Castlewood eating disorder lawsuit to be dismissed
By Blythe Bernhard, St. Louis Post-Dispatch | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
Attorneys say Nasseff's case was resolved favorably for both sides. Few details were available. The case appeared headed for settlement, then last month the court file indicated the case would be dismissed.
Separate lawsuits from three other women with similar claims of brainwashing, hypnosis and concocted memories during their lengthy stays at the eating disorder treatment clinic on the outskirts of
But an additional 25 to 30 families across the country who have formed the group Castlewood Victims Unite say the dismissal of the cases and the expected confidentiality agreements are disappointing, because Schwartz and other staff members won't have to testify under oath. None of the women would give interviews to the
"I wish they would have gone to trial," said
OPENING THE DOORS
Castlewood staff deny the allegations of brainwashing and say no therapist has ever created false memories or hypnotized clients.
Since the fourth lawsuit was filed by
The decision for Schwartz and Galperin to step down was made by the couple, the Castlewood board of directors and the owners,
Albus said while she is grateful for the foundation the couple built, "it was always the evolution of this company to grow beyond the faces of Mark and Lori ... so Castlewood would no longer be associated with the founders."
Castlewood has hired at least three public relations agencies in the last two years. The latest,
"It's time to really address some of the misperceptions and misrepresentations and show the quality of care we provide," Albus said in a recent interview inside the spacious home where 16 men and women can live while undergoing intensive therapy for eating disorders. Castlewood's properties include space for 26 residential clients as well as outpatient services.
The number of clients coming to Castlewood initially declined after the media coverage of the lawsuits but rebounded to a record high in November, Albus said. Referring mental health professionals, parents and potential clients are invited to visit the campus and ask about concerns.
"I'm passionate about this work and any opportunity to showcase that," Albus said. "No other program in the country is going to provide the one-on-one care that we do."
'SHATTERED FAMILIES'
The founder of Castlewood Victims Unite said he was investigated and cleared by
After seeking treatment at Castlewood for an eating disorder, the now 20-year-old woman accused almost 100 people, including teachers, coaches and police officers, of raping or abusing her, according to her father. He started Castlewood Victims Unite after the publicity surrounding the lawsuits and was both relieved and mortified to find other parents had similar stories of "shattered families and broken daughters" after their children stayed at Castlewood.
Nasseff, who filed the first malpractice lawsuit, said in previous interviews that during her 15-month stay at the center for anorexia treatment she was brainwashed into believing she had multiple personalities and implanted under hypnosis with false memories of sexual abuse and satanic activity. According to the lawsuit, Schwartz wanted to keep Nasseff at the treatment center because she had good insurance that would pay her medical bills totaling
In a previous interview, Nasseff said that she sued to protect future residents of Castlewood. "I just don't want anyone else to get hurt, " she said. "I don't want to see families destroyed."
MEMORY AND THERAPY
Castlewood has advertised that its residential stays cost
Eating disorders have the highest death rate of any mental illness. Some residents of Castlewood are so ill that they require feeding tubes, and others are so weak that they use wheelchairs. Almost all are also dealing with anxiety, depression or post-traumatic stress disorder. About half of the people who come to Castlewood have been deemed treatment failures by other facilities, according to staff members.
Much of the debate surrounding Castlewood has been its use of a therapy called internal family systems, which involves encouraging patients to improve the parts of themselves that are destructive. Several experts in eating disorders have said internal family systems is not the standard of care because malnourished patients and those on psychotropic drugs are particularly vulnerable to having their memories and personalities twisted.
"We have to deal with a person's past experience," Gerber said. "The goal is for a person to come to an understanding of their life to deal with what they struggle with in the present. In no intervention does someone say 'this happened to you.'"
Several alumni and current residents who agreed to recent interviews at the facility say they credit Castlewood with saving their lives and could not relate to the experiences detailed in the lawsuits.
"It's scary when memories come up but they need to come up to heal," said
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