Bessel van der Kolk and Joseph Spinazzola both fired from their trauma research institute

[futureapppsy2]

Allegations of employee mistreatment roil renowned Brookline trauma center - The Boston Globe

The cause in both cases was allegations of bullying, mistreating, and sexually harassing employees, particularly female employees. van der Kolk denies the allegations; Spinazzola could not be reached for comment.

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[msgeorgeeliot]

Allegations of employee mistreatment roil renowned Brookline trauma center - The Boston Globe

The cause in both cases was allegations of bullying, mistreating, and sexually harassing employees, particularly female employees. van der Kolk denies the allegations; Spinazzola could not be reached for comment.

Earlier today, Bessel vdK released this statement on his book’s FB page (I can’t figure out how to link to a single FB post):
—


Response to press reports about my having been fired.by JRI (NOT the Trauma Center!)

By now many of you will have heard the press reports about my having been fired by JRI (not the Trauma Center- in fact, our entire management team unanimously & vigorously protested this stunning move).
This happened in the wake of our executive director having been fired the month before, at which point JRI decided to take over the Trauma Center and scratch the Memorandum of Understanding with which we joined JRI, which guaranteed our autonomy in hiring & firing & specifically said that all funds raised by the Trauma Center will be specifically & only be used by & for the Trauma Center. When I sought enforcement of this MoU I was suddenly fired without any warning, while the rest of the management team was told to pass this message on to our students, staff & patients. They unanimously refused to do so. JRIs retaliation has been the very public character assassination of me that most of you have by now heard about.
That is not to say that I cannot be impatient at times, and I have been known to he harsh,-that’s something that I’ve been working on in my own therapeutic endeavors & will continue to do. I actually think that kindness is our greatest virtue.

I am deeply touched by the overwhelming support that I have received from around the world (in fact, it was really good to hear from so many old friends)

We are working on reconstituting the Trauma Center by July 2018, with almost our entire current staff slated to join. We already have at least one (very lovely) location that is ready to receive us.

One problem is that JRI is holding onto $2.7 million in Research & endowment funds that we have carefully accumulated to ensure the continuity of our program. JRi refuses to release our funds that they claim now is theirs, even though most of these funds were donated by grateful patients, students family & other people who have benefitted from our work. So, that now sadly will be an issue that will have to be decided by the courts

Here follows a copy of my letter to my Trauma Center colleagues that I wrote after the article first appeared in the newspaper.

Dear Trauma Center colleagues,

As you can imagine, I am devastated reading the allegations in the Boston Globe that I have been bullying and denigrating my colleagues at the Trauma Center.

I am also aware that such accusations cannot be entirely pulled out thin air, and that some of you must have felt bullied and denigrated by be, though, as far as I remember, none of you have ever confronted me with such misbehavior. If I have inadvertently denigrated or bullied any of you,I would like to know about it, apologize and make amends.

As you know., I am a strong believer in doing your own personal work, and in my book, the Body keeps the Score, I describe some of that journey for myself, including with Dick Schwartz in Internal Family Systems Therapy, and with sensorimotor work, in disguised form.

But, as the record now stands, I will forever be remembered as the Trauma therapist who traumatized his colleagues, and who founded and ran a toxic environment. Somebody who talked a good game, but who was just a Harvey Weinstein in disguise. If you feel that allegation is correct consider justice to have been done.

If not, I hope you will be consider being vocal and public about how you feel about character assassination, and speak your truth.

Thank you, and I hope to see you all under better circumstances.

Devastatedly yours,

Bessel

Feel free to share.

Bessel van der Kolk MD
Medical Director Trauma Center
Professor of Psychiatry
Boston University School of Medicine

 

[futureapppsy2]

Earlier today, Bessel vdK released this statement on his book’s FB page (I can’t figure out how to link to a single FB post):
—


Response to press reports about my having been fired.by JRI (NOT the Trauma Center!)

By now many of you will have heard the press reports about my having been fired by JRI (not the Trauma Center- in fact, our entire management team unanimously & vigorously protested this stunning move).
This happened in the wake of our executive director having been fired the month before, at which point JRI decided to take over the Trauma Center and scratch the Memorandum of Understanding with which we joined JRI, which guaranteed our autonomy in hiring & firing & specifically said that all funds raised by the Trauma Center will be specifically & only be used by & for the Trauma Center. When I sought enforcement of this MoU I was suddenly fired without any warning, while the rest of the management team was told to pass this message on to our students, staff & patients. They unanimously refused to do so. JRIs retaliation has been the very public character assassination of me that most of you have by now heard about.
That is not to say that I cannot be impatient at times, and I have been known to he harsh,-that’s something that I’ve been working on in my own therapeutic endeavors & will continue to do. I actually think that kindness is our greatest virtue.

I am deeply touched by the overwhelming support that I have received from around the world (in fact, it was really good to hear from so many old friends)

We are working on reconstituting the Trauma Center by July 2018, with almost our entire current staff slated to join. We already have at least one (very lovely) location that is ready to receive us.

One problem is that JRI is holding onto $2.7 million in Research & endowment funds that we have carefully accumulated to ensure the continuity of our program. JRi refuses to release our funds that they claim now is theirs, even though most of these funds were donated by grateful patients, students family & other people who have benefitted from our work. So, that now sadly will be an issue that will have to be decided by the courts

Here follows a copy of my letter to my Trauma Center colleagues that I wrote after the article first appeared in the newspaper.

Dear Trauma Center colleagues,

As you can imagine, I am devastated reading the allegations in the Boston Globe that I have been bullying and denigrating my colleagues at the Trauma Center.

I am also aware that such accusations cannot be entirely pulled out thin air, and that some of you must have felt bullied and denigrated by be, though, as far as I remember, none of you have ever confronted me with such misbehavior. If I have inadvertently denigrated or bullied any of you,I would like to know about it, apologize and make amends.

As you know., I am a strong believer in doing your own personal work, and in my book, the Body keeps the Score, I describe some of that journey for myself, including with Dick Schwartz in Internal Family Systems Therapy, and with sensorimotor work, in disguised form.

But, as the record now stands, I will forever be remembered as the Trauma therapist who traumatized his colleagues, and who founded and ran a toxic environment. Somebody who talked a good game, but who was just a Harvey Weinstein in disguise. If you feel that allegation is correct consider justice to have been done.

If not, I hope you will be consider being vocal and public about how you feel about character assassination, and speak your truth.

Thank you, and I hope to see you all under better circumstances.

Devastatedly yours,

Bessel

Feel free to share.

Bessel van der Kolk MD
Medical Director Trauma Center
Professor of Psychiatry
Boston University School of Medicine

The article discusses that and the JRI/Trauma Center response:

"On Nov. 14, a Trauma Center executive e-mailed staff that Spinazzola had resigned. The e-mail included a note from Spinazzola saying he left to focus on building a new philanthropic foundation and to tend to family health issues.

A month later, Pond rebutted that message in an e-mail with “JRI and #metoo’’ in the subject line. He said he “terminated’’ Spinazzola “for violating the code of conduct in his treatment of women, and more broadly for abusing his power as a talented and respected figure in our field.’’

He said there was “no gray area.’’ And, based on staff input, particularly from women who had complained, “it’s clear that there has to be a more open acknowledgment of what happened.’’ While he provided no specific examples, Pond said the organization had improved its sexual harassment policy by encouraging reporting to a wider range of people.

Soon afterward, Kari Beserra, executive vice president at JRI, e-mailed staff saying van der Kolk “will no longer be a part of the JRI Trauma Center moving forward.’’ Van der Kolk responded to that e-mail with his own missive to staff, saying he was fired for attending a meeting with the Trauma Center management team when Pond had told him not to.

A week later, Pond told staff in yet another e-mail that van der Kolk’s account was “wildly inaccurate.’’ “No one is denying the impact that Bessel has had on the world,’’ he wrote. “But a professional workplace has rules, and no amount of talent or skill excuses violations of those rules.’’ "

(Not taking sides, as I in no way know enough about the situation to do so)

 

[msgeorgeeliot]

I am assuming that JRI has some concrete proof that has not been publicly shared re: Bessel vdK’s poor treatment of his colleagues. I gotta say, this news did not surprise me one bit on a personal level. Bessel once ordered me to fetch him something at a professional meeting. (I was there as a panelist, not as an assistant.)

 

[futureapppsy2]

I am assuming that JRI has some concrete proof that has not been publicly shared re: Bessel vdK’s poor treatment of his colleagues. I gotta say, this news did not surprise me one bit on a personal level. Bessel once ordered me to fetch him something at a professional meeting. (I was there as a panelist, not as an assistant.)

I've heard similar things from a reliable source about people at another major psychology research institute (not one I have any personal experience with) being horrifically verbally abusive. Seems to be a power thing.

 

[traumamama]

Went to his conference. Met Spinnalozza-completely rude. Bessel made several offensive comments and I don't doubt the bullying charges. Their work on Developmental Trauma is amazing, but I was really crushed by their behavior. I was not alone.

 

[wtfook]

I am also aware that such accusations cannot be entirely pulled out thin air, and that some of you must have felt bullied and denigrated by be, though, as far as I remember, none of you have ever confronted me with such misbehavior. If I have inadvertently denigrated or bullied any of you,I would like to know about it, apologize and make amends.

Very interesting word choice. "Sorry if you feel that way. Should've said something if it was a problem." When, as a trauma researcher, he should be aware that many victims have difficulty voicing their concerns due to power imbalances.

 

[cara susanna]

I'm really shocked by this. IMO van der Kolk has been damaging the field by promoting some pseudoscience in the past several years, but I never imagined this sort of behavior.

 

[msgeorgeeliot]

I gotta quote @Fan_of_Meehl from the Yountville thread—applies perfectly here too. BvdK’s Facebook fans are kinda becoming unhinged. It’s like watching a crowd of mewling, mostly female children insist that Dad can do no wrong.

—
I just find it a fascinating spectacle of unhinged cognition that, somehow, the public consciousness is attempting to characterize the veteran as exemplifying the archetypes of 'the hero,' 'the victim,' and 'the perpetrator' all at the same time based on essentially zero actual facts being made available at this time.

 

[cara susanna]

I gotta quote @Fan_of_Meehl from the Yountville thread—applies perfectly here too. BvdK’s Facebook fans are kinda becoming unhinged. It’s like watching a crowd of mewling, mostly female children insist that Dad can do no wrong.

—
I just find it a fascinating spectacle of unhinged cognition that, somehow, the public consciousness is attempting to characterize the veteran as exemplifying the archetypes of 'the hero,' 'the victim,' and 'the perpetrator' all at the same time based on essentially zero actual facts being made available at this time.

Isn't that fascinating? People with (I assume) an interest and passion in trauma work who in any other circumstances would likely believe the victim completely excusing or dismissing the reports because this time it's someone they like and care about.

 

[psychRA]

Earlier today, Bessel vdK released this statement on his book’s FB page (I can’t figure out how to link to a single FB post):
—
I am also aware that such accusations cannot be entirely pulled out thin air, and that some of you must have felt bullied and denigrated by be, though, as far as I remember, none of you have ever confronted me with such misbehavior.

But, as the record now stands, I will forever be remembered as the Trauma therapist who traumatized his colleagues, and who founded and ran a toxic environment. Somebody who talked a good game, but who was just a Harvey Weinstein in disguise. If you feel that allegation is correct consider justice to have been done.

If not, I hope you will be consider being vocal and public about how you feel about character assassination, and speak your truth.

That's a surprisingly (or not surprisingly) juvenile response from van der Kolk. If (as he himself acknowledges) these accusations originated from his colleague's actual experiences working with him, why is it character assassination for him to be remembered for those experiences?

I have no direct experience with him but the tone of his reply is in line with what I might have expected based on what I've heard from others.

 

[DynamicDidactic]

Their work on Developmental Trauma is amazing, but I was really crushed by their behavior. I was not alone.

Really? I am not intimately familiar with their work but I was under the impression that its outside the mainstream and potentially very flawed.