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I’m so sorry that happened to you. For what it’s worth, Bessel Van der Kolk is not without issue himself. Here’s a partial transcript that I wrote up (so any m
by christefano 7y ago
I’m so sorry that happened to you.
For what it’s worth, Bessel Van der Kolk is not without issue himself. Here’s a partial transcript that I wrote up (so any mistakes are my own) when listening to a podcast episode about trauma and abuse. The relevant part is around time code 30:00.
https://www.probablypoly.com/post/episode-25-interviewing-samantha-manewitz-from-polyamory-s-me-too-survivor-pod https://www.probablypoly.com/post/episode-25-interviewing-sa...
Trigger warning: trauma, gaslighting, and abuse
Mandee Conant: Well, I think it’s important not to discount the book, More Than Two, because we know that Eve had a lot of input into this book, but as a whole, just because someone writes a book about something does not make them an expert in it, and I think we kind of… as a community we kind of took that because their book was one of first how-to manual what to do, what not to do resources fo us, so he must be an expert. And we just took that, we took that too easily, and we need to learn to not do that.
Samantha Manewitz: And sometimes even when when people are experts they can still be terrible people. For example, Bessel Van der Kolk, who founded The Trauma Center in Brooklyn, which is my back yard. He wrote wrote the book, The Body Keeps the Score, which is required reading in any grunt school and required reading for anyone who ever wants to go into trauma work. Period, full stop.
I was initially applying for a job at The Trauma Center, and then it came out in The Globe that his co-writer and co-founder and CEO was horrifically abusive and he created a toxic work environment, and the way he responded was just textbook gaslighting, and then sort of [wrote this letter] why these people didn’t come tell him to his face. Yes, why would someone with 1 or 2 years under their belt make ever make a criticism about this person who the luminary of trauma work. If anyone should know better, it’s Bessel Van der Kolk.
- jeancasimir 7y ago"The Globe that his co-writer and co-founder and CEO was horrifically abusive and he created a toxic work environment, and the way he responded was just textbook gaslighting" Not very helpful to throw somebody under the bus for having a bad work partner...
- christefano 7y agoWell, I’m not throwing anyone under the bus. I’m literally quoting what others are saying. Here are a few more articles: https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2018/03/08/meet-world-reknowned-author-center-trauma-program-controversy/izjBaELj9iFgdLxPRGSdgI/story.html https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2018/03/08/meet-world-rekn... https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2018/03/07/allegations-employee-mistreatment-roil-renowned-trauma-center/sWW13agQDY9B9A1rt9eqnK/story.html https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2018/03/07/allegations-emp... https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/famous-trauma-therapist-fired-allegedly-traumatizing-staff-214559444.html https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/famous-trauma-therapist-fire... https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/famed-trauma-therapist-responds-allegations-bullying-outrageous-story-213600039.html https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/famed-trauma-therapist-respo... The reason I mentioned the controversy around Bessel van der Kolk and The Trauma Center that he co-founded (and was fired from) is that his book is basically required reading for many people entering the mental health field. I strongly believe people deserve the right to know about what happened so they can form their own opinions.
- bloopernova 7y agoThank you for the kind words, I wanted to write a whole screed/rant about how I'm still scared of doctors and won't speak up against them to get better care, but I figured HN wasn't the place and I'd get mocked. I'll definitely listen to that podcast, thank you for taking the time to type that up. I definitely appreciate you and the effort you've put in to that response :)