Dr. Keith Ablow wasn't a psychiatrist that was poor at his job- he was an evil psychiatrist that utilized and abused his expertise for financial gain and sexual pleasure.
Here's to hoping any patients Googling Dr. Keith Ablow find this article about how terrible a person he is and how no one should ask him for advice.
185
And to think Monique - the victim - is now counseling others. Clearly the man is an opportunist - if only he had married her...
19
American psychiatry is as bad as this article.
Or vice versa.
36
Experience with a high school 'counselor' who was taking meds themselves had internal alarm bells telling me something isn't right here,Run. Turns out there is nothing scientific about these fields. 10 such doctors examining the same patient will have 10 different diagnoses.
That said, one wonders had this counselor worked for MSNBC would they be pursued like this? Not likely..
Seems many staff psychiatrists in media consider themselves expert in remote diagnosis too in identifying maladies in Trump. He has according to these experts alleged to have most every condition described in the DSM.
19
Wow. He did prey on her, but I am alarmed that Monique is now qualified to be a therapist herself.
She is the one who sought him out. She deliberately went out of her way to find a therapist who was 5 hours away and charged $350 an hour.
It makes me doubt that she is a completely competent witness. However, just the fact that he took her and didn't tell her to find a therapist closer to home makes him an unethical creep.
113
Someone mentioned Monique's "unresolved emotional issues" and her ability to help people. Heck, those just might be the qualifications for her being a good therapist, if she uses them to help people and not manipulate them. Best wishes.
72
I wish the Times would do an investigative piece on the whole "Life Coaching" phenomenon. In my experience it is largely a scam. No license required, and a potluck of "certifications" and questionable "credentials" available via the internet. I see it attracting mostly people who like to be confided in and to give advice, without the weight of legal responsibility for how confidential information is handled or the ramifications of their advice. It is a racket.
242
It's likely the other people who complained about him can't discuss their experiences with a reporter as a condition of their out-of-court settlements.
I'm struck by his "reduced rate" of $350/hour.
60
Really curious how a trained therapist decided to spend $350. a session, 3 times a week, and then is surprised at the loss of 30K in savings. And how many hours a week was she traveling just to see this guy?
74
I've noticed that "experts" who are in the spotlight by writing numerous books, regularly appearing on talk shows or having segments on television are not usually the best at their profession. What they are good at is self promotion and people who like to self promote are not usually the most mentally healthy individuals.
163
And how would they have the time or energy to focus on private patients? how would they be able to maintain office hours? how was he able to see her 3 times pet week? why would he need that income if he's working for a major news network? none of it makes any sense.
62
"Malpractice means the failure to exercise a degree of skill that would be reasonably expected of a doctor in similar circumstances." Offering any "psychiatric medical or psychological service" via email is not what is reasonably expected. Email, even with encryption, is fraught with issues. To offer counseling by phone you must have a phone that cannot be broken in to, as in a land line. Self-disclosure is used in treatment only when necessary to maintain the therapeutic interaction, always carefully. Employment of a patient is blatantly, patenty, unethical - the directive is to avoid "a dual role relationship." While some of the points in the article don't really support these core ideas, if the article is correct than this guy was really hanging out there. The emperor has no clothes, but not exactly for the reasons stated.
18
@Nnaiden So much is lost without one-on-one, face-to-face counseling as to practically render any such counseling counter-productive.
13
It's more than a little disturbing that "Monique," given how damaged she apparently is, is dispensing therapy to patients. If I were looking for a therapist, and about to spend thousands of dollars, I would want to know something like this.
44
@Cunegonde Misthaven
The logic being that people who experience trauma should be barred from helping others who experience trauma? Do you really see a way to measure "damag[e]"?
Perhaps the opposite is true. People with varied experiences, those who are likelier to approach others with open minds, are more likely to possess a modicum of insight regarding the ways the varied, often illogical (whatever that means) thought processes of the human brain function.
46
Many of the folks who go into the field of psychology/psychiatry are themselves in need of working out their own issues. I should say that this has been my observation. They start by trying to figure themselves out. Just my experience with at least four people who are professionals - so it’s not a blanket statement. It also does not mean these people can’t be good therapists. The one woman I know has a habit of sleeping with her students, further blurring ethical lines.
20
People who have experience trauma are definitely able to be empathic and good therapists. i don't think that's at issue.
What is troubling is Monique's judgment and professional ethics, which should've been on a much higher level based on her training. She was making poor decisions. As a client you are the customer and you have to look at the whole therapeutic relationship with eyes wide open.
Head in the sand is not an option at $350 per hour.
43
It's fairly clear that Ablow is a manipulative creep. What I don't understand is why Monique, who is a therapist herself, made the choice she did when looking for a therapist.
I have needed psychotherapy during my life and I consulted trusted friends and colleagues to try and find someone who was sane, ethical and competent. Potential conflict of interest issues have to be navigated, but I have not had a bad experience yet. Everyone needs to do their due diligence.
I think she made a bad choice. That doesn't excuse Ablow's behavior. People with potentially harmful psychological issues should not be allowed near vulnerable people.
26
@Judith Offhand, I can think of two psychologists -- Claudia Black and Alice Miller -- who have addressed the subject of "why" certain people become psychotherapists. Miller says that only someone who, in childhood, had to become hypervigilant to the nuances of mood of her problematic parents, would care to spend all day thinking about what is in someone else's unconscious. Black describes the "placater" personality, the person set adrift in childhood by substance-numbed parents, who grows an ego based solely on carrying other people's feelings. This is a profession that is very likely to draw needy people to it.
43
@The Pessimistic Shrink
I agree with the profession's attraction to needy (or unstable) people. However, given that the profession is licensed, predators should be rooted out and not allowed to take advantage of vulnerable people. Professional licensure should count for something.
42
Please pardon any redundancy, but one should Beware of a psychiatrist, psychologist, or therapist seen TOO OFTEN in the media, or who is associated with the word Celebrity...One should run away (backwards if necessary) if he/she is touted as an expert on a wide range of issues, e.g. opining on one program as a criminal "profiler," and on another as a child development expert. One could say the same about other frequently seen media oracles claiming to be all wise and all knowing... Take Care!
47
This can't possible be "journalism"? A totally one-sided account of a long term exploitation- of and by educated degree holding therapists? But please! I'm not scared by the Fox news therapist's mildly unconventional but very post-modern personal intrusions; I'm terrified that the patient continued to practice (re: give other advice) when apparently could not/ did not walk away at any given point- then struck with a terrible vengeance! A model for healthful behavior? Methinks not.
12
Great. Blame the victim. Have you ever considered she was being manipulated?
52
Similar NY medical board paralysis with the lunatic MD in The Shrink Next Door...another megalomaniacal MD who exploited a vulnerable patient, primarily for money.
Reluctance to take away a person's means of earning a living is undoubtedly fueled by Risk management advice- protecting the State from litigation. That makes the fiduciary duty to protect patients less important than avoiding lawsuits by sleazy crooks.
24
Agreeing to drive 5 hours for this or any therapy, 3x a week? Big Red Flag. She would follow him anywhere and he knew it. He is a predator.
81
I advise selecting a therapist who belongs to a state accredited society/institute. This guarantees that an ethics board will hear your case and take appropriate measures. The American Association for Psychoanalysis, the Contemporary Freudian Society in New York and Washington,D.C, and other societies offer timely resolutions that impact the state licensing board.
24
I've been hurt by psychiatrists and therapists more times than I can count. They hold the power. They can, and do, take advantage of their authority and the fact that the patient has a diagnosis, the patient is "mentally sick" to decide that the patient is wrong. They fall back on drugs as the answer - even the ones who can't prescribe, and then blame the patient for having a lack of trust. I saw one psychiatrist who - I found out too late - had not kept any records of my treatment for 6 years, not even of the many drugs he'd prescribed. When the psychiatrist he'd referred me to determined that my anger at the first psychiatrist's lack of record keeping was "inappropriate", he diagnosed me with borderline personality (also after shocking my brain a number of times).
There's no accountability in this profession. They basically do what they want. They did with me, for 35 years. Treatment turned me into a disabled wreck. The more treatment I had, the worse I got.
24
One of the things I have looked for in a therapist is someone who has been in treatment. We all have issues that impact daily life and interpersonal interactions and knowledge of these is vital for someone providing psychotherapy. (But beware of someone who claims they have been in therapy and have worked out all their issues/biases - that is simply put not possible if the person is honest - and who doesn't want an honest therapist?) Many programs, albeit not psychiatric, require or strongly suggest training therapists to be in therapy themselves. The issue with that policy, however, is that someone can enter therapy because it is recommended and have no personal interest in engaging in any honest treatment, at which point it is almost without value.
I agree with those who warn against entering into a therapeutic relationship with a "celebrity" therapist and also with those who suggest speaking to a PCP, training institute or university, and locally recognized providers. Look for people who are part of a practice or clinic as they are more likely to have some supervision or oversight. Another good indicator are those therapists who also teach or are otherwise active in professional manner with other practitioners.
So glad these issues are coming to light in these times of 'optics.'
26
How about, "I Was a FOX News Junkie," by D. Trump?
8
How about an article "What It Took for an MSNBC Lawyer to Finally Be Disbarred." (Michael Avenatti)
14
When a “Normal or Nuts” segment on Fox is part of your therapist’s curriculum vitae...
50
In other words, Tom Cruise and Scientology are 100% right on this corrupt profession.
5
Anyone who would seek therapy from someone whose "media star was rising" needs their head examined.
23
I'm no shrink but I would diagnose Dr. Ablow as a self-serving narcissist not above taking advantage of others. It's easy for people seeking help to fall into traps of one sort or another and that appears to be the case in this particular instance. You would hope that that would not happen, particularly when it comes to medical professionals but sometimes it does. Hopefully this article will prevent that from happening to others. Sad. Very sad.
25
It's the strongest commitment to ethics that separates a good "therapist" and a "the rapist" who preys on the vulnerabilities of patients. It's a good practice for any consumer of mental health services to be familiar with the ethical code to which their practitioner or potential practitioner is bound.
10
Roger Ailes was involved with him, and not as a patient! What else do you need to know!!
27
Dr. Ablow may or may not have committed professional malpractice but I don't find this article to be very convincing. Many patients are prescribed medication at the start of treatment because they need something to help stabilize them in order for the psychotherapy to be effective. Many patients may also need hospitalization at certain moments, and Dr. Ablow raising this issue doesn't strike me as all that remarkable. Lastly, though he certainly appears to have crossed the usual boundaries with this patient, she seems to have done the same thing, as when she brought her dog to his office to meet him and when she accepted as job with his life coaching business. Given that Monique is also a therapist, she must also have been aware of these boundary issues. Certainly, based on this article, I would be hard pressed to find in favor of Monique in any lawsuit against Dr. Ablow without much more convincing evidence.
269
I agree that the testimony of Monique, a trained therapist with apparently little self-understanding or understanding of professional ethics, is not credible. Not a good choice on which to base this story. And protecting her identify so she can continue her own therapy practice is questionable. She should have her own professional credentials reviewed.
101
She was the patient, not him. She paid and trusted him. You don’t investigate the patient in cases like this.
150
@Asheville Resident
$350 3 times a week and she didn't get better, but worse, what else do you need to know? I can not wrap my head around this and the previous comment.
I am a licensed psychotherapist with 30 years of experience and everything about this report rings true.
168
So when will Rudi be suspended from the practice of Law??? One of the really big deals right now for legal governing bodies in the major States is going on TV and lying or just making illegal statements about matters at issue.
525
I saw and heard Dr. Ablow a number of times on FOX NEWS and was often shocked at the ridiculous things he said. Because he was an Obama hater FOX did not care. My question for Monique is Why did you continue to see this disreputable character after the first few sessions?
28
Ergo he belongs on Fox.
6
There are opportunists in every profession, whether it be your therapist, your auto mechanic, dentist, or financial advisor. We hire these people because we are vulnerable in some way. The trick is finding those with integrity, and asking questions. When yellow and red flags go up, time to move on.
220
@Steve
And report the red flags to the appropriate authority.
19
This article is one in a series of articles related to a man with a very troubling trail of malpractice allegations against him. Those allegations fit a pattern. The Boston Globe and local (Newburyport and Salem MA) papers have covered the additional suits against this man in greater detail, as well as a recent legal proceeding related to his alleged stalking of a former (female) employee who went on the record against him. I'm especially hopeful that Ablow's failure to report ongoing investigations on his renewal paperwork will count against him. Sometimes it's the bureaucratic details that matter the most to boards of review. All that said: connecting up with Liberty U. is a troubling turn of events for someone trying to reinvent himself as a counseling and vitamin guru after prescribing off-label ketamine infusions compliments of another local physician. Lots of vulnerable Evangelical women out there for guys like this to prey upon. His blog posts, meanwhile, are an interesting case study in self-pitying narcissism and medicine show flim-flam. Buyer beware.
314
It is the connection with Liberty U that jumped out at me. Pious religious families raise girls to be obedient to men(who will be head the families it is so
Important for Christian women to generate) and do the mysterious will of a male Father-God. Yet successful, intellectually ambitious daughters of such families —the kind who go to college—will seek self-development- which brings most to an inner conflict it takes courage, time, and wise guidance to resolve.The image of this practiced predator at Liberty U over a summer session is terrible. The mindless trust that it seems the evangelical community has in those who profess it’s views, or lead in its media, is leading many believers astray. There was a heap of red flags over this man’s name, easily discoverable. Yet he had entree to Liberty U and Fox News? Because of the clubbish, self-serving narcissism of people asserting special status with God in return for their public profession of Him? (Jesuits have a term- “One of Ours”-
to refer to their order’s preferential exclusivity; to their credit, many I know recognize the harm done by such preference and abandon it to serve a God of All. Can’t we identify & abandon the ideas that enable deceit & hypocrisy? That this therapist sought a credit from a faith institution is another red flag, a big one. Like Epstein and so many others, this man is dangerous while enabled I hope he could find remorse and recovery; this piece, and his former patients, might help.
76
There are a lot of really great guides on finding an ethical and competent therapist. Never on the list of considerations: type of degree, pedigree of school, number of tv appearances, level of fame, or books written.
221
Thank you Ms. Bellafante! This article opens the door to an extremely important topic. I hope more journalists will discuss the behavior of some therapists, their training and oversight. How Ablow was able to practice in this most egregious manner for so long is appalling. What is wrong with a system that would allow this to continue?! A person seeking psychiatric care is obviously not psychologically strong and as a result is very impressionable, fragile. Far too many unscrupulous, and frankly disturbed, therapists prey on their patients for lots reasons. The doctor/patient relationship places much power in the doctor’s hands. “Monique” was unwell and sought the help of an MD from good schools in whom she placed her trust. Perfectly ordinary. She is not to be criticized. I see too way many judgmental comments here. It’s clear a lot of education has yet to be done to teach the public about mental health. She is a courageous woman and she’s wise to have found psychoanalysis. I was physically and emotionally abused by a therapist. I too reported it, once I found strength. He was only reprimanded. I had another therapist who, while not meeting outside sessions and other such Ablow-type transgressions, nevertheless talked to me about his personal life and acted outside the office on some things I said. While I was still his patient he committed suicide. However a skilled therapist can change, and save, someone’s life. Ms. Bellafante, please write more!
446
@Hurt: As a therapist, it can be an incredibly long process to get professionals held accountable because, like the state in which I practice, the Board only meets on every third Friday of each month from 9-12 pm. The positions are also voluntary. Reading the minutes of this meetings involves a lot of mundane nonsense and approval of new licensees. I made a complaint to the medical board after being treated poorly by a PA in a local ER, months later, despite ample written testimony that I gave, nothing was done - no follow-up questions, no investigation - nothing. I wasn't expecting his license to practice be pulled, but for a summary "nothing to with us" letter felt like a slap in in the face. The hospital patient complaint department was no help, either, and a JCAHO complaint when nowhere, either. So, just because there are rules in place, sadly, it doesn't mean there's ever accountability.
32
In the words of Gomer Pyle “Surprise Surprise” how many more charlatans does Fox need to feature?
There’s great money in telling the wealthy what they wish to hear.
783
@John
I do believe it is time to dispense with such underhanded editorial comments.
Fox is not the only network featuring "experts" in various fields; just purview the rest of the so called news networks. And the hackneyed stereotype of "wealthy" allied with Fox is, of course, so retro.
Perhaps "experts" from other news networks can also be exposed in the newspaper.
4
@David
If John’s comment is an “underhanded” (?) editorial comment, then what is your comment?
Also – – what is a comment section if not an invitation to readers to engage in their own editorializing?
It’s OK that some people find fault with Fox. It’s survivable; really it is. Fox itself denigrates those who overreact in the face of opposing opinions as “snowflakes,“ in fact.
31
@David ...you object to "such underhanded editorial comments" while doing exactly that. Projection, it's called. You misuse language, as well.
23
I am so glad this story has been given the platform it deserves. This strikes me as another “Dirty John” situation. I think a common trait of these kind of manipulators is plausible deniability. It takes nerve to speak out and I am so proud of “Monique” for having the mental clarity to do so.
14
This is a he said she said story. The Board believed her side and penalized Ablow. The reasons for the Board's decision are explored in a basic way, yet void of investigative journalism. What was the Board's proof? Were there doctor's notes in the medical chart that showed behavior that would warrant suspension of a medical license? Were medications prescribed without such notes? Did the Board suspend this doctor for the alleged sexual encounters?
These questions leave this reader confused. The NY Times would have a better article if they were answered.
8
@SunscreenAl Al, this is more of a "they said" and he said story. Monique was not the only person complaining of Ablow's manipulative method of practicing psychotherapy. Frankly, reading this made me ill.
23
quote from the article:
The case represents a core challenge of psychological treatment. At a cultural moment in which all kinds of relationships are policed for abuses of power imbalance, psychotherapy takes place in seclusion: two people, alone in a room, with one holding extraordinary influence over the other, just as it has been since Freud. It remains a world with murky oversight, and if you are harmed, it is not obvious what can be done.
No money but a modern house, stolen by coercive hypnosis by a social worker, and exactly what remedy is offered to my children denied middle class and my husband worked to death when he earned retirement?
3
I think of David Acer, the dentist who injected a number of his patients with HIV, and remember that professionals can be flawed. But there are many excellent dentists and psychotherapists. (34 years ago, a dentist wanted to pull all my teeth and get me fitted for dentures. At 68, now, I still have all my teeth: ugly and strong.) Psychotherapy, which I practice, is a strange endeavor partly because there is no one infrastructural theory behind it. Are people dysfunctional because they think wrong, or are people dysfunctional because they've been hurt? These two camps -- shallow and deep -- can make all the difference in the world to any given client. My professional view is that any therapist who admires our narcissistic, sociopathic president is disturbed, has not plumbed the depths of his own psyche to see where this unnatural love comes from. Clients, who by definition have not gone to those places, will not know from whom to seek help. The profession is therefore in a kind of anarchy.
28
Medical doctors go to other medical doctors for treatment, so there is nothing necessarily wrong with psychiatrists or psychotherapists going to others in their profession for help. But it does seem to me to be something of an article of faith that those who analyze must themselves be analyzed, and that may be a reason for concern in a profession that lends itself to mind games.
I've never felt the need for such services, being perfectly content to be a little nuts all on my own, without help from those possibly nuttier than myself, but I would feel much nuttier to pay, and they would prove less nuttier to accept, $350 an hour to basically talk to myself. I can do that for $5 an hour and put the remaining $345 in the bank.
My basic questions about this whole article are, 1) What are Monique's hourly rates?, and 2) Given what you have read here, would you want to be psychoanalyzed by Monique even if she paid you for the experience?
17
@Joe Pearce: Gaslighting an uneasy person into perceiving an urgent need for professional help is a dominator's skill. As you have noted, it pays well. Since Monique apprenticed with Ablow, she probably picked up the skill and is hauling in the cash for her professional services. Lawyers can charge more than $350 per hour.
4
@Michael Jennings The Pessimistic Shrink gets about half of the insurance take, around $40 or $50.
3
@Joe Pearce Monique was not a physician seek help from another physician; she was virtually employed by him. Ablow violated a number of boundaries in his dealing with her. Perhaps you need to study (or review) what is considered a boundary violation. The physician is bound by these rules; patients are not supposed to have to enforce them. There is nothing in this article to suggest that there's something wrong with Monique as a professional, but plenty of evidence that Ablow has serious problems. Your questions are little more than "blame the victim" remarks disguised as questions.
12
Not surprising that another Fox News TV personality is being outed for sexual misconduct. But sadly this is a typical example of how men across America use their power to manipulate, molest and abuse women - in the last 12 months there have been media reports of high profile firings and convictions involving men in positions of power in entertainment, sports, politics and medicine.
14
Reporting on this category of abuse (treatment provider to patient), is vital and necessary. Public awareness here is far behind awareness of other kinds of abuse - particularly when it comes to sexual abuse. Even in the fictional narratives we have for public consumption, when a patient is raped by her mental health treatment provider, we’re still often told she was “crazy,” seduced him, and ruined his practice (e.g. “The Girl on the Train”). After 20 seasons, Law and Order SVU finally offered a portrayal of rape in therapy, only to still paint the victim as irrational and impulsive.
Far too many comments on this article judged the victims in this article, or at best, offered advice for how to avoid “charlatans” such as Dr. Adler - as if the abuse is still the victim’s fault for being in the wrong place. A person seems to be automatically categorized as “unstable” simply for being a mental health patient. Why are we focusing so much on the “vulnerability” of these victims instead of the gross abuse of power? I would be curious to know if rape by mental health treatment provider is even more underreported than usual simply because of the added stigma and seeming marks against one’s credibility by being a mental health patient. Let’s get more facts on this heinous abuse, increase awareness, tell the stories of victims, and shift this archaic narrative of victim blaming so widely used in the court of public opinion!
37
There was an article published in new York magazine in 1972 called “the sensual psychiatrists” about psychiatrists and therapists who openly asserted that having sex with their patients was legitimate therapy. My grandmother, who was later lobotomized, was repeatedly raped by one who even wrote a journal article bragging about it. I tell the story here: https://youtu.be/YAFII_UvyEY
12
It's astonishing that this author and the 'experts' she consulted would claim that Dr. Ablow's assessment of Barack Obama was outside of acceptable bounds of psychiatry.
This is the same paper and liberal beachfront that celebrated Dr. Bandy Lee, professor of psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine and editor of the bestselling book "The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump."
Wow, talk about the pot calling the kettle black.
4
I am a psychiatrist. It doesn't take a medical board to know that many of Dr Ablow's behaviors were completely wrong - physical intimacy, suggesting she become an escort, connecting her with his friends -- these are classic signs of very bad psychiatrists who are committing malpractice.
Other arguments in the article are not realistic based on how therapy/psychiatrist work. When you talk about how he did not empower her to be independent without her, that's not a convincing argument. the same thing happens in all sorts of fields. Speech therapists, physical therapist, etc., whether through greed or lack of skill, they can keep their clients dependent. It's not good medicine but not grounds for losing one's license. It's not like he was hypnotizing his patients. She chose to see him and keep seeing him.
You wrote that she was prescribed medicine the first visit, which "she found curious that he would adminster drugs so quickly." This person was seeing a specialist and might very well have needed meds ASAP. That's like saying, the orthopedic surgeon suggested surgery rather than another course of physical therapy. Monique apparently had a history of cutting behaviors when she was younger, and it's possible she had taken antidepressants before, which she could have told the doctor.
Just focus on the blatant transgressions. Doctors can't be punished for providing less than excellent treatment, even writing about those aspects dilutes the case against him.
229
@FFNY Remember that Monique was seeing Ablow for professional life-coaching. He prescribed meds on the first visit and prescribed many others later. More to the point, that board in New York DID find him negligent and DID determine that he prescribed her medications inappropriately as it admitted to him in its letter (cited in the piece). As I'm sure you know, there are many ways for the board to sanction a psychiatrist short of revoking a license. The board admitted the wrongdoing to him and at the same time did absolutely nothing to stop him. Investigating the case took five years. They waited two years after the complaint who was filed before they even interviewed him.
127
@Ginia Bellafante
Thanks for the reply!
Yes, I had no idea that the investigative body was so slow and seemingly powerless (or chose not to act more firmly).
Re: medications. Yes, I understand that he prescribed things inappropriately or wrongly, especially later in treatment. I was trying to make the specific/limited point that it's common or even appropriate to prescribe something in the first visit. Sometimes when I see people, they are in great distress or have tried to break out of certain patterns already, and prescribing something can be necessary. I don't know the details of the case obviously, so I can't comment further. I felt that the point about prescribing in the first appointment, which seemed attributed to Monique, made me cast some doubt on her story because I felt that she might have an unrealistic view of therapy, etc. Some of the biggest transgressions were later in the argument and when I read that, I was shocked that he could practice for so long.
Thanks again for your reply.
23
Like FFNY I find your criticism about Dr. Ablow (who has clearly, as the facts are presented, blurred boundaries with his patient in very harmful ways) prescribing meds so early, a confusing and unnecessary overstatement of his already glaring transgressions. As someone in the field, I can attest to the fact that medicines can be both appropriately and inappropriately prescribed on the first visit. Unfortunately your comments on this point do nothing to highlight Dr. Ablow’s wrong-doing while unnecessarily discrediting an at-times justifiable practice. This is true of other criticisms you levy against Dr. Ablow in the article. It’s important to separate the possibly justifiable therapeutic actions from the clear boundary transgressions which abound in this case. It is not as black and white as you make it sound, which likely has everything to do with why it took the boards in question as long as it did to sanction him.
30
I encountered Dr Ablow when he was a medical student and I was a resident. Quite a few of my fellow residents recall him as arrogant and self-centered as do I. Since I recognized his name, I read a few of his books when they came out. I’m a fan of psychological thrillers but his novels were not well written and creepy. I was surprised that he would have imagined some of the things in his novels enough to write about them. Then when I saw him on Fox News, where he gave inaccurate and over the top commentaries, I was also quite surprised by the extent of his transformation. It’s not hard for me to believe that he may have behaved in unprofessional ways with patients. Overall, there definitely seems to be a significant pattern of problematic behavior.
At the same time, I think this article does an incredible disservice by implying that there’s something wrong with prescribing medications on a first visit or telling a personal anecdote that you think will be positive and supportive to the patient, for example. Even walking outside to see someone’s dog seems rather innocuous, though leaving another patient’s visit to do so is certainly inappropriate.
I am glad that the article raised the issue that counselors, life coaches, and other generic therapists are unregulated and can do harm. That someone can lose their medical license and then resurrect their career as a life coach is rather frightening.
66
Thank you, Ms. Bellafante, for writing about this extraordinarily complex subject. The following issues can make it harder to write about:
1) Very serious harm can take place without malpractice.
2) A psychotherapist, like a parent, has a great deal of power. The good ones are ever aware of this, but much goes on, indeed must go on, without 100% awareness. That makes distinguishing helpful vs unhelpful therapeutic action sometimes difficult.
3) Damaged people can be good parents and good therapists. The near horror that the Dr. Ablow's injured patient is now a therapist strikes me as off the mark.
4) Of course patients have responsibility as well as therapists, just as cult members have a responsibility for remaining in a cult. They also have less power than therapists/cult leaders. In questioning why anyone would stay when they were being hurt, I read a wish to deny the vulnerability that we can all have to someone in power.
Deborah Lott, who wrote about women and their therapists did not pick up his narcissistic difficulties, after all.
17
@Karen Miller Since you mentioned my interviewing Keith as an expert, let me clarify. I wasn't relying on him for therapy. What I picked up was that he was smart and well-trained and knew to say all the right things about boundaries, protecting women in therapy, and the dangers of transference/countertransference not handled well by therapists. Did I pick up that he was a narcissist? The sad truth is that a lot of therapists (like a lot of other people) are narcissists. He was ambitious and a bit grandiose, for sure. Would I have been surprised if others told me he was a narcissist? Nah.
6
@Deborah Lott My comment referencing you was not an informed one-- so in that way not fair. It was a response to the criticisms of "Monique" or of anyone else who would remain in therapy with someone who was harming them.
I agree that therapists are not infrequently narcissistic, and that a deeper knowledge of them is required to know what kind of narcissist they are, and how driven they are. My point was that you, who were not dependent on Dr. Ablow, did not pick up danger signs. How much more difficult and painful to see the truth about someone on whom one depends, and who may be re-enacting profound patterns from one's childhood.
In other words, I did not mean to impugn your judgment, but to complicate the discussion of responsibility.
7
The question of responsibility is a very thorny, complicated one indeed, but in general the many cases of therapeutic boundary violations that come to light where the patient/victim is also in the field end without any sanctions to the victims even though, consciously at least, one could argue they ‘should have known better’. The law/ethics of the governing institutions is often black and white on this matter, whereas there are many moral grey zones, as pointed out in the example of cult leaders/followers. Many therapist are so called narcissists, true, but so are many patients, and according to those who study closely the dynamics of people who engage in therapist/clients boundary transgressions such as these, a feature of them is the way their psychological issues often mirror one another, i.e. they suffer from the same kinds of unmet early relational needs.
I crossed paths with this man when I was a medical student. He was a psychiatry resident in Boston and briefly supervised my rotation in psychiatry. Medical training can be brutal with its history of harassment and oppression of trainees by supervisors. While this was long ago (late 80s) I recall that he took me to lunch once. I found his manner intimidating and creepy. That’s not much for anyone seeking to bolster this case against him, but I do believe the victims. I was not at all surprised to see an article on KA and that my hunch about him was only the tip of the iceberg that played out over the decades since I met him when I was a young med student.
65
This article mentions that Monique was herself a clinician in counseling.
As much as dr.ablow’ conduct was inappropriate, it also should have behooved Monique to use her own clinical experience, put 1and 1 together and arrive at the realization that something was amiss in dr abliws behavior.
15
As a therapist, I agree that psychotherapy places vulnerable people in a vulnerable place. However, many other professions, doctors, lawyers, even accountants can prey on vulnerable clients for their own aggrandizement, financial and personal.
In my 20 years as a therapist, I’ve treated many other therapists and I’ve never encountered any therapist like Dr Ablow, although I’ve had a number of other types of professionals in treatment whose professional ethics were questionable. Although, there are some very bad therapists out there, I think, in general, our profession does better than others at policing itself.
The nature of the job, the required education and lengthy internship required - at least in California - tends to weed out the worst. Patients should check therapists’ credentials; particularly their education, internships, length of practice and acceptance of, at least some insurance plans. None of that is a guarantee but it will help sort out the better therapists.
5
@Greg Gearn I would add that patients should ask therapists at the very beginning how they will measure progress, what the goals of treatment are, and how long (approximately) the course of treatment can be expected to last. I would also ask up front about the therapist's approach and what evidence-based treatment methods they use. If they are vague and describe their approach as "eclectic" or something else along those lines, I'd take it as a red flag. There are far too many vulnerable people who remain in therapy for 5, 10, 20+ years. This serves one person, and it's certainly not the patient.
I agree that many other professions prey on vulnerable clients, but I think the potential for this to occur in psychotherapy is much greater because of the emotional vulnerability, lack of oversight, and extraordinary power imbalance.
17
@Live and Learn
About staying in therapy for many years...
I think patients with chronic illness needing chronic treatment, are better helped by continuing psychopharmacotherapy including talk therapy
8
@Voting Citizen Agreed 100%. But there is a difference between chronic mental illness and a member of the "worried well" becoming dependent on a therapist to navigate average everyday life stressors. There was an interesting piece published a few years back describing how more and more therapists are choosing to work with the "worried well" rather than actually treat individuals with chronic mental illness. This leaves a severe shortage for individuals that sincerely need long-term mental health treatment.
3
Sounds like a charlatan, albeit a well educated one
Look at his reviews on Yelp, too - they seem to say the same thing.
Not sure why anyone would pay so much money, even for a single session, if all of the time isn't spent fully on the patient's care.
Agree with greater need to regulate. Psychiatry definitely feels still more of a dark art than the rest of medicine. Proceed with caution, especially when your wallet is so heavily involved!
12
I'd highly recommend reading Paul Moloney's book "The Therapy Industry" before pursuing psychotherapy (or if needing to extract yourself from harmful or unhelpful therapy). A psychology professor recommended it during a course I took years ago. That alone speaks volumes.
15
Stories like this confirm, to me, that our society needs more regulation of medical "professionals". I live in S E Florida, and my 16 years of experiences with hospitals, doctors, nurses and dentists has been depressing. My latest primary care doctor over schedules appointments so much, I nearly always wait for an hour in the waiting room, then another hour in the exam room, before he breezes in for a 3 minute "consult". On my last visit, his P.A. said I needed a ECG test. She hooked me up, checked the results and said she was going to refer me to a specialist. When I asked why, she said that her ECG machine was so old and unreliable it's results weren't reliable. So, she padded the bill to my insurance company knowing the test was worthless. I thought it was pretty brazen to admit it so openly, but apparently these people know there are no consequences for their unethical behavior. I asked my doctor if he would continue to employ an attorney who kept him waiting 2 hours past his appointment time? He said "No, that would be unprofessional of him." I told him he must then understand why I was firing him. He was offended! I've had several other bad experiences here which resulted in me firing doctors and dentists. Imo, as long as medical professionals are self-regulated, incompetence, corruption and greed will continue to flourish, while patient care will suffer.
58
@KOOLTOZE
Why do you think he keeps you waiting?
Because he's doing inappropriate things, or trying to see enough patients and document things due to how the medical-insurance industry operates today?
Do you think he enjoys having only 3 minutes to see a patient?
19
@KOOLTOZE
Intelligent rich achievers, god bless them for any contributions they make, tend to amass a very great deal of self-respect. Sometimes it's a mountain.
This can get in the way of respecting the time of the people who made them rich in the first place, and of tolerating any criticism from them.
The preferred customer is pleasant and supine, just as they ought to be, since they 'don't have any idea how it is'. (The same goes for underlings.)
Well before trying to make them sorry one should labour at good-mannered firmness for a quite a while, but it will surely often fail.
5
@KOOLTOZE
I am truly feel for you -must be distressing to be forever waiting only to get 3 minutes of your physician's time. I really am.
But I want to point out that your physician is probably even more distressed about this than you. He probably went to med school hoping to help his patients but little realized that his time instead would be mostly spent in front of a computer trying to document to meet -he may get booted if he did not meet " quality standards" or not get paid if he did not meet "regulatory requirements."
I am hoping to see if you as a patient can somehow help turn things around by at least trying to take the time to understand why things are the way they are. I wish you well!
7
Intrepid reportage. Bravo.
14
Pro tip: never go to a Fox commentator for professional help. They’re all in the business of personal destruction for self-serving & financial gain.
104
Fox News, like Trump, only has the best people. It’s no surprise Fox News would feature a con man as it’s expert or that it attracts men to work for it who chronically sexually abuse women. Fox News and everyone who works for it are con artists, just like Trump.
93
I am sorry NYT but this piece doesn’t meet your usual high standards. Single source; reference to sexual misconduct but no evidence of it; expert opining the defendant was setting the stage for a sexual relationship that never happened. This reads more like what a plaintiffs trial lawyer would feed to a journalist to try and win their case in the court of public opinion and force a settlement from the defendant.
21
So true.
@James Did you not read the part of the article describing the sexual relationships he had with other patients?
5
as has always been the way, psychiatry gets more than its share of bullies, sadists, misogynists & authoritarian nincompoops. it's the least prestigious specialty, destination of failing or blood-shy med students. ironically, when you really need help, they're the only ones who can save your life.
7
@orinoir I see the specialties differently. Surgery is the prestigious specialty and has its own hierarchy. Surgery has many narcissistic and barely competent physicians but unlike psychiatrists the surgeons have almost no interest in what goes on in your head. For the most part their patients are anesthetized and have no real idea what their surgeon is like. However, surgeons are trained in procedures and process and have successfully applied those skills to the committees that decide the work value component of the Medicare fee schedule which also underlies commercial insurance fees. Psychiatrists don’t do a good job of organizing to manipulate these decisions and there are too few of them to make an impact. Therefore they are poorly paid compared to other doctors and sometimes do attract people who cannot get into other specialty training programs. But take a moment to recognize that many psychiatrists are not very coin operated and just find they have the talent and interest to help people by evaluating and medically treating the persistently and seriously mentally ill patients, who are the most vulnerable and neglected among us. Some highly intelligent psychiatrists are just cut out for this and it is life changing work for the patients they help.
17
A psychiatrist who wrote a book about a psychiatrist manipulating and murdering his patients turns out to be a manipulative creep. Geez, where were the signs?
130
People get lonely, and unscrupulous people take advantage of that. It’s a sad story. I never understand how people endure toxic relationships for so long. Being alone is just not that bad. In fact, it can be great. Get a hobby. Get a dog. Travel. There are plenty of ways to feel connected without giving charlatans thousands of dollars to abuse you.
25
Fox News “anybody” is a crook! This has been proven time and time again.
12
Seems like you need to psychoanalize the shrink before you sign onto their treatment!
6
What’s a “confirmation name”?
2
@Common Sense Guy One assumes it's a name given to a person when they are confirmed, in a ceremony, as a Roman Catholic. I'm not RC, but I know this.
3
@Common Sense Guy - It's usually a saint's name that a Catholic takes during the sacrament of confirmation. The saint serves as a second patron in addition to the saint referenced in the baptismal name. This is standard for English speaking Catholics in the US.
2
As a crime victim, I've seen a number of licensed therapists over the years, pretty much all of them disgraces to humanity. What I've come to realize finally is that this is a profession where covert narcissism is rampant. What attracts people to the profession is often a "hiding in the light" dynamic, where they have virtually unlimited authority over the inner lives of people, and have to answer to no one but their own egos in return. Of course there are exceptions to this in the profession, but they are indeed the exception, not the rule, sadly. For anyone even thinking about seeing a therapist for any reason, I highly recommend doing a deep dive into understanding narcissism dynamics, especially as they manifest on a covert level. And judge your therapist accordingly. They act like they are above judgement, but they are not.
34
@SL I could not agree more!
2
Succinctly, omission of vital information upon renewing your medical license is a reason to suspend licensure and investigate further.
15
$350 per hour x 3, 5 hr round trip x 2-, overnights in b&b, let’s just start at the $1,050 per week just for therapy, without gas, tolls, lodging, food.... at what point was living in the Bronx and driving to North Shore Boston ever ok? Brand new grad of MD/PhD program, newlywed. The mind boggles at any person making these decisions and then complaining about the $30k “the MD made her spend”. Having said that, the boundaries were not permeable, they were non-existent. I believe Monique. This is but one instance of professional licensing boards not doing their jobs responding the legitimate issues. Finally, the journalist included a lot of “irrelevant noise” that just muddy the waters regarding the true boundary violations and professional ethics issues. And, Monique might want to take a leave of absence from practice until she has addressed her substantial issues.
35
Driving five hours two or three times a week to see a shrink when you live in the #1 land of shrinks? A cutter as your therapist? Your therapist taking a cocktail of uppers and downers?
This only validates what my friend, a pediatrician, has told me—many psychotherapists are very disturbed themselves and to be cautious in selecting one.
46
Well, here is another whole can of worms that opened up. Men behaving badly in another profession. No surprise here. Let's name them again: entertainment industry (example: Weinstein), religion (example: Catholic Church), law (Giuliani), business (2008 economic meltdown), medicine (Larry Nasser), sports (Lance Armstrong), therapy, (torture scandal) (, journalism (Matt Lauer), the arts, (James Levine) and last but not least Trump. Not a great track record.
10
@EJW
This story concerns a female therapist in a bad state of denial who, herself, was treating clients while she was desperate for approval. And terrified of disapproval. Do not single out the abusers based on gender or profession. There are good and reliable people in various councelling professions.
If you don't feel better or make progress pretty quickly, don't go back. Find someone else.
7
@EJW
Wow! You've taken my breath away. This is a case of the good news and the bad news. The good news: nobody can be trusted to guarantee a cure. The bad news: nobody can be trusted to guarantee a cure. We truly are captains of our own ship which must keep sailing because the sea is endless.
Which means we've got to develop our intuition, keep track of our internal feelings and bring them up in therapy. This is where, I think, therapy happens-- getting our own power back by revisiting old encounters but, in this case, addressing them not burying them. Any clinician not being able to do this should be fired as incompetent.
In my 30 years of being a patient, I've never found anything besides group therapy that has helped me. It's a long slog but what choice do we have? Just to balance the scale, there are some beautiful times.
3
@Jo When people are is seeing therapist, they are often not in a good position to make decisions. They are vulnerable. Taking advantage of someone who may be in peril is what a predator does, not a therapist.
5
I laughed when I saw an otherwise commendable come on to prospective employees at Koch Industries that they "accept" applications without having the applicant check a box for prior conviction of a crime. One could applaud that sentiment if it weren't Koch Industries. To me it read "Already a criminal? We have a job for you." Fox news is no different, especially when it involves abusing women.
8
Dr. Ablow's malpractice is as serious and dangerous for the patients he treated as a physician who over-prescribes pain killers which result in a patient's addiction. Both types of malpractice can ruin people's lives.
While Fox News has used 'experts' who are hardly worthy of such designation, this story is a warning to all news outlets. If you are going to designate someone an expert and use them extensively on in your programing you had better do your homework. In this case, Fox News was aiding-and-abetting in the marketing of someone who was engaged in serious malpractice.
10
@Bryan: It would be nice to learn whether Fox News has been sued for Dr. Ablow's medical malpractice transgressions.
1
There is no professional service on earth that's worth $350 per hour. That should have been an immediate red flag.
9
@Ancient It's cheap compared to the $450 + attorneys charge in San Francisco.
8
From the beginning, Dr. Ablow presented himself as an idealized caretaker more than a guide. “As if he said, ‘Let down your guard, let go of everything and completely fall on me, because I will give you everything you ever needed. And you need nothing but to trust me,’” she reflected.
Sounds like the behavior of a cult leader. Or someone who is into having total control over others, and demanding unquestioning belief and obedience.
Reminds me of President Trump, and his followers, the Republican base.
27
Listen to the Wondery podcast "The Shrink Next Door" for more of the same. Another true story of a psychiatrist in NYC who manipulated and controlled his patients, gaining control of their property and bank accounts. These bad apples are NOT characteristic of the profession but they do make for riveting stories.
8
The objective is not only the "piggy banks" of the sick, desperate or gullible. It's to heighten anxiety, increase fear, and aggravate the target's circumstances so they are even more easily exploited and controlled. Through Fox News, which employed him, and right wing media, entire swaths of the population can be financially or cognitively fleeced, and politically manipulated, all the way to the ballot box.
13
"longing again to experience how much she imagined she meant to him".
I would say if one is longing to experience the image of someone telling you how much you mean to them than you are in love with them...If I am correct in saying; its common sense that you shouldn't have to pay money for true love or the experience of such. At least that's what momma always said. Good advice, buyer be aware.
4
The lack of morals, character, ethics, any semblance of being a genuinely caring person isn't a defect at Fox, it is a feature.
25
Theory #1: The easily conned meets master con.
Theory #2: Sado-masochistic relationship (mutual quid pro quo).
Theory #3: Pathological lack of self-awareness: Carrying on an emotional relation (paid) with a therapist; while simultaneously having a presumed romantic relation with her husband-to-be, then husband.
The tell: Her breakdown when he suggested psychiatric hospitalization. Who, me?
5
This is disturbing on so many levels.
Why drive 5 hours to meet with a therapist when NYC has thousands of therapists?
Why pay someone to listen to "their problems"?
Why drain your savings of 30k, $350 a pop, when there are more affordable options, covered by insurance, or on a sliding scale.
Having sex with patients, cheating on his wife, encouraging patients to become escorts, giving her a job (it is a violation to be an employee's therapist), beating a patient with a belt during sex?
This is insanity! How can such unstable person be allowed to practice in any state?
If all of that wasn't disturbing enough, he is involved with the Evangelicals?
Finally, the woman in the story is unstable, easily controlled, hopped up on medication, and SHE is counseling others?
This is just too much; especially for Sunday morning.
91
As an admitted trump cult member, Mr. Ablow clearly dismisses the importance of truth in civilized society. He supports a universally recognized serial liar. Being a professional Fox propagandist further demonstrates his conscience free comfort with profiting within a fact free universe.
Luckily, he is easily identifiable and avoidable by stable individuals that are not in need of psychological therapy; and not brainwashed by Fox.
Based on the track record, I trust the word of any patient above his. At least they feel dissonance and seek counseling for their delusions. He does not.
9
Fox News has been conducting gross psychological malpractice on its viewership everyday since its inception.
14
I knew him in college. He was widely considered a creep even then.
55
My Behaviorism encounter: When I was about 7, I noticed my mother tended to scold or rebuke me seemingly constantly, but occasionally express approval, in ways that seemed more calculated or deliberate than spontaneous or natural. As I advanced into 2nd & 3rd grades, literally without any relent whatsoever (from 1st morning interaction to last at night), the entirety of our interactions would be focused on the inadequacy (or occasional adequacy) of a mark received on a school assignment or that ultimate coin of the realm, the report card.
Above all, a rigorously applied implicit rule was that acknowledgement of subject matter content & its educational meaning, value, or purpose was taboo. Any time I might broach a story's meaning, or draw attention to a mathematical/science/grammatical principle, she would glower, sneer, or scold in apparent reprisal for breaching this sacred rule. Gradually I learned that content, like weights on a barbell, existed only as a means to assess & train my propensity to succeed at assignments.
This pattern continued from kindergarten (probably before) all the way to graduation from the University of Chicago (which I chose to attend because its fanatical commitment to "liberal education" entailed systematic skepticism and de-emphasis as to grades). Every single day all these years, "Did you get any results" were the first words directed at me.
She later explained she learned Behaviorism (explicitly gospel to her) in her teacher training...
7
Sorry for that long account, but that background seemed necessary to the point I wanted to make...
I believe my mother had been hoodwinked by a cabal of academic charlatans, B.F. Skinner their ringleader of course, who used the credentialing system to coercively indoctrinate their snake oil dogmas, often at extremely tragic cost. I was an extreme case, where a perfect storm of a parent's cultural idolization of academic achievement and a brief religion-like ascendancy of bogus doctrine (Skinnerianism around 1960) created a fanaticism in my parent that proved impossible to combat, informing every, every moment of our interaction and relationship.
Years later, I found myself in long term unemployment, and my mother pressured me to see a psychologist. I agreed, in exchange for her reading Morton Hunt's devastating account of behaviorism in "The Story of Psychology." (Her response was "[Whatever the critique's merits,] I'm still a behaviorist. Behavior needs to be modified."
So I went to the psychologist, summarized my situation over the course of the hour-long session, telling him I was going to make a big push to get a job within a week. He asked me it the same time the following week would work, and I said, in a hopeful, determined tone, "Fine, unless of course I manage to get a job." He sarcastically retorted, "You haven't gotten a job in all this time, and you expect to get a job this week?!"
I gradually sensed this psychologist from the get-go was thinking "long term."
2
He just sounds like a bad psychiatrist, but since he appeared on FOX and daytime TV and wrote bodice-ripping thrillers, what else did she expect? I'd like to know more about HIS background- child of some privileged East coast family, Kavanaughed it up at Ivy league schools, used family contacts and money to get noticed. But he's not nearly as good as an ordinary rural kid who went to their flyover State university. Maybe she should look for a psychologist in Cedar Rapids, or Boise.
10
I would just like to comment that people who are trained in psychoanalysis have years of their own treatment and supervision while seeing people. They are hard working people with strong ethical standards.
1
@Dm Depends on the person now doesnt it. Training is not necessarily a deterrent to boundary violations and abuses.
14
Disturbing story BUT I wish there had been more information about the doctor's transgressions with other patients in addition to Monique; story was too heavily reliant on a single source.
41
@Amanda Marks
I agree that the story is ''thin." Google Keith Ablow and read "I Own You'' by David Resvendes. He was one of the Spotlight Team at the Boston Globe that brought down the RCC. I had trouble falling asleep after reading the details of the sexual abuse. This man is a monster.
He has lost his license in MA. Read about the three civil suits by women he sexually abused.
Boston is a mecca for therapists. Some of them had to know what was going on.
Ablow says he is being pilloried because he is a Trump supporter. Give me a break.
11
I am curious to know why psychoanalysis is championed in the article - since when did this Freudian practice become evidence based psychotherapy? Clearly, Monique needs to examine her priorities and approach her issues with a mental health treatment team that can demonstrate treatment interventions based on science, including med management and collaboration with trauma informed professionals.
16
During numerous sessions, with numerous therapists, I’ve heard my share of comments ranging from the inappropriate to the whacko, but I’ve chalked it up to therapy being a human—rather than scientific—interaction, and the fact that I’m making myself extremely vulnerable during these sessions. So while this guy seemed to cross the line, I don’t see anything that convinces me that he’s guilty of criminal conduct. As I read, I couldn’t find a smoking gun. As for the state of Massachusetts reprimand, these governing bodies often hair-trigger condemn in order to protect themselves from future accusations of lax oversight. Interesting piece but unconvincing.
16
@William
Please reread. Many examples of techniques that can only be designed to make his female patients dependent and subservient to him.
The fact that you didn't find any evidence against him makes me think that maybe you should examine your relationships with your female friends.
Wait, I've got another idea. Show this article to your female friends and start a dialogue with them.
3
A good rule of thumb when seeking psychiatric care may be to avoid the "TV personalities" and popular book authors like the plague. They obviously have a strong need for external validation and "fame" and adulation. I suggest you access a local respected medical center and search their psych department members or ask your PCP for a referral. If there is a medical school nearby, searching their faculty may find a good match. Predators can be psychiatrists. In fact, the power imbalance with a distressed patient makes it a perfect profession for a predator. Buyer beware.
129
@BA A good rule of thumb when trying to anything good in your life or for the world is to avoid Rupert Murdoch's media empire like it was the plague, because it is.
25
Two things: what does Fox News have to do with anything this person did?, and how about providing more data (more than one source) validating the information? Has any other News organization ever had the problem of a contributor or employee acting bad or breaking the law? This individual may be bad, probably is, but that is no reason to cast a shadow on the organization he worked with, or to not check on the validity of the information provided.
19
@G G - It's not like the good Dr is the first instance of, "a contributor or employee acting bad or breaking the law," at said network, starting with ownership and trickling on down in a volumetric cascade of...
81
@G G Of course you are correct. Roger Ailes was the picture of a perfect husband and boss. FOX news has never misled anyone, and Donald Trump has never told a lie in his life.
19
While I find the allegations against Dr. Ablow (and what little I know of his public persona) abhorrent, I am equally repulsed by the idea of someone with as many serious unresolved emotional issues as Monique professionally counseling others.
176
@boourns
Amen. And her ludicrously poor judgment.
14
@boourns
No! No! No! Therapy is not about finding a clinician who is conflict free. If that was the case all we'd have to do is administer a written test to find out who was the
"most clinically healthy."
My friend, it isn't as easy as that. You can't even request testimonies from previous clients. Maybe during the interviewing process between clinician and patient, questioning a therapist can be a guide of how comfortable you would feel working with this therapist.
2
There is a big difference between the reality that all of us human beings have issues of our own, regardless of profession... and the specific issues inherent to this story.
Her previous actions and rationalizations do not align with those of someone who should be in the position to psychologically counsel others who may be emotionally vulnerable.
Would you feel an MD who smokes a pack a day and binge drinks is qualified to be your primary care provider?
5
I bet there will be more people who come forward after this article. If this is true, there will be more than just a few victims.
44
@Sm
You are so right. He's been in practice for a long time. A leopard doesn't change his spots. It would be great if this episode is the start of a dialogue on how to rate your therapist who is one of your most important doctors, if not the most important doctor, treating you.
3
As with all things bought or sold: Caveat emptor.
I've known what I consider to be good and bad therapists, those who help you, those who hurt you psychologically.
Most of them have their own significant psychological problems, at least initially, which may be a good thing, in a way: They know what it's like to suffer mentally. Unfortunately, a good number of them never get out of the hole they're in. (I went to graduate in counseling, so I knew lots of therapists.)
By nature, I'm gullible and over-trusting (which is probably why I'm still a part of the relatively functional neurotic nation). I figure if this person has a Ph.D., he or she must be the real deal, right? Big mistake; lesson learned for me.
And yet, I'll admit, it is difficult, nigh impossible, for anyone to do the right thing at the right time to the right person to the right degree in the right way consistently. So expect only human performances from your doctor.
If seeking mental relief, get lots of references before you choose your psychotherapist, and, importantly, leave their practice if you're not being helped. You can't "make it work" just because you want and expect happiness. And don't feel guilty about changing doctors, either; your mental health is on the line here.
All the best.
Postscript: The best self-help book I ever found for matters psychological is Dr. David D. Burns' "Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy." If you'll use the book correctly, i.e., do the exercises, you'll benefit. I did.
33
This article relies almost entirely on one source, "Monique." Based on what was written here, I don't find her account very credible. Here actions and motivations were all over the place. I were a on a jury, I couldn't have put much faith in her testimony. Maybe Ablow is guilty of professional misconduct, but I found this article as much an indictment of Monique as Ablow.
42
What about the four other victims that were mentioned?
8
I wonder if this is because the other patients who raised complaints against ablow were sexually abused by him. It must take tremendous courage to speak to a news paper about how your psychiatrist abused you. Now imagine if your psychiatrist had raped you. Not to mention there may be ongoing litigation with the other patients, such that they did not or could not comment. If this man did half of what he’s accused in this article, he should not be practicing medicine and should pay restitution to his victims (and should face criminal charges)
15
@Ken
She's a train wreck, but that doesn't excuse his blatant malpractice.
13
This case is exemplary of the difference in how both Massachusetts and NY Boards of Medicine (amongst many other states) treat men who are accused vs women. Women accused of much lesser allegations are immediately threatened with their licensure with no way to appeal - especially if the incident occurred in another state. Women routinely, in most states, are required to undergo extensive 'evaluations' at their own expense - often $9000 or more - out of state - "fitness for duty evaluations" - for which there are no standards. Many physicians are forced out of practice due to the sheer expenses involved: between legal expenses, travel to out of state evaluations and time off of work and the lost income.
Administrative law as it applied to medicine has no oversight. Due process is routinely rolled over. For physicians we are guilty until proven innocent and often we are deprived of that opportunity.
It is shocking and horrifying. It needs to change.
26
@RuralDoc In my experience, medical boards and their affiliates are equal opportunity abusers of authority, tho perhaps due to income and power disparities, female physicians' outcomes may be worse than those of their male counterparts. On the other hand, males are more often accused of boundary violations. Yet, as you point out, many physicians regardless of gender are presumed guilty, deprived of their due process rights and left impoverished. It's a travesty regardless of who's the victim. I appreciate you pointing this out.
@Anne Phelan-Adams sexual predators who are male get wrist slaps for years before anything gets done.
4
Ms. Bellafante, thank you for your work.
210
Just to clarify something. Dr. Ablow didn't lose his license to practice psychiatry as there is no such thing. He lost his license to practice medicine and psychiatry is a medical specialty. No matter what specialty a physician may practice, be it surgery, ophthalmology, psychiatry, or anything else, if he loses his license he can't practice any of them.
There are licenses for psychologists and social workers as these are professions in themselves.
Sadly, anybody can call themselves a mental health "counselor" and in many states anybody can call themselves psychotherapists.
772
@Steve one can practice “life coaching” without any: formal training, education, credentials, ethics, morals, or common sense. My expert advice, let the buyer beware. Do some research before spending any money on a “therapeutic” treatment.
$350/hour is pricey for advice.
7
@Steve: What states allow that? Since the late 1990s, states have tightened up a lot on who's allowed to call themselves "counselor." I have had licenses in my current state of NH, SC, and FL. The process for each state has it's own regulations, but it is a lengthy and expensive process to get licensed and lots of proof is required for each board to allow someone to be licensed.
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