Kat,
Thanks for all of the information. It really does help to better understand your situation as well as a little history for people like me who don't know what is being done at the level you are at.
Personally, the most damaging aspect of my program experience was the thought reform. If I were to address anyone of importance about residential teen programs, I would stress the unseen damage caused by thought reform techniques. It isn't the easiest topic to discuss but to me, at least, it is very important to walk people through the process that occurs over time and how the child's identity is destroyed and remolded. Cults and psychological POW tortures should be given as examples and set side by side to known, present day program techniques. A few examples are Biderman's Chart of Coercion, Margaret Singers six conditions for thought control and Robert J. Liftons documented observations of POW's from the Korean War that had been brainwashed.
I have been told that my description of how the thought reform process worked on me as a teenager is very compelling. If this is what I can offer to a discussion, so be it.
Tony,
I'm happy to clarify any time! I agree with you WHOLE HEARTEDLY. Thought reform, its impact, is so hard to convey so any contribution that can be made in that respect is ENORMOUSLY valuable. But I get it, I've been there and it should be noted, (stating the obvious, but not something I knew until much later b/c of the brainwashing) its not therapy! As I'm sure known by most on this forum, at one point called 'psychic driving', concept is the same, albeit approached somewhat differently depending on the program... - concept is the same, breaking people down to build them back up. Dr. Cameron really studied it
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Ewen_CameronAnyway, we know it doesn't work! Its' unethical and traumatizing.
A psychiatrist at Phil Elbergs Institute of Cultic Studies wrote about this cultic risk w/in residential settings from a clinical perspective - as an FYI. Great material to arm one self with - particular if looking to educate NATSAP. We're working to post research docs up on CAFETY, so I'll try to get that up this week for folks to download. Great read.
Long and short of it, this topic is not left out in CAFETY's presentations:
You can download mine and Nick's presentation to get a sense of our focus in that respect -
http://cafety.org/events/archives-confe ... ry-19-2009Never far from my own mind, at least...