Support and Healing

Submitted on 2009/05/28 at 4:10am

Hello,

I saw you have iSurvive listed as one of your resources and wanted to let you know a great way to support this tremendous non-profit organization. We are currently trying to involve bloggers to raise money, and it is as easy as making a post! I am a survivor and have found great support at iSurvive. I hope you will help the cause by “Blogging For A Cause”. Here is some more information, if you are interested: http://mymonsterhasaname.com/2009/05/isurvive-blogging-cause-part2/.

Thank you for being a part of the abuse survivor community!

My Monster

Supporting Survivors of Abuse

Supporting Survivors of Abuse – How you can help

Most victims of sexual violence choose to tell someone close to them, who they feel safe enough to disclose about abuse which they have experienced, they believe that you are trust-worthy, will believe them and will not tell others without speaking to them about it first. As a ’safe’ person to tell, you are a woman’s most important source of support.

Whether you are helping someone cope with the immediate trauma of a recent experience or someone coming to terms with sexual abuse suffered as a child, you are very important to them. It is important, therefore, that you see yourself as important here and take care of yourself and your own needs. The victim is not going to get over the trauma quickly, so you need to pace yourself in terms of how much time and energy you can realistically offer the woman whom you are supporting. Consistency over a long period is more important than sitting up all night for a week and setting up expectations that you will always be able to ‘be there’ for her.

Similarly, remember that she is not ‘rejecting’ you if she chooses to seek help elsewhere, such as from a counsellor. When someone is in shock, grieving or traumatised, they will not look after themselves very well; they can be overwhelmed with painful emotions and negative thoughts. You need to be able to feel calm and be ‘real’. Hot drinks, food, vitamins, treats and a hand to hold may be all the person needs from you. Victims have had their minds and bodies invaded; they may have difficulties in sleeping, eating, and bathing, relaxing and not least with sexual or intimate contact. It may take time for these activities to become normalised as every day life; any support you can offer in this process can add a lot to their sense of security and self-respect.

Many people are afraid of saying or doing ‘the wrong thing’, or of ‘damaging’ someone further because they ‘do not know enough’ about sexual violence. It is important to remember that you do not have to be an expert, you are not dealing with a ’strange disease’. If you are prepared to listen, the woman concerned will be able to guide you in what she needs.

You may feel traumatised, confused, overwhelmed, or a range of feelings about what has happened, you may feel: angry, helpless, guilty, scared, upset, nervous. These feelings are natural, it is important that you deal with these away from the victim, try not to dump them on her. Talk to a friend or someone whom you can trust, with permission from the victim of course, arrange to get support from agencies near you.

Victims are often afraid of how other people will react to what has happened to them, they may fear not being believed, embarrassment, having their experiences minimised or trivialised, even fear rejection. Women often fear well-meaning, but ignorant questions such as: “Why didn’t you tell me before now?” “Why didn’t you scream?” “Why didn’t you tell someone?” “Why don’t you report it to the police?” “Why did you (encourage him / wear that skirt / walk that route / etc.)?” If you do not understand why a victim is behaving in a particular way, or is reacting the way she is now, remember that this is YOUR problem, NOT HERS. Do not badger her with questions or ask her questions, which you are not sure, whether she will want to answer; read a book instead.

The woman may have her own questions about what has happened to her and may want to explore these with you. It is very important that she makes up her own mind and finds her own truth about what has happened to her and makes her own decisions from it. Sexual abuse and violence leaves women with feelings of powerlessness and loss of control about their lives. It is important that people do not take over, without consulting with the woman about what she needs in the situation. Confronting the perpetrator, phoning the police, or making a medical appointment ‘on her behalf’ may make matters worse, you can best help by listening to her and asking her or checking out what she wants; do not tell her what YOU believe she OUGHT to do; explore her options with her.

No two people are the same and reactions to rape and sexual abuse are as varied as they are to bereavement. It is likely, however, that whatever her experience, at some point she feared for her life and that she will feel numb after the attack, ‘cut off’, in shock or even hysterical; she may appear perfectly calm and unaffected; she may fear that she is ‘going mad’; these are all normal ways for a woman to process what has happened to her. Other effects may be flashbacks or panic attacks. Her behaviour may change: her eating habits may alter, she may feel the need to wash repeatedly. She may vomit or have other physical symptoms. All of these problems are alleviated by being able to talk about them; repetition of the trauma is common – TRY TO BE PATIENT.

Victims whose story has not been believed by others may find it very difficult to trust anyone else and may resist talking about their experiences. Do not take this as your not being ‘good enough’ to trust, be patient and encourage her GENTLY, do not push her. If you feel the need to press her, ask yourself why YOU ‘need to know’ now. Her apparently frozen state will not last forever.

As time passes, a woman may go through emotional and psychological change. She may be adding to her trauma by blaming herself and tormenting herself with ‘what ifs’ or about her behaviour before, during and/or after what has happened. Remind her at these times that it is never a woman’s fault that she has been violated, it was the attackers decision to act in the way he did. Rape is never ‘asked for’ and it can be hard for a woman to face just how powerless she was in the abusive situation. Thinking that she could have done something different is a way of a woman ‘problem solving’ so that they can protect themselves in the future. These are complex issues, which can sometimes require specialist support. Rape Crisis Centre can help.

What many of Christopher Hansard’s victims are dealing with now, is knowing that they have done everything right about the wrong that has been done to them, and in some cases they were blamed for the abuse that occurred.

Initially many of Christopher Hansard’s victims were patients, or their families were patients. The Courant has knowledge of at least 3 young ladies whose families were somehow involved with Mr. Hansard and they were therefore pressed to join his ‘apprenticeship’ in one form or another.

As stated in earlier postings, in this capacity, the victims were instructed to perform “Tibetan Massages” on their “teacher”, Mr. Hansard.

The massages were almost always administered while Mr. Hansard was fully naked, exposing himself to his students. Sometimes during the massage or at the end, Mr. Hansard would rise from the treatment couch naked and attempt to embrace the student “only to thank [them] for the massage”. Other times Christopher Hansard would suggest the student “straddle” him on the treatment couch.

Such breaches were always offered as “teachings” or “treatments”.

One woman was offered that such intimacy would help her to feel loved and beautiful again as she had been told she was ugly all her life, and that it would help her to overcome her “fear” of men. Another was told it would help her with the Astrology lessons she was being taught, while one other woman who resisted his advances was ridiculed, and told she was overly sensitive, that it was just meant as nothing more than a gesture of gratitude.

None of the three women found the support they needed from their own families. Some found it too difficult to share, and remain silently in shame to this day, while another who did attempt to turn to her family for help, was disbelieved entirely by some and blamed by others.

	General information about abuse What are the effects of abuse on women and children? The following information is taken from the publication “Wife Assault Hurts Us All” and it relates to the effects of abuse on women and children. It is a fact that abuse by a partner or doctor affects women in many ways. There are many areas of your self that are affected by abuse. WOMEN Self-Esteem Our self-esteem or self-concept is a measure of how we feel about ourselves. Low self-esteem creates feelings of self-doubt and worthlessness, taking away the self-confidence needed to make decisions and to solve problems. When our own feelings and judgment cannot be trusted, solving even small problems becomes difficult. In many cases low self-esteem and poor self-concept may lead to depression. Depression is a medical condition that often requires medication or therapy to be effectively treated. Low self-esteem can also result in a disregard for personal appearance and health. Feelings of Helplessness In abusive relationships, the abusive man maintains control of his partner’s actions by physically, sexually, and psychologically abusing her. If the assaulted woman tries to regain some control, the abuser may become more controlling. Her repeated unsuccessful attempts at stopping his violence reinforce her feelings of helplessness. As a result the assaulted woman may give up trying to break the cycle of violence. Self Blame and Guilt Many women are used to looking after the emotional needs of their families. When the emotional well-being of the family is suffering, as it does when abuse is present, the woman tends to blame herself and tends to believe she fails in her role to look after her family. Some women have hidden the abuse for years because of the guilt and shame they feel. The partner usually encourages this thinking by blaming her for the abuse. This results in the woman falsely believing she has failed as emotional caretaker and that she causes and deserves the abuse. Denying and Minimizing Denying and minimizing abuse are two ways of coping with his violence, although they are ineffective. They increase the danger already present by encouraging the victim to disregard signals which can warn her of further assaults. Abused women frequently deny being victims of wife assault and that a pattern of abused has been established. A false sense of responsibility for the violence and embarrassment prevent her from telling others about it. Other excuses can be made to explain away the violence and to renew hope for the relationship. Minimizing abuse downplays its seriousness. Often women avoid accepting the reality that they are being abused by comparing themselves to others who have endured more extreme acts of physical and psychological abuse. Their own situations then seem much less serious and much less dangerous.

Nobody “wants” to be a victim!

One of the obstacles that the victims of Christopher Hansard have faced is that he is not part of any regulatory body. Finding out who those who continue to support and ‘protect’ him are regulated with is equally frustrating.

Self-regulating “Professional” bodies that have been set up to deter such offenses or breaches of boundaries and prevent those abuses that Christopher Hansard has been accused of do not make themselves readily available and are numerous in number. What the public may also not be aware of is complementary practitioners can sign up with more than one governing board or regulating body. Therefore if they are expelled or barred from one, they are often still registered or members of another. This poses yet more problems for victims trying to seek justice.

Finding the appropriate regulatory bodies is difficult enough, and then submitting complaints to them has not always been well received as they find themselves having to defend “one of their own”.

The insurance companies want proof, and the victims are questioned once again and called upon to re-live their experiences and in many cases defend their own actions or reactions. Abuses that for some were disguised as “love” though they never left Christopher Hansard’s treatment room and couch. Christopher Hansard told victims that he was in love with them in order to continue to abuse them, and feed his now obvious sexual addiction.

Up until February of 2008, those clients that Christopher Hansard was grooming and engaging with sexually never left his office. For the first time he was able to take his patient relationship ‘public’. The reason the others were not taken public was because he was married and had to keep up that facade as it seemed to help maintain his image and assure victims that they were the “only ones”. He also worked with other practitioners and ‘peers’, and maintained sometimes up to 7 sexual ‘relationships’ at any one time. Each ‘treatment’ or ‘teaching’ relationship had to be kept compartmentalised from the others in order to maintain them all.

It is time to talk about this, and bring it out in the public forum so that more people can understand how this happens, and how this has been allowed to happen for so long.

the Courant welcomes letters and commentary. Please send letters to theCourant@mail.com

*Please be aware that portions of your submissions may be posted anonymously unless otherwise stated.

Christopher Hansard Seeking A Certificate

Safety and Efficacy at the CNHC

The Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council
(CNHC) is the UK Government’s attempt to regulate “alternative
therapy”. But it does not even require evidence that certified
treatments are safe, or actually work.

On 19 January 2009, the UK Government set up the CNHC, ostensibly to
regulate Supplementary, Complementary and Alternative Medicine (SCAM)
practitioners.

Double Standards

The actual effect will be to create a double standard for treatments.

In “normal” medicine, therapies must undergo rigorous testing
for safety and efficetiveness, and may not be licensed even if
preliminary data seem good. A good example of this is the drug
Herceptin, which was not licensed for use in the UK because the early
promising trials did not pan out. This is good – I don’t want some drug
being administered to me on the sole say-so of the company that made
it, and if it costs the drug companies millions to prove that it’s OK,
then so be it. What is the price of a human life?

However, market your cure-all nostrum as a supplement, herbal remedy or traditional medicine, and the sole-say-so rule is exactly
what happens. A SCAM practitioner can get accreditation from his or her
“professional body” – an association of other true believers, usually -
and a certificate of insurance, and become government accredited for
£45.

Worthless Certification

The CNHC does spell out what they do and do not claim about those on
its register, but this is hardly likely to be read by the general
public. SCAM practitioners will undoubtedly use CNHC certification to
imply safety and effectiveness. In fact, the CNHC referring to their
little logo as a “kitemark” reinforces this belief, as a kitemark
usually refers to the mark of the British Standards Institute, a
well-respected and trusted body.

And it turns out that this implication is a step too far for
the BSI. The term “kitemark” is a trade mark of the BSI, and the CNHC
have had their wrists slapped over the use of the term, through the medium of a cease-and-desist letter from the BSI’s lawyers.

Petition

I have set up a petition at the Government’s Petition Website, asking them to amend the requirements for CNHC certification to include evidence of efficacy and safety – please sign it.

the Courant encourages all UK citizens to sign the above petition and show your support for those who suffered in the ‘care’ of Christopher Hansard. A man who is highly delusional, dangerous, and due to a lack of regulation, seeking credentials so that he may carry on abusing those who turn to him for help and healing.

The story of his supposed ‘training’ turned out to be false in it’s entirety. A story that has been publised in 3 books. The Tibetan Art of Living, The Tibetan Art of Positive Thinking, and The Tibetan Art of Serenity.

While complementary practitioners expect to be treated with the same respect as our General Medicial Practitioners, they are not bound by the same laws nor any code of ethics save those imposed by their own regulatory bodies should they choose to be a member. However being a member of a regulatory body is not mandatory, nor are there any REAL consequences if any of the professional associations rules are broken. Even insurers offering coverage to those in the complementary field seem to lack any teeth when in comes to enforcing their own code of ethics or policies. This was evidenced when we attempted to bring the many abuses we were aware of to Christopher Hansard’s insurance company. With such serious accusations, one would think that at the very least a thorough investigation would have been launched into his claims, let alone his abuses of clients.

There is a need for government imposed regulations specifically aimed at those in the complementary and alternative medicine field. Christopher Hansard is perhaps one of the best examples of why it is so important that we take an active interest, whether you are a practitioner yourself, a student, or a client.

the Government’s Petition Website

Investigate Christopher Hansard

Thank you!

Healthy Boundaries

Although some complementary approaches are available through the NHS, they’re not universally accepted by the medical establishment. This is because they haven’t been subject to the strict medical trials by which scientists prove some treatments work.

Many doctors recognise these approaches can benefit patients, but they’re unlikely to be enthusiastic about you abandoning conventional treatment entirely in favour of complementary approaches.

Checklist

Do:

• Tell your doctor, physiotherapist or occupational therapist that you’re considering seeing a complementary practitioner
• Find a reliable practitioner – it’s worth checking whether there’s an organisation that sets standards
• Try to find someone who has worked with people with arthritis
• Check the cost – most therapies aren’t available on the NHS
• Check the number of sessions needed before benefits are felt
• Choose someone you feel comfortable with

Don’t be:

• Afraid to ask for credentials
  
• Led to believe there are miracle cures
• Taken in by people who say you should follow their method and abandon other treatments

Types of treatment

Acupuncture – works on the theory that inserting needles along energy lines of the body can stimulate energy flow and reduce pain

Aromatherapy – the use of essential oils from flowers, plants and trees, sometimes combined with massage

Chiropractic – manipulation to improve mobility and relieve pain by adjusting the joints of the spine and limbs where there are signs of restricted movement (not usually recommended for those with osteoporosis or inflamed joints)

Herbalism – use of plants and herbal remedies to treat illness

Osteopathy – manipulation to restore normal action to the body and reduce pain (not usually recommended for those with osteoporosis or inflamed joints)

Reflexology – massage using pressure to the feet to improve the health of various parts of the body

Yoga – a combination of relaxation, breathing techniques and exercise to combat stress and help circulation and movement of the joints

Finding a practitioner

If you’re looking for a complementary practitioner, you’ll find plenty in your local Yellow Pages or Thomson’s Directory, but this will give no indication of how good they are. Your doctor or health centre may be able to recommend someone.

Many complementary therapies have no strict system of qualification. The Institute for Complementary Medicine has a register of practitioners who have provided evidence of their compentence to practise.

*Christopher Hansard is not on this list, nor would he qualify for any. Upon gaining credentials through courses with Henry Whitfield, he would normally be expected to abide by a set of Policies and a Code of Ethics that he has NEVER adhered to.

This article was last medically reviewed by Dr Rob Hicks in July 2008.

Christopher Hansard has no formal qualifications, nor can he prove his story that he was taught acupuncture, and Tibetan Medicine from a Tibetan Master named Urgyen Nam Chuk from the age of 4 to 27 in New Zealand. He has been accused of sexual coercion and misconduct as a complementary and alternative practitioner (and therefore unregulated) since opening up his ‘practice’ in London England in 1992.

He has traveled to North America as well as through out Scandinavia presenting himself as a “Physician of Tibetan Dur Bon Medicine” to workshops participants, book clubs and publishers alike though the story of his skill, belief systems, and lifestyle could not be any further from the truth of how he has chosen to live his life, physically abusing those close to him, and sexually abusing those in his ‘care’.

There have been recent rumours of another possible publication from the Dur Bon Con in the hopes of building his fame, and therefore his clientele back up again. A vulnerable and trusting clientele base whose only purpose has ever been to provide support for his delusions of grandeur, and sexual addictions.

What CAM practitioners need to know

Respecting professional boundaries: What CAM practitoners need to know

References and further reading may be available for this article. To view references and further reading you must purchase this article.

Julie Stone^a,

^aUniversity of Lincoln, UK

Available online 9 November 2007.

Summary

Professional boundaries are central to professionalism. Failure to maintain sexual and emotional boundaries can cause patients significant and enduring harm. Although prevalence data is poor, evidence from complaints shows that boundary abuses do occur in the CAM sector. Concerns are heightened by contextual, regulatory and therapeutic aspects of CAM relationships. This article argues that learning about sexual boundaries should be a specific element of CAM training and makes recommendations as to how to implement this key element of patient safety.

Keywords: Professional boundaries; Regulation; ‘Touchy-feely’ practitioners

Article Outline

Introduction

What do we mean by ‘boundaries’?

Why boundaries must not be breached

Prevalence of boundary abuses by CAM practitioners

Attraction towards patients and attraction from patients

Generic warning signs

Factors specific to CAM relationships

Contextual factors

Regulatory factors

Factors associated with CAM therapeutic relationships

Teaching and learning about boundaries

What do CAM students and professionals need to know?

The way ahead

Declaration of interests

References

Copyright © 2007 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved.

In The ‘Care’ Of Christopher Hansard – In The Wrong Hands

From The Times

January 30, 2009

The question about alternative medicine

The Government needs to make unified decisions on alternative medicine

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Sir, We would like to congratulate the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Salford, Professor Michael Harloe, for his principled decision to drop all the university’s programmes associated with complementary medicine within the School of Community, Health Sciences & Social Care. This includes its “homoeopathy in practice” degree.

It is also encouraging that the University of Central Lancashire recently closed its BSc in homoeopathy to new students, and announced a review of all its activities in alternative medicine.

Although universities are now taking sensible actions, government policy in the area of regulation of alternative medicine is in urgent need of revision. Last May the steering group, chaired by Professor Pittilo, recommended to the Department of Health that entry into acupuncture, herbal medicine and traditional Chinese medicine should “normally be through a bachelor degree with honours”. But, in the same month, new regulations on unfair trading came into effect. One of the 31 commercial practices that are in all circumstances considered unfair is “falsely claiming that a product is able to cure illnesses, dysfunction or malformations”. One part of government seeks to endorse unproven and disproved treatments, at the same time as another part makes them illegal.

The reason for this chaotic situation is simple. The Department of Health and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) have consistently failed to grasp the nettle of deciding which treatments work and which don’t. That is the first thing you want to know about any treatment.

Vice-chancellors seem now to be asking the question, and the Government should do so too. The ideal mechanism already exists. The question should be referred to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. That was recommended by a House of Lords report in 2000, and it was recommended again by the Smallwood report in 2005. Now it should be done.

Sir Walter Bodmer

Cancer & Immunogenetics Laboratory, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Oxford

Professor David Colquhoun

Research Professor of Pharmacology, University College London

Dame Bridget Ogilvie

Visiting Professor at UCL, Past-director of the Wellcome Trust

Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell

MRC Research Professor, University of Manchester

______________________________________________

False assurances

The Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council’s claims to regulate alternative medicine are misleading and dangerous

Comments (125)

• 
• • Edzard Ernst
  • guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 21 January 2009 12.00 GMT
  • Article history

On 19 January, the new Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council finally saw the light of day. Its key function is “to enhance public protection by setting standards” in an area that even most experts find bewildering: alternative medicine. All good news then? Why am I not jubilant?

The history of the CNHC reads like that of a government body in a banana republic. Several years ago, the Prince’s Foundation for Integrated Health (PFIH) was given £900,000 from the Department of Health and previously £1 million from the King’s Fund for setting up a regulatory framework for UK alternative practitioners. This is a lot of money for little work – and, crucially, it was given to entirely the wrong organisation. Imagine a lobby group – and that is precisely what the PFIH is – for the pharmaceutical industry, sponsored with taxpayers’ money, to regulate the pharmaceutical industry. Barmy? Corrupt? Incompetent? You decide.

Anyway, PFIH somehow did manage to spend all of it and eventually came up with the CNHC. Regulation must be a good thing, we might argue. Let’s get rid of the cowboys amongst the alternative practitioners! Let’s raid the Chinese herbal shops run by mafia-like institutions making one illegal claim after the other and ripping off the gullible public! Sadly the CNHC will not achieve any of this.

As it turns out, only few alternative healthcare professions (massage therapists and nutritionists) have opted to join the CNHC, and even for them, membership is entirely voluntary. Imagine, a practitioner is found guilty of gross professional misconduct. She might get struck off, but is the public really protected from her? No, because she can easily and instantly continue to practice as a non-member anywhere she likes.

Is all this then just a farce, a waste of money and a exercise to please Prince Charles? No, I’m afraid it is worse than that. By including the term “Natural” in the council’s name, the dangerous and already widespread myth is perpetuated that alternative therapies are all natural – and, by implication, harmless. There is nothing natural about serial dilution, as in homoeopathy, and there is not much safety (9 deaths since 1990) in chelation therapy, for instance.

Even worse, the CNHC, probably for the first time in the history of the NHS, firmly establishes double standards in British medicine. Doctors, nurses and other conventional healthcare professionals are obliged, through their codes of ethics, to adhere to the principles of evidence-based medicine; they must use treatments that demonstrably generate more good than harm for their patients. Not so the members of the CNHC! Until yesterday, their “Code of conduct, performance and ethics” was a closely guarded secret. When it was finally released, I was keen to find out what it says about evidence. The only statement I could find was the following: “You should only provide the treatment or advice if you believe this is appropriate”.

So now it is official: evidence for conventional practitioners, while belief suffices for the alternative brigade. The MP Evan Harris was even less impressed with the new CNHC: “This register is an attempt to give legitimacy to a business model founded on deceiving the public with pseudo-scientific and misleading health claims”. Say no more.

______________________________________________

The Call For Stricter Regulations

The Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC) issues approval certificates to Supplementary, Complementary and Alternative Medicine practitioners, but this approval is currently independent of actual evidence of efficacy or safety.

It is likely that practitioners will use CNHC approval to imply efficacy and safety, even though it promises no such thing.

We, the undersigned, therefore petition that the CNHC requirements be tightened to include evidence of efficacy and safety.

Petitioning Number 10

Investigate Christopher Hansard

Change & Circumstance

Survivors Bill of Rights

As a Matter of Personal AUTHORITY, You Have the Right …

…to manage your life according to your own values and judgment

…to direct your recovery, answerable to no one for your goals, effort, or progress

…to gather information to make intelligent decisions about your recovery

…to seek help from a variety of sources, unhindered by demands for exclusivity

…to decline help from anyone without having to justify the decision

…to have faith in your powers of self restoration — and to seek allies who share it

…to trust allies in healing as much as any adult can trust another, but no more

…to be afraid and to avoid what frightens you

…to decide for yourself whether, when, and where to confront your fear

…to learn by experimenting, that is, to make mistakes.

~~~

For the Preservation of Personal BOUNDARIES, You Have the Right …

…to be touched only with your permission, and only in ways that are comfortable

…to choose to speak or remain silent, about any topic or at any moment

…to choose to accept or decline feedback, suggestions, or interpretations

…to ask for help in healing, without having to accept help with work, play, or love

…to challenge any crossing of your boundaries

…to take appropriate action to end any trespass that does not cease when challenged.

~~~

In the Sphere of Personal COMMUNICATION, You Have the Right …

…to ask for explanation of communications you do not understand

…to express a contrary view when you do understand and you disagree

…to acknowledge your feelings, without having to justify them as assertions of fact or actions affecting others

…to ask for changes when your needs are not being met

…to speak of your experience, with respect for your doubts and uncertainties

…to resolve doubt without deferring to the views or wishes of anyone.

~~~

Specific to the domain of Psychotherapy or any of the ‘Talking Therapies’, Complementary, Alternative or otherwise, You Have the Right …

…to hire a therapist or counselor as coach, not boss, of your recovery

…to receive expert and faithful assistance in healing from your therapist

…to be assured that your therapist will refuse to engage in any other relationship with you –business, social, or sexual — for life

…to be secure against revelation of anything you have disclosed to your therapist, unless a court of law commands it

…to have your therapist’s undivided loyalty in relation to any and all perpetrators, abusers, or oppressors

…to receive informative answers to questions about your condition, your hopes for recovery, the goals and methods of treatment, the therapist’s qualifications

…to have a strong interest by your therapist in your safety, with a readiness to use all legal means to neutralize an imminent threat to your life or someone else’s

…to have your therapist’s commitment to you not depend on your “good behavior,” unless criminal activity or ongoing threats to safety are involved

…to know reliably the times of sessions and of your therapist’s availability, including, if you so desire, a commitment to work together for a set term

…to telephone your therapist between regular scheduled sessions, in urgent need, and have the call returned within a reasonable time *

…to be taught skills that lessen risk of retraumatisation containment (reliable temporal/spatial boundaries for recovery work);(b) systematic relaxation;(c) control of attention and imagery (through trance or other techniques)

…to reasonable physical comfort during sessions.

* As a patient or client you have the right to expect that your therapist will ‘care’ for you without preying on the vulnerability and transference that can naturally occur in the treatment room or any healing setting.

The problem is that some complementary practitioners such as Mr. Christopher Hansard, allegedly took advantage of that ’safe’ setting, and his self imposed position of authority, and intentionally created and continues to create serious dependencies with his clients. The feelings of ‘love’ or ‘admiration’ that can and do occur in any therapeutic situation and most especially one that has been created to instill a false sense of sacredness or spirituality, are often encouraged and exploited. Mr. Christopher Hansard made himself readily ‘available’ to any one of his female clients in particular, presenting himself as the doting, ‘loving’, and attentive practitioner or ’spiritual master’.

The risk in presenting this information online, and one that we at The Courant are painfully aware of, is that it not only helps support his alleged victims, but it also helps to further educate him on how he must appear to conduct himself. It is important then to bear in mind, and keep in mind that every calculated act, from answering his phone off hours, making house calls, to answering your queiries about past allegations or abuses or your challenges of present sexual suggestions, are all done for the purposes of reaching and retaining one goal only… Sex.

And one must ask themselves how having sex with their ‘therapist’ or ’spiritual teacher’ helps them cope with the death of their father, their worsening arthritis, or debilitating diabetes. The answer is, it doesn’t.

“change and circumstance are the fire and wind of self-awareness.”

- by Christopher Hansard

They are indeed, and the wind is picking up and the message is spreading.

The Courant

An unEthical Experiment

In an effort to present the public with a clearer view of what a visit to your complementary or alternative practitioner should look like as opposed to what many found when in the ‘care’ of Christopher Hansard, The Courant has gathered a number of excerpts and put together an abridged Code of Ethics from various Complementary & Alternative Medicine and Healthcare sites. The below list was compiled of those examples that many sites and regulatory bodies determined to be the most important. They have also been listed as they pertain specifically to the practices of “Dr. Christopher Hansard – Master Physician of Tibetan Dur Bon Medicine”. The majority of Ethics Codes are developed by a community of responsible practitioners, regulatory bodies and insurance companies. Please see below example:

Code of Practice & Disciplinary and Complaints Procedures

Code of Practice

1. Members shall have respect for the religious, spiritual, political and social views of any individual irrespective of race, colour, creed, sexual orientation or gender.

2. Members shall at all times conduct themselves in an honourable and courteous manner and with due diligence in their relations with their clients and the public. They should seek a good relationship and shall work in a co-operative manner with other healthcare professionals and recognise and respect their particular contribution within the healthcare team, irrespective of whether they perform from an allopathic or alternative/complementary base.

3. The relationship between a member and her/his client is that of a professional with a client. The client places trust in a member’s care, skill and integrity and it is the member’s duty to act with due diligence at all times and not to abuse this trust in any way.

4. Proper moral conduct must always be paramount in members’ relations with clients. They must behave with courtesy, respect, dignity, discretion and tact. Their attitude must be competent and sympathetic, hopeful and positive, thus encouraging an uplift in the client’s mental outlook and belief in a progression towards good health practices.

“…the thing with the massage situation was: once the massage was over, it was as if christopher
didnt know me, and that always left me feeling sort of used. it WAS very confusing emotionally and pretty sick.  …i did  try and broach my concerns but he was so dominant and i didnt have the courage.
he used to say “youve done nothing wrong” and “this is about energy”           – former student/patient

“…i met him in his office for a period of about 4 years and gave him a massage which at the time
believed was part of my training as a “healer”. there was a sexual aspect involved but it left me in a lot of conflicts as his intentions were very unclear”           – former student/patient
*Christopher Hansard’s students were harvested primarily from his client base.

5. In furtherance of 4. above, members must not enter into a sexual relationship of any kind with a client and must be diligent in guarding against any act, suggestion or statement that may be interpreted, mistakenly or otherwise, as having a sexual implication.

6. Therapists may only make home visits to clients subject to there being a friend, relative or independent witness on the premises at all times.

7. Members must never claim to ‘cure’. The possible therapeutic benefits may be described; ‘recovery’ must never be guaranteed.

8. Members should ensure that they themselves are medically, physically and psychologically fit to practise.

It has only been with the endorsement of an equally irresponsible therapist that Christopher Hansard has been allowed to continue. A therapist who was made well aware of his continued breach of boundaries but continues to uphold him as their guru having been a former client themselves and therefore continues to dismiss the seriousness of the situation and deny any wrong doing. Perfering instead to blame his former students and clients.

9. Discretion must be used for the protection of the member when carrying out private treatment with clients who are mentally unstable, addicted to drugs or alcohol, or severely depressed, suicidal or hallucinated. Such clients must be treated only by a member with relevant competency. A member must not treat a client in any case which exceeds her/his capacity, training and competence.Where appropriate, the member must seek referral to a more qualified person.

10. Registered medical practitioners and members of other health care professions remain subject to the general ethical codes and disciplinary procedures of their respective professions.

11. The aim of xxxx membership is to offer a service to clients as well as a service and therapeutic modalities to, and with, the medical profession. Members must recognise that where a client is delegated to them by a registered medical practitioner, that person remains clinically accountable for their patient and for the care offered by the member.

12. Members must guard against the danger that a client without previously consulting a doctor may come for therapy for a known disorder and subsequently be found, too late, to be suffering from another serious disorder. To this end new patients/clients must be asked what medical advice they have received. If they have not seen a doctor, they must be advised to do so. Since it is legal to refuse medical treatment, no client can be forced to consult a doctor. The advice must be recorded for the member’s protection. It is not a breach of ethics to treat a client who gives informed consent to receive a therapy.

13. Members must not countermand instructions or prescriptions given by a doctor.

14. Members must not advise a particular course of medical treatment, such as to undergo an operation or to take specific drugs. It must be left to the client to make her/his own decision in the light of medical advice.

15. Members must not use titles or descriptions to give the impression of medical or other qualifications unless they possess them and must make it clear to their clients that they are not medical doctors and do not purport to have their knowledge or skills.

Christopher Hansard at one time held quite a number of credit cards that held the designation “Dr. Christopher Hansard”. A number of receipts and emails where he is presenting himself as a Doctor exist, but will not be published. He did make verbal claims that he was held in the same regard and that his training offered him many of the same privilages such as being able to perform house calls, assist births, and had an emergency light that he could put atop his automobile.

16. Members must not attend women in childbirth or treat them for ten days thereafter unless they hold an appropriate qualification approved by xxxx. This does not preclude treatment given with the permission of the client’s midwife, doctor or medical team.

17. Members must not treat any venereal disease as defined in the 1917 Act.

18. Members must not use manipulation or vigorous massage unless they possess an appropriate professional qualification.

19. Members must not prescribe or administer remedies, herbs, supplements, essential oils or other products unless their training and qualifications entitle them to do so.

Since much of his training and all of his claims are up for debate the above conventions would exclude “Dr. Christopher Hansard” from performing any of these procedures.

20. Advertising must be dignified in tone and shall not contain named testimonials or claim to cure any disease etc. It shall be confined to drawing attention to the therapy available, the qualifications of the member and offer a general service together with necessary details.

Christopher Hansard’s claims continue to be advertised in his 3 publications.

21. Members will display their current certificate of professional indemnity insurance in their normal place of work. Members working in several locations and/or offering visiting services will have available at all times a copy of their current professional indemnity insurance certificate.

Whether or not Christopher Hansard is currently insured is also under question.

22. Before treatment members must explain fully either in writing or verbally all the procedures involved in the treatment including such matters as questionnaires, likely content and length of consultation, number of consultations, fees etc. Where a client has an existing medical condition members must ensure that they have the client’s informed consent in writing to perform the treatment or that of the client’s medical practitioner.

23. Members must act with consideration concerning fees and justification for treatment. Members should not be judgmental and they should recognise the client’s right to refuse treatment or ignore advice. It is the client’s prerogative to make their own choices with regard to their health, lifestyle and finances.

“I also felt  that the way you have showed me leads to no where..”

“What am I searching after?
What is the end stage for this process?
What shall I learn?”

There are other emails from the same client explaining that initially their treatment was intended to be much less frequent and not as long, but each time the client is convinced that they are in need of more treatment.

24. Members must ensure they keep clear and comprehensive records of their treatments including the dates, advice given and all consent forms. This is especially important for the defence of any negligence actions for at least 7 years, as well as for efficient and careful practice.

Chrsitopher Hansard’s practice facility in Victoria is currently carpeted through out, therefore acupuncture needles were frequently found protruding out from the carpet fibres as and where they fell. Unlike at his practice in Chelsea where bylaws clearly stated that he needed special flooring in order to practice such procedures, either Westminster does not uphold the same high standards or the council would seem rather remiss in enforcing such laws in the interests of public safety. Another bylaw was that he had to have a sink in each of his 3 treatment rooms, which he does not, nor is he known to wash his hands between patients, even after handling acupuncture needles which penetrate the clients flesh. Another item of considerable concern are the curtains currently hanging from ceiling to floor have never been treated for fire, and as Christopher is known to burn incense for ‘atmosphere’, this would pose a very serious fire hazard.

25. In determining whether or not any record of the nature of any treatment administered is reasonable, it shall be for the member compiling the record to show that on the basis of her/his notes he/she can demonstrate what treatment was undertaken and whether that treatment was competently and reasonably undertaken and that the client consented to the treatment.

Christopher Hansard does not keep any patient or client records, with the exception of gathering their contact details, no other records can be found upon his premises, nor are they kept at his private resisdence. Though he often tells clients he keeps record, and with the reputation of his myth provided by advertising and media, they seem to take for granted that he simply remembers. Sadly memory alone would not be enough to hold up in a negligence case against any practitioner.

26. Confidentiality. Members, their assistants and receptionists have an implicit duty to keep attendances, all information, records and views formed about clients entirely confidential. No disclosure may be made to any third party, including any member of the client’s own family, without the client’s consent unless it is required by due process of the law, whether that be by Statute, Statutory instrument, order of any court of competent jurisdiction or howsoever otherwise.

27. Members must ensure that they comply with the Data Protection Act.

A little known fact is that Christopher Hansard claims to have had his laptop computer stolen this summer (2008). Although he does not keep client records, he does store email correspondences. These are not kept on a server, they are downloaded directly on to his computer. Clients may also be alarmed to find out that their credit card receipts are thrown haphazardly into the top drawer of his desk, and remain there, unorganised, unfiled, unprotected, sometimes for days on end, until Christopher sends them to an accountant.

28. No third party, including assistants and members of the client’s family, may be present during the course of a consultation with an adult without the client’s express consent, which should be recorded.

29. All members must be adequately insured to practise. The insurance policy must state provision for public liability and indemnity as well as the provision for professional treatments.

30. All members shall ensure that their working conditions are suitable for the practice of their therapy.

31. Members will follow and abide by decisions made under the disciplinary, complaints and appeals procedures appended to this Code.

And when Christopher Hansard found out that one former patient had begun to share the sordid tale of her own experience of abuse to others;

“he sent me some really vicious emails , acused me in one very vioent phone call of defaming him..”           – former client/student

“I should have followd my gut from day one, when he jumped down my throat about there being nothing wrong with an older man and a younger woman, I knew then he was a lech, I should have walked away, but i was so desparate for someone to help me stop feelng so much ;pain and his book said he was some genius, it seemed such a wonderful story, plus the press were in love with him, there were celebrities going to him and the clinic was always busy. the rr site may be hysterical but it provides an important service. bcse if there had been something out there for all the times i tried to get some info on him, i would have stopped so long ago”            – client / victim of exploitation

Disciplinary and complaints procedures

The Disciplinary and complaints procedures included some of the following:

1. On receipt of the reply by the member who is the subject of the complaint, the Chairperson of the Disciplinary Committee in consultation with one or more relevantly qualified members of the committee will determine if there is a case to be answered. If the circumstances are of a nature that could be covered by Embody’s insurance policy the member will be advised to make immediate contact with the insurance company’s claims department for advice and the Committee will take no action until the insurance company has concluded it’s interest in the case. Regardless of the outcome Embody may still take disciplinary action against the member if in Embody’s opinion the member has conducted her/him self in any way against the Code of Practice. Such disciplinary action will follow the procedures herein set out.

2. Criminal proceedings. In the event that in the opinion of the Chairperson of the Disciplinary Committee in consultation with at least one member of the committee the matter complained of is in the nature of a criminal act or omission the complainant will be advised to contact her/his local police authority and the member will be so informed. If the police or the Crown Prosecution Service (or other similar statuary organisation overseas) have laid actual criminal charges against a member, Embody will forthwith suspend the member from the Register and membership pending the outcome. Regardless of the outcome Embody may still take disciplinary action against the member if in Embody’s opinion the therapist has conducted her/him self in any way against the Code of Practice. Such disciplinary action will follow the procedures herein set out.

3. The Disciplinary Committee may call/consult with witnesses, who may include the person making the complaint and/or the member who is the subject of the complaint. Additionally the person bringing the complaint and the member who is the subject of the complaint, have the right to provide a full written explanation of all the circumstances. In cases deemed by the Chairperson of the Disciplinary Committee to be of a particularly serious nature the complainant and the member may be invited to give personal evidence if they wish to do so and each may be accompanied by a friend or adviser. All costs of attending any such meeting(s) shall fall to the parties.

4. Members in breach of the Code of Practice are liable to expulsion or such lesser action as considered appropriate by the Disciplinary Committee in the general form of suspension from practice of any or all treatments, requirement for additional training or other similar process. Serious sexual abuse of a patient/client will result in automatic expulsion.

Sadly, not everyone follows a Code of Ethics and although some practitioners present themselves as being on par with Medical Doctors, they are not bound by the same rules. Cereal sexual exploitation of clients seeking help from those currently practicing Complementary and Alternative Medicine does not appear to be against the law, coercion may be difficult to prove, but not impossible. Those that already responsibly abide by these rules and indeed their own conscience need not lose faith in the integrity of their craft. However, for those that are seemingly without such a conscience, who carry on abuses in their treatment rooms despite challenge, who continue to break boundaries despite bad publicity, and who hide behind those that facilitate illness despite the many offers of sincere help, the time for imposed regulation and changes in the law is or should be nigh. Those turning to you for help who have been abused deserve nothing less.

Although Christopher Hansard holds himself up as a spiritual teacher and master, although he presents himself as a Doctor or Physician, those clients that have experienced abuse and sexual or financial exploitation have no where to go, no one to turn to. He will not be barred, he can not be suspended, he appears not to be the subject of investigation, despite that what has been presented here, has been sent to the appropriate authorities with much more information accompanying. And so, Christopher Hansard continues to coerce his clients in to sexual favours and acts, he continues to delve in to relations unabated, he is neither answerable nor expected to adhere to any environmental or health and safety bylaws or codes at his place of practice. He will suffer no fines, he is in need of no credentials or training, and despite the continuing fictional adventures of Christopher Hansard and Urygen Nam Chuk followed by thousands of readers in his 3 books, he will continue to enjoy future royalties, future media spotlights, and in all likelihood, he will continue to enjoy future clients.

Cochran Out

Tell: Finding The Words

The Problem of Subsequent Therapists and Language Deficits

Brooks Mitchell

One of the most difficult aspects of being the victim of abuse by a trusted professional is to know how to find assistance.  Many want to find a therapist to help them, and at the same time believe it was lack of enough knowledge of what is good therapy that got them into such trouble to begin with. The latter issue is both true, and not so true, as I will attempt to explain in this paper. Still, in the aftermath, what to do next?  If assistance from other therapists is sought, it is critical to know how to judge—and quickly—the capacities of subsequent therapists to help. There are many questions: What should they know; how should they act? What are the signs of danger? Why are therapists who are predators so difficult to recognize by victims, friends, and authorities before, during, or after they become exploitive?  If trained therapists can also be victimized by other therapists, how is it they can also be blind until too late?  And why are so many therapists incapable of being “subsequent therapists?”

One problem concerns how patients and clients (hereafter I will say “client”) understand therapy. A common assumption among clients is that psychotherapists are alike in their training and skills. That includes having an objective view of problems brought to them.  After all, we have the physician treating the physical body as the most obvious yardstick with which to compare them. There, the most common complaints, e.g., a cold, the flu, a broken bone, or appendicitis, are treated using similar protocols (at least we believe so), unless the physician claims to be an “alternative healer.”   When it comes to the “mind,” however, hundreds of theories are practiced with the same certainty as when treating the body—and many are at least partially the concoction of the therapist.  Sometimes validating the theory becomes the objective, and the client is molded to fit the theory. The problem that initiated coming to therapy is never well understood. Indeed, many therapists believe the client is an unreliable witness and reporter, and therefore has little or no idea why she or he is coming for help. (I believe neither party may be able to see beyond societal horizons to know the real causes of distress in modern humans, but that is beyond the scope of this paper.) Those working from a transference model set out to make themselves the new object of the client’s concern. And for reasons I will discuss, many therapists are truly unable to understand the nature of abuse by professionals, and the extent of damage it causes, even if trained in professional ethics. In this they are, like most others in society, including friends and family, not equipped to see well enough the harm caused.  This poses a great problem, not only for finding a therapist to help, but also for prevention efforts in the training of therapists.

Many trained psychotherapists have themselves been victimized during their own ventures into personal therapy.  Knowing what “good therapy” is does not guarantee avoiding harm. In the words of one, a licensed clinical social worker, My training did not help me at all. I felt myself split in two.  One part—my feelings, my intuition—screamed at me to get out. I obsessed constantly, had headaches, body tension, stomach upsets, sleeplessness, and feelings of great anxiety—mixed with feelings of adoration.  It was the same chemical response as falling in love—with the wrong person! The other part—my rational thinking part—told me to stay, that I was ridiculous to think ill of him, that of course he was a good person, and exactly who I needed to help me. Unfortunately, I stayed with the part that named what was happening as beneficial.

more…

Many victims say they are helped the most by staying out of therapy. They prefer being in a mutual support group of others with similar experiences.  As support groups most likely are not available locally, the TELL web-site was created by survivors to give that sort of aid and comfort to others in the worldwide community via the internet.

www.therapyabuse.org

The Christopher Hansard Art of Deception:
Death of a Mythical Master and the reality that emerged in the wake of his Rebirth as a Sexual Predator and Fraud.

In 1992 Christopher Hansard set himself up as a Tibetan Healer. He wove a myth around himself and interlaced this clever fabrication of his own making with actual historical events and genuine Buddhist teachings until his yarn grew to such considerable proportions that he became known as “Master” and “Leading authority on Tibetan Medicine in the west”.

Excerpted from The Tibetan Art of Thinking by Christopher Hansard. Copyright © 2003. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
This book is dedicated to those people who have discovered how thoughts create their world… *source: www.amazon.co.uk
_____________

And no one knows how thoughts can create their world more than Christopher Hansard.

With the help of a powerful PR company Christopher Hansard’s reputation grew and he quickly drew endorsements from other leading authors and reputable journalists such as those below:
_____________

Review
PRAISE FOR THE TIBETAN ART OF LIVING:

‘As life becomes more hectic, it’s important to stop and think about the way we are living. Christopher’s book is the best possible starting point.’ (Kathy Phillips, Vogue )

‘Christopher Hansard has written an eloquent yet practical guide to a soulful integration of all aspects of our lives. He contributes a wise and powerful voice to contemporary spiritual thought.’ (Marianne Williamson )

‘There is a magnificent book that everyone should have by their bedside. It is called THE TIBETAN ART OF LIVING by Christopher Hansard. In my opinion, Christopher is a true genius who can lead us to a new enlightenment as well as a state of vibrant health.’ (Normandie Keith, You Magazine )

‘The Tibetan Art of Living is an exceptional and essential book for everyone’s library. It’s absolutely brilliant.’ (Carolyn Myss, author of Anatomy of Spirit )
*source: www.amazon.co.uk

Acclaimed as one of “London’s Celebrity Guru’s” by the Evening Standard, Christopher Hansard was listed perhaps fittingly directly below another well-known guru and self professed sexual predator in an article in the London Evening Standard dated Friday, 5 October 2001. “The ‘Barefoot Doctor’ – known to millions from his TV career, his range of products stocked by high-street chemists and a form of healing based on Tao philosophy – has been forced to issue an extraordinary statement admitting to having sex with ex-patients in the past.” *source www.guardian.co.uk

Christopher Hansard has been featured in:

The Observer – Alternatives Tibetan medicine in Chelsea, post-traumatic-stress therapy and beating bad backs | Date: June 4 2000 | Author: Richard Lawrence

The Evening Standard – Feel the Tibetan force | Date: July 25, 2000 | Author: Catherine Bassindale

The Birmingham Post – Interview Christopher Hansard: Spiritual path to finding health and happiness | Date: September 22, 2001| Author: Jenni Ameghino

Scotland on Sunday – Interview: Christopher Hansard: ‘The I’m Holier Than Thou mentality – that’s spiritual terrorism. It dehumanises you’
| Date: October 7, 2001 | Author: Lee Randall

The Mirror – health: Every breath; you take…; Learning to breathe well can reduce stress, boost your immune system, help burn fat and make you sleep better. So take our breath test and learn how to come up for air.(Features) | Date: February 23, 2002 | Author: Suzanne Archer

The Independent – Life stories: Come here, little boy | Date: July 28, 2002 | Author: Beatrice Aidin “No flowing robes here. He speaks with such conviction and fluidity about “becoming a master” that my cynicism is in danger of evaporation.”

The Metro – Health: Learning the art of living | Date: October 16, 2002

The Guardian – Cream of the crop | Date: April 26, 2003 | Author:

The Independent – Wake up to a gentle pace | Date: 21 June 2004 | Author: Harriet Griffey

The Daily Mail – Discover The Path To True Love | Date: February 13, 2005 | Author: Normandie Keith

The Scotsman -  Nothing to fear but fear itself | Date: February 25, 2006 | Author: Jessica Kiddle

Just to name a few. And he is the author of 3 books, The Tibetan Art of Living, The Tibetan Art of Positive Thinking, and his latest, The Tibetan Art of Serenity. Christopher Hansard is neither Tibetan, nor has he been trained in Tibetan Arts. Christopher Hansard is not an authority of any sort on Tibetan Health and Lifestyle, or Tibetan History for that matter, though he did read and covet many books including, The Bon Religion of Tibet: The Iconography of a Living Tradition by Per Kvaerne (Hardcover – Aug 21, 2001) he has had no formal training, and has in fact made up his own history.
What is known and what we at The Courant hope to expose is his use of this fallacy and fraud in order to lure women to him at his practice so that he may continue to enjoy sexual favours from them. Christopher Hansard does indeed have a history of sexually and financially exploiting his clients and this exploitation has continued due to a certain lack of opposition and a failure on behalf of those charged with protecting the public instigating an investigation. It seems another remarkable case of blaming the victims. The “lack of opposition” is due to that very blame and the shame of having submitted themselves seemingly “willingly” to such abuses. What happens all too often is a certain dehumanising of victims by the public, who chooses not to believe that such a thing could ever happen to them, indeed they would be much wiser to such a fraud, not to mention a truly ludicrous tale. Regardless, many women have been sexually shamed by Christopher Hansard, sexually demoralised and taken advantage of in the one place where they thought they would be safe. The treatment room.  Christopher Hansard’s treatment room.

If you or someone you know has been abused by Christopher Hansard, please do not hesitate to tell, and to talk about it. Your silence is what allows him to continue and whats more, condones his actions and it is our silence that allows others to suffer the same fate..

Those who have been abused need ask themselves, had they known, if they had been told, would they still have entered?

Join us in calling for an investigation into the continuing activities of Christopher Hansard

Investigate Christopher Hansard