Carlbrook

[Anonymous]

Yes. But bear in mind that there are varrying degrees and moods of publicity. I'm trying to find this old thread but having no luck. The OP was a 16yo girl who's boyfriend had been disappeared into a WWASP program. She started a Myspace page titled something like "Save Alex". I posted a static ad for that thread w/ the boy's picture taken from the girl's Myspace page. As I recall, at that time we had almost a complete corner on the market of people who were willing, able and inclined to investigate this topic.

• The good: Despite the bad and the truly ugly developments, some serious minded and well informed people provided the same kind of good advice as you're getting now. A few people sent copies of Maia Szalavitz Help At Any Cost  to the various social workers, schoolpeople, clerks of court, lawyers, etc. Others personally contacted those same officials with their own experience and  (eghhem) interacted with family members and friends on the forum.  In the end, if I'm remembering right, a writ of habeas corpus got the kid out, but the judge asked him the kind of questions he knew to ask because of the information that had been provided to all parties.
  
• The bad: There was so much publicity and all bearing the kid's last name (he was a legal adult) that it brought a lot of stress onto everyone involved.
• The truly ugly: The things this kid's mother, sister and aunt said about both of these kids was just disgusting! For example, they took a punk rock band "friend" off of the girl's myspace and characterized that as both of them consorting with heroin addicts.

When you find those people willing and able to give concise, relevant information, put them in touch with the people charged with contributing to any decisions that may be made in his case. But I wouldn't advise anybody to go so far as using surnames or other blatantly identifying information in any public space unless you're up for living a very-real and quite protracted episode of Maury guest hosted by Jerry Springer. Not that there's anything wrong with that. It can be fun if you can keep your sense of humor about it. But it is a very hard row to ho.
:jerry:
Please keep us updated and don't hesitate to ask for any help you may need.

I see what you mean, but "fear of shame" is no reason to allow your own kid to be victimized.

If everyone stood up --for their own kids--even though their fight might result in other people "thinking" their family is abnormal these monsters would be stopped quickly

fear of personal shame should not allow this kid's imprisonment torture to be extended

[lil_thespian]

So I have to tell you all... Your thread is a bit scary. This doesnt exactly sound like a very ahhh warm school? I've read like a solid 50 conversations on this website about carlbrook... I happened across it while a friend and I were googling my new therapist for fun... her name was listed in these threads... turns out she was at carlbrook for like its first four years and just recently came here... Like I didnt think she was creepy enough already... you have successfully made me slightly afraid of my therapist lol... Especially with words like abuse... cult.. and brainwashing being thrown about.

I had no idea that schools like carlbrook even existed before googling a day or two ago...

[Antigen]

I see what you mean, but "fear of shame" is no reason to allow your own kid to be victimized.

If everyone stood up --for their own kids--even though their fight might result in other people "thinking" their family is abnormal these monsters would be stopped quickly

fear of personal shame should not allow this kid's imprisonment torture to be extended

It's not just personal shame. Put yourself in the shoes of a prospective employer, business associate, even social contact finding this highly personal, ugly stuff splattered all over the net. Not saying don't do it. In fact for my purposes, any publicity is good publicity for 'the cause(s)'. I just like to throw out that warning so that people who do go the major publicity route do so mindful of the down side.

[Anonymous]

So I have to tell you all... Your thread is a bit scary. This doesnt exactly sound like a very ahhh warm school? I've read like a solid 50 conversations on this website about carlbrook... I happened across it while a friend and I were googling my new therapist for fun... her name was listed in these threads... turns out she was at carlbrook for like its first four years and just recently came here... Like I didnt think she was creepy enough already... you have successfully made me slightly afraid of my therapist lol... Especially with words like abuse... cult.. and brainwashing being thrown about.

I had no idea that schools like carlbrook even existed before googling a day or two ago...

Hello, thespian, I was tortured in a "school" like this, my sibling was tortured by the people who founded it. These aren't " schools" they are basically fronts for cults and detention centers . You are held prisoner in them, and cannot leave if you wish, or make phone calls to, well anyone, let alone a lawyer. There is no due process, habeas corpus, and if you are under 18 (and in some cases, under 21)at any minute, without warning, you can be kidnapped by on of these organizations and held there, “disappeared,” sometimes forever.

What qualitifiations does your therepist have? Will you ask her about the Carlbrook "school'?

[Anonymous]

I see what you mean, but "fear of shame" is no reason to allow your own kid to be victimized.

If everyone stood up --for their own kids--even though their fight might result in other people "thinking" their family is abnormal these monsters would be stopped quickly

fear of personal shame should not allow this kid's imprisonment torture to be extended

It's not just personal shame. Put yourself in the shoes of a prospective employer, business associate, even social contact finding this highly personal, ugly stuff splattered all over the net. Not saying don't do it. In fact for my purposes, any publicity is good publicity for 'the cause(s)'. I just like to throw out that warning so that people who do go the major publicity route do so mindful of the down side.

I see what you mean, but to be honest, i really don't think there's a stigma. People go on the 'real world' various reality shows make complete fools of themselves, and have no problems, really. There's not such a big stimga about being a torture victim? Most people aren't that..malformed. And since the alternative to fighting publicly, pressing charges, etc. is being driven into insantity by a cult, I don't think there's much of a choice. Should women about to get raped not call for help because there is a stigma about being raped? Just, FIGHT FOR YOUR KID, lady. The longer he's there the less of him there will be when he leaves. Its a matter of weeks, not months before these places start damaging you.

[Anonymous]

wow yah this is some deep stuff. I have joked and called my therapist "satan" for the past few months. lol and I even kiddingly once wrote a paper for my psychology class on the psychology of cults... the members and leaders... and I sent her an email telling her that after reading through that info I thought she would make a fine cult leader. and now heyy look I have to laugh a lil turns out she's had some cult experience.

I told her that I had googled her and discovered this thread. She became upset about it...

She said she worked there for four years. and said she learned more while there than anywhere else...

Initially I had only read a few posts when asking her about it... But as I read further last night I became entirely sketched out... It's more than a lil creepy that she worked there... If it's really as bad as everyone seems to claim.. then I'm not sure that I'm thrilled that Im seeing a therapist that worked there for four years and claims to have learned a ton from it.

Hope she didnt learn too much while there...

[lil_thespian]

oops. that last post was mine I just forgot to log in.

[Anonymous]

wow yah this is some deep stuff. I have joked and called my therapist "satan" for the past few months. lol and I even kiddingly once wrote a paper for my psychology class on the psychology of cults... the members and leaders... and I sent her an email telling her that after reading through that info I thought she would make a fine cult leader. and now heyy look I have to laugh a lil turns out she's had some cult experience.

I told her that I had googled her and discovered this thread. She became upset about it...

She said she worked there for four years. and said she learned more while there than anywhere else...

Initially I had only read a few posts when asking her about it... But as I read further last night I became entirely sketched out... It's more than a lil creepy that she worked there... If it's really as bad as everyone seems to claim.. then I'm not sure that I'm thrilled that Im seeing a therapist that worked there for four years and claims to have learned a ton from it.

Hope she didnt learn too much while there...

Oh, my god. She claimed to have learned a lot from it? That's truly sick. What is her name, please? I know she's already listed, but it would still be helpful... These places hide who worked for them.
It would help me to know...

What is she like as a therapist? Out of curiosity?

[Antigen]

That's another great benefit of going public. It allows others down the line in situations similar to Lil_Thespian to uncover vital information that the programs and individuals involved in them will certainly not volunteer and often actively hide.

Please do consider posting this person's name, Thespian... after you've found another therapist!

[lil_thespian]

yes she is a licensed therapist.. now working in maine.. I did check that. I'd rather not specify the name.. like I said she's already listed on here.. one of the few LCSW's because most were unlicensed.. that should narrow it a bit for you.. plus after four yrs she's no longer working there.. she works at my school.. and in a private practice where I see her...

Idk this is all very sketchy to me.. I have a hard time believing that this carlbrook place could be as bad as you all make it out to be.. I cannot imagine she'd be there for four years and condone such things.. and even say I quote- "But I learned more in the four years I was there than I have at any other time or place in my life."

Perhaps this board blows it out of proportion a bit... I mean I know I've called her creepy on occasion and thought she was scary at times.. but well I certainly cannot imagine her condoning or participating in the type of things mentioned here...

She seems to genuinely want to help kids... to help me... I mean either she was seriously part of a bad program and seriously made some moral and ethical mistakes... or this board blows it a bit out of proportion.. if this school is as bad as you claim... and she "learned" more from that than anywhere... than I must question my choice in therapist I suppose.. although who'll believe I dumped my therapist for cult type tendencies?!?! lol... anyway... but well if this has just been a bit blown out of proportion than I'd be making a mistake by leaving her...

I mean what about the boy that seemed as though he had a decent enough experience.. his screen name was like Irv or something... whether or not the practices are ethical.. I mean isnt it for the greater good if you're taking kids that otherwise would have ended up dropping out of high school or druggys or in jail... and you make them into Ivy league college acceptable students?

I mean that sounds almost surreal.

If all of this is true...
A. I am entirely creeped out by my therapists participation
B. why is this not more publically known
C. How can this occur in the U.S.?

I mean she said and I again quote "that school is the number 1 therapeutic boarding school for teens in America. It is still running, very successful, it is licensed and overseen. No reputable allegations of misconduct have ever been made against its practices."

I am struggling... I am unsure as to whether I should believe a bunch of posts made by people online that I have never met... or my therapist... isn't your therapist supposed to definitely be one of the main people in your life that you can trust? I do trust her... I do not believe that she would have stayed at a school for four years if it were this bad.

I will not give you the name. I do not wish to further associate her name with such allegations. I cannot prove that they're true... I have never seen them first hand... Therefore I should not be any part of putting her name out on the web in a disreputable way...

[Anonymous]

yes she is a licensed therapist.. now working in maine.. I did check that. I'd rather not specify the name.. like I said she's already listed on here.. one of the few LCSW's because most were unlicensed.. that should narrow it a bit for you.. plus after four yrs she's no longer working there.. she works at my school.. and in a private practice where I see her...

Idk this is all very sketchy to me.. I have a hard time believing that this carlbrook place could be as bad as you all make it out to be.. I cannot imagine she'd be there for four years and condone such things.. and even say I quote- "But I learned more in the four years I was there than I have at any other time or place in my life."

Perhaps this board blows it out of proportion a bit... I mean I know I've called her creepy on occasion and thought she was scary at times.. but well I certainly cannot imagine her condoning or participating in the type of things mentioned here...

She seems to genuinely want to help kids... to help me... I mean either she was seriously part of a bad program and seriously made some moral and ethical mistakes... or this board blows it a bit out of proportion.. if this school is as bad as you claim... and she "learned" more from that than anywhere... than I must question my choice in therapist I suppose.. although who'll believe I dumped my therapist for cult type tendencies?!?! lol... anyway... but well if this has just been a bit blown out of proportion than I'd be making a mistake by leaving her...

I mean what about the boy that seemed as though he had a decent enough experience.. his screen name was like Irv or something... whether or not the practices are ethical.. I mean isnt it for the greater good if you're taking kids that otherwise would have ended up dropping out of high school or druggys or in jail... and you make them into Ivy league college acceptable students?

I mean that sounds almost surreal.

If all of this is true...
A. I am entirely creeped out by my therapists participation
B. why is this not more publically known
C. How can this occur in the U.S.?

I mean she said and I again quote "that school is the number 1 therapeutic boarding school for teens in America. It is still running, very successful, it is licensed and overseen. No reputable allegations of misconduct have ever been made against its practices."

I am struggling... I am unsure as to whether I should believe a bunch of posts made by people online that I have never met... or my therapist... isn't your therapist supposed to definitely be one of the main people in your life that you can trust? I do trust her... I do not believe that she would have stayed at a school for four years if it were this bad.

I will not give you the name. I do not wish to further associate her name with such allegations. I cannot prove that they're true... I have never seen them first hand... Therefore I should not be any part of putting her name out on the web in a disreputable way...

Wow…to answer that post requires a lot of typing and links.

I’ll let others do that, but right off, I’ll tell you that “these things happen in the U.S.” partly because of the self-same cruelty and stupidity you display in the following sentence:


“I mean isnt it for the greater good if you're taking kids that otherwise would have ended up dropping out of high school or druggys or in jail... and you make them into Ivy league college acceptable students?”

Thespian, do you think that because the Spanish Inquisition claimed to take people who were Bad Christians, Adulterers, Witches, and Satan’s Cohorts, and purify their souls, that what it did was for the "greater good"?


Do you think that the people the Spanish Inquisition “purified” were really guilty of the badness they were accused of?

Do you think its victims truly were “purified”?

Do you know there is no more clinical proof that the methods that Carlbrook employs helps its targets anymore than there is clinical proof the Spanish Inquisition helped the people it targeted?

Do you know what Carlbrook does is medically classified as thought reform, torture and abuse?

Do you know what Carlbrook does is legally classified as abduction, false imprisonment, sexual, physical and psychological abuse?

Do you really believe torturing people  “helps” them?

Do you know there is no oversight whatsoever for organizations that provide psychological "treatment" of young people, and if you wanted, you could clear out a spare room, and start kidnapping young people(with their guadian's go-ahead)  do whatever you wanted to them, call it therapy and not need to worry about legal consquences? Don't beleive me? Try it. See what happens. Things worked out pretty well for your therapist.

Do you really think people should be abducted and imprisoned without due process simply because of the ACCUSATION that IN THE FUTURE they will end up “druggys” or in “prison”?

Do you think that you should be abducted and imprisoned simply because someone says that would be “good” for you?

Some of the people posting that Carlbrook imprisoned and tortured and brainwashed or kidnapped their son provide their emails. Why don't you ask them how Carlbrook gets away with it? The woman who posts a couple above is dealing with her son being held prisoner. She's hired lawyers. Even with that, her son is still being held prisoner.

As for being registered as a therapist. Check to make sure she really has a Masters in psych, after 6 years of study at a real university. Credentials can be faked,as has been done by many employees of CEDU and Carlbrook and va. other "therapeutic boarding school" "rehab" providers as you can see by searching this forum

[Antigen]

I am struggling... I am unsure as to whether I should believe a bunch of posts made by people online that I have never met... or my therapist... isn't your therapist supposed to definitely be one of the main people in your life that you can trust? I do trust her... I do not believe that she would have stayed at a school for four years if it were this bad.

Thespian, this might help to put things into perspective. Warning, though, it's rather graphic! It's a PBS documentary about the history of frontal lobotomy. Hard as it may be to fathom today, in the mid to late `40's they were lobotomizing everyone from hyper kids to bored housewives. It was accepted practice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0aNILW6ILk

Similarly, the TC method, fucked up as it is, has come to be probably the most widely accepted form of treatment for everything from drug addiction (whether real or imagined) to homosexuality, eating disorders, depression .... the list goes on and on and on. The people who endorse it seem sincere because they are sincere. They truly believe that they are saving people by breaking their will and forcing them to believe and behave in a manner more acceptable to others around them. That belief on their part does not make them correct.

[Anonymous]

I am struggling... I am unsure as to whether I should believe a bunch of posts made by people online that I have never met... or my therapist... isn't your therapist supposed to definitely be one of the main people in your life that you can trust? I do trust her... I do not believe that she would have stayed at a school for four years if it were this bad.

Thespian, this might help to put things into perspective. Warning, though, it's rather graphic! It's a PBS documentary about the history of frontal lobotomy. Hard as it may be to fathom today, in the mid to late `40's they were lobotomizing everyone from hyper kids to bored housewives. It was accepted practice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0aNILW6ILk

Similarly, the TC method, fucked up as it is, has come to be probably the most widely accepted form of treatment for everything from drug addiction (whether real or imagined) to homosexuality, eating disorders, depression .... the list goes on and on and on. The people who endorse it seem sincere because they are sincere. They truly believe that they are saving people by breaking their will and forcing them to believe and behave in a manner more acceptable to others around them. That belief on their part does not make them correct.

The difference is it was scientists who developed the lobotomy. The people lobotomizing kids today through torture are not scientists nor do they oeprate within the realm of science, however debauched. They are lay-people, performing rituals developed by Charels Deidrich, leader of the Synanon cult.

[lil_thespian]

I did not watch your video. Sorry. We discussed that procedure in my Psychology class. Speaking of which I am required to do 5 article reviews a quarter and share them with the class. I am currently writing one tonight to share with the class tomorrow on CEDU. I found an interesting article on it... and I have to agree... after reading all that has been said here.. it is very creepy how much Carlbrook appears to have in common with the original CEDU institutions.. I mean sure they threw in a bit more academically and lessened the amount of time spent in the "raps", "workshops" whatever you would like to call those incriments of time in which a bunch of people spent in a room emotionally breaking one another.

I am truly sorry for anyone who underwent any sort of CEDU institution. I do not feel qualified to judge about Carlbrook simply because I never attended.. I am simply  a student enrolled in a public high school several states away that has a therapist that worked there.. I am entirely removed. But frankly from a teen perspective it sounds like utter hell. If it is truly and honestly as brainwashing and cult like as it has been made out to be on this thread than I do feel truly bad for any student or parent that had to endure any of it...

Though I still cannot fathom that my therapist played a role in such a program... But I do see your point about how they might believe it was for the betterment of society and might believe that what they were doing was right... But not speaking for carlbrook but simply for CEDU it is so blatantly twisted and sick... it says in the article that I am doing my paper on that they would spend 1-5 hours in one of the "raps" during which time anywhere from 1-15 students could all being yelling at one another at the same time or yelling at themselves or crying hysterically.. and the leaders were unqualified to guide such a group and yet saw themselves as perfectly qualified... contact with parents was severed...

it really sounds sick... and like a very perverted way to achieve societal perfection... why dont we take various intelligent kids causing disturbances within their homes or community.. brainwash them.. and then send them back into the community... I was disgusted while reading about CEDU... and if Carlbrook is as you have mentioned like these other programs then I am deeply sorry.

frankly I cannot believe that america doesnt have a better system in place for such boarding homes...

Perhaps the hardest piece for me to fathom though is that a whole group of proffesionals in the field of psychology would bind together to pull off such a program. it is so very disturbing... we've heard of crack pot scientists... but psychologists? social workers? It's just crazy... they went into the field to help people... why kidnap and abuse and entirely deconstruct humans? I cannot understand this at all.

I am hoping to go into the field myself... But even I could realize if I entered into a school like that what was going on and I should hope I would quit and apply elsewhere.. I cannot imagine that I would ever stick around and condone and encourage such methods... I cannot imagine that my therapist did at all...

I still remain commentless on carlbrook simply because should I believe such things... I would be forced to believe that my therapist whom I spend 50 mins a week with stayed and condoned and participated for four years in such awful things... I cannot even begin to fathom that.

I will admit though that the correlations between their treatment program and CEDU seem amazingly similar...

Idk... but quite honestly this is the last freaking therapist I ever google.

So let me clarify though.. so you're saying that Carlbrook specifically in the last 7 years has kidnapped students and been abusive and violated their rights? Specifically this school? Because quite frankly I would believe the others wholeheartedly and the others do not affect me at all.. I am specifically curious about this one... because this is the one that my therapist worked at and "learned" so much from...

Thank you for all of your input. I have found this all very fascinating and I intend to do my part throughout my lifetime to help spread the knowledge of such "therapeutic boarding homes"... It is really very sick. Thanks to Mel Wasserman... what was that man thinking?! and how on earth did so many intelligent people that began by wanting to help civilization go awry?

[Anonymous]

Though I still cannot fathom that my therapist played a role in such a program... But I do see your point about how they might believe it was for the betterment of society and might believe that what they were doing was right... But not speaking for carlbrook but simply for CEDU it is so blatantly twisted and sick... it says in the article that I am doing my paper on that they would spend 1-5 hours in one of the "raps" during which time anywhere from 1-15 students could all being yelling at one another at the same time or yelling at themselves or crying hysterically.. and the leaders were unqualified to guide such a group and yet saw themselves as perfectly qualified... contact with parents was severed...

it really sounds sick... and like a very perverted way to achieve societal perfection... why dont we take various intelligent kids causing disturbances within their homes or community.. brainwash them.. and then send them back into the community... I was disgusted while reading about CEDU... and if Carlbrook is as you have mentioned like these other programs then I am deeply sorry.

?

You are doing a paper on CEDU? And you are in High School? I am a survivor of CEDU. CEDU murdered its students in great numbers by driving them to suicide and a couple of kids were beaten to death while they were there. It only closed a few years ago...I can't belevie they are doing papers on it in highschools!!

Maybe you can help get justice for the survivors of it?