1340
KENTUCKY
Louisville- Last Sun. (MO) @ 2pm
Bob (502) 367-1838
LOUISIANA
Francine (318) 457-2022
MAINE
Bangor
Irvine & Arlene (207) 942-8473
Freeport - 4th Sun. (MO)
Carolyn (207) 364-8891
MARYLAND
Ellicot City Area
Margie (410) 750-8694
MASSACHUSETTS/NEW ENGLAND
Andover - 2nd Sun. (MO) @ 1pm
Frank (978) 263-9795
MICHIGAN
Grand Rapids Area-Jenison - 1st Mon. (MO)
Bill & Marge (616) 383-0382
Greater Detroit Area - 3rd Sun. (MO)
Nancy (248) 642-8077
Ann Arbor
Martha (734) 439-8119
MINNESOTA
Terry & Collette (507) 642-3630
Dan & Joan (651) 631-2247
MISSOURI
Kansas City - 2nd Sun. (MO)
Pat 738-4840
Jan (816) 931-1340
St. Louis Area - 3rd Sun. (MO)
Karen (314) 432-8789
Mae (314) 837-1976
Springfield - 4th Sat. (MO) @12:30pm
Tom (417) 883-8617
Roxie (417) 781-2058
MONTANA
Lee & Avone (406) 443-3189
NEW JERSEY (So.)
See Wayne, PA
NEW MEXICO
Albuquerque - 1st Sat. (MO) @1 pm
Southwest Room - Presbyterian Hospital
Maggie (505) 662-7521 (after 6:30 pm)
Sy (505) 758-0726
NEW YORK
Westchester, Rockland, etc. - (bi-MO)
Barbara (914) 761-3627
Upstate/Albany Area - (bi-MO)
Elaine (518) 399-5749
NORTH CAROLINA
Susan (704) 481-0456
OHIO
Cincinnati
Bob (513) 541-0816 or (513) 541-5272
Cleveland
Bob & Carole (440) 888-7963
OKLAHOMA
Oklahoma City
Dee (405) 942-0531
HJ (405) 755-3816
PENNSYLVANIA
Harrisburg
Paul & Betty (717) 691-7660
Pittsburgh
Rick & Renee (412) 563-5616
Montrose
John (717) 278-2040
Wayne (includes S. NJ) - 2nd Sat. (MO)
Jim & Jo (610) 783-0396
TENNESSEE
Wed. (MO) @1pm
Kate (615) 665-1160
TEXAS
Houston
Jo or Beverly (713) 464-8970
El Paso
Mary Lou (915) 591-0271
UTAH
Keith (801) 467-0669
VERMONT (bi-MO)
Judith (802) 229-5154
VIRGINIA
Sue (703) 273-2343
WEST VIRGINIA
Pat (304) 291-6448
WISCONSIN
Katie & Leo (414) 476-0285
Susanne & John (608) 427-3686
_____________
INTERNATIONAL
BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA
Vancouver & Mainland - Last Sat. (MO) @ 1- 4pm
Ruth (604) 925-1539
Victoria & Vancouver Island - 3rd Tues. (MO) @7:30pm
John (250) 721-3219
MANITOBA, CANADA
Winnipeg
Joan (204) 284-0118
ONTARIO, CANADA
London -2nd Sun (bi-MO)
Adriaan (519) 471-6338
Ottawa
Eileen (613) 836-3294
Toronto /N. York
Pat (416) 444-9078
Warkworth
Ethel (705) 924-2546
Burlington
Ken & Marina (905) 637-6030
Sudbury
Paula (705) 692-0600
QUEBEC, CANADA
Montreal
Alain (514) 335-0863
St. Andre Est.
Mavis (450) 537-8187
AUSTRALIA
Irene (03) 9740 6930
ISRAEL
FMS ASSOCIATION fax-(972) 2-625-9282
NETHERLANDS
Task Force FMS of Werkgroep Fictieve
Herinneringen
Anna (31) 20-693-5692
NEW ZEALAND
Colleen (09) 416-7443
SWEDEN
Ake Moller FAX (48) 431-217-90
UNITED KINGDOM
The British False Memory Society
Roger Scotford (44) 1225 868-682
__________________________________________________________
Deadline for the January/February Newsletter is January 15
Meeting notices MUST be in writing
and should be sent no later than TWO MONTHS PRIOR TO MEETING.
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Do you have access to e-mail? Send a message to |
| pjf@cis.upenn.edu |
| if you wish to receive electronic versions of this newsletter and |
| notices of radio and television broadcasts about FMS. All the |
| message need say is "add to the FMS-News". It would be useful, but |
| not necessary, if you add your full name (all addresses and names |
| will remain strictly confidential). |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
**********************************************************************
The False Memory Syndrome Foundation is a qualified 501(c)3 corpora-
tion with its principal offices in Philadelphia and governed by its
Board of Directors. While it encourages participation by its members
in its activities, it must be understood that the Foundation has no
affiliates and that no other organization or person is authorized to
speak for the Foundation without the prior written approval of the Ex-
ecutive Director. All membership dues and contributions to the Founda-
tion must be forwarded to the Foundation for its disposition.
**********************************************************************
Pamela Freyd, Ph.D., Executive Director
FMSF Scientific and Professional Advisory Board, December 1, 1998
AARON T. BECK, M.D., D.M.S., University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia,
PA; TERENCE W. CAMPBELL, Ph.D., Clinical and Forensic Psychology,
Sterling Heights, MI; ROSALIND CARTWRIGHT, Ph.D., Rush Presbyterian
St. Lukes Medical Center, Chicago, IL; JEAN CHAPMAN, Ph.D., University
of Wisconsin, Madison, WI; LOREN CHAPMAN, Ph.D., University of Wiscon-
sin, Madison, WI; FREDERICK C. CREWS, Ph.D., University of California,
Berkeley, CA; ROBYN M. DAWES, Ph.D., Carnegie Mellon University,
Pittsburgh, PA; DAVID F. DINGES, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania,
Philadelphia, PA; HENRY C. ELLIS, Ph.D., University of New Mexico,
Albuquerque, NM; FRED H. FRANKEL, MBChB, DPM, Harvard University Medi-
cal School, Boston MA; GEORGE K. GANAWAY, M.D., Emory University of
Medicine, Atlanta, GA; MARTIN GARDNER, Author, Hendersonville, NC
ROCHEL GELMAN, Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles, CA; HENRY
GLEITMAN, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA; LILA
GLEITMAN, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA; RICHARD
GREEN, M.D., J.D., Charing Cross Hospital, London; DAVID A. HALPERIN,
M.D., Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY; ERNEST HILGARD,
Ph.D., Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA; JOHN HOCHMAN, M.D., UCLA
Medical School, Los Angeles, CA; DAVID S. HOLMES, Ph.D., University of
Kansas, Lawrence, KS; PHILIP S. HOLZMAN, Ph.D., Harvard University,
Cambridge, MA; ROBERT A. KARLIN, Ph.D., Rutgers University, New
Brunswick, NJ; HAROLD LIEF, M.D., University of Pennsylvania, Phila-
delphia, PA; ELIZABETH LOFTUS, Ph.D., University of Washington, Sea-
tle, WA; SUSAN L. McELROY, M.D., University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati,
OH; PAUL McHUGH, M.D., Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD; HAROLD
MERSKEY, D.M., University of Western Ontario, London, Canada; SPENCER
HARRIS MORFIT, Author, Westford, MA; ULRIC NEISSER, Ph.D., Cornell
University, Ithaca, N.Y.; RICHARD OFSHE, Ph.D., University of Califor-
nia, Berkeley, CA; EMILY CAROTA ORNE, B.A., University of Pennsylvan-
ia, Philadelphia, PA; MARTIN ORNE, M.D., Ph.D., University of Pennsyl-
vania, Philadelphia, PA; LOREN PANKRATZ, Ph.D., Oregon Health Sciences
University, Portland, OR; CAMPBELL PERRY, Ph.D., Concordia University,
Montreal, Canada; MICHAEL A. PERSINGER, Ph.D., Laurentian University,
Ontario, Canada; AUGUST T. PIPER, Jr., M.D., Seattle, WA; HARRISON
POPE, Jr., M.D., Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; JAMES RANDI,
Author and Magician, Plantation, FL; HENRY L. ROEDIGER, III, Ph.D.,
Washington University, St. Louis, MO; CAROLYN SAARI, Ph.D., Loyola
University, Chicago, IL; THEODORE SARBIN, Ph.D., University of Cali-
fornia, Santa Cruz, CA; THOMAS A. SEBEOK, Ph.D., Indiana University,
Bloomington, IN; MICHAEL A. SIMPSON, M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P., M.R.C,
D.O.M., Center for Psychosocial & Traumatic Stress, Pretoria, South
Africa; MARGARET SINGER, Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley,
CA; RALPH SLOVENKO, J.D., Ph.D., Wayne State University Law School,
Detroit, MI; DONALD SPENCE, Ph.D., Robert Wood Johnson Medical Center,
Piscataway, NJ; JEFFREY VICTOR, Ph.D., Jamestown Community College,
Jamestown, NY; HOLLIDA WAKEFIELD, M.A., Institute of Psychological
Therapies, Northfield, MN; CHARLES A. WEAVER, III, Ph.D. Baylor Uni-
versity, Waco, TX.
**********************************************************************
Y E A R L Y FMSF M E M B E R S H I P I N F O R M A T I O N
Professional - Includes Newsletter $125_______
Family - Includes Newsletter $100_______
Additional Contribution:_____________
PLEASE FILL OUT ALL INFORMATION
___VISA: Card: #________-________-________-________ exp. date ___/___
___MASTER CARD: #________-________-________-________ exp. date ___/___
___Check or Money Order: Payable to FMS FOUNDATION IN U.S. DOLLARS.
______________________________________________________________________
Signature
______________________________________________________________________
Name (PLEASE PRINT)
______________________________________________________________________
Street Address or P.O.Box
______________________________________________________________________
City State Zip+4
(_____)_____________________________(_____)___________________________
Telephone FAX
* MAIL the completed form with payment to:
FMS Foundation, 1955 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103-5766
* FAX your order to (215) 940-1042. Fax orders cannot be processed
without credit card information.
**********************************************************************
V I D E O T A P E O R D E R F O R M
for
``W H E N M E M O R I E S L I E...
T H E R U T H E R F O R D F A M I L Y
S P E A K S T O F A M I L I E S''
Mail Order To:
FMSF Video
Rt. 1 Box 510
Burkeville, TX 75932
DATE: / /
Ordered By: Ship to:
Please type or print information:
+--------+-----+------------------------------------+-------+--------+
| QUANT- | # | DESCRIPTION | UNIT | AMOUNT |
| ITY | | | PRICE | |
+--------+-----+------------------------------------+-------+--------+
| | 444 | The Rutherford Family | 10.00 | |
| | | Speaks to Families | | |
+--------+-----+------------------------------------+-------+--------+
SUBTOTAL | |
| |
+--------+
ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTION | |
| |
+--------+
TOTAL DUE | |
| |
+--------+
U.S. Shipping & packaging charges are included in the
price of the video.
FOREIGN SHIPPING AND PACKAGING
Canada $4.00 per tape
All other countries $10.00 per tape.
Allow two to three weeks for delivery. Made all checks payable to FMS
Foundation. If you have any questions concerning this order, call
Benton, 409-565-4480.
The tax deductible portion of your contribution is the excess of goods
and services provided.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST
**********************************************************************