By Andres Martinez, Court TV
(Court TV) — An Illinois psychologist acted more like the Wicked Witch of the West than Sigmund Freud, according to three former patients who are suing the hospital, saying they received treatment that included witchcraft, sexual advances, and threats of violence.
The three women say psychologist Letitia Libman, on behalf of Delnor-Community Hospital in St. Charles, Ill., first administered normal therapy, but later made unwanted sexual advances, shared private client information, and advised them to practice witchcraft to get over their problems.
"The big question here is: Where was the hospital for two and a half years?" said attorney Richard Stavins, who is representing all three women. "If you want to play Halloween for 365 days a year, that is your prerogative, but not as a doctor."
The latest suit was filed on April 9 by Kathleen Carlson, who began seeing Libman for emotional distress while she was divorcing her husband in September 2002. At first, she did not notice any unusual behavior from the therapist.
"The patterns of each of the three victims has been the same. It starts out with very proper psycho-therapeutic care to win the confidence of the patient," Stavins said. "She then starts slowly suckering them into this absolutely bizarre witchcraft therapy."
The suit claims that eventually Libman started touching Carlson's head, chest and stomach, and ordered her to retrieve pieces of her husband's DNA so she could perform a spell on it.
Carlson claims Libman's behavior worsened after her divorce was finalized. She claims the therapist urged her to begin practicing witchcraft herself. She also instructed her to always wear a pentagram necklace because it represented a witch's power, according to the suit.
She later dished out sexual advice and revealed her own sexuality and that of other clients.
"Teach me how to give better blow jobs to men," Libman told Carlson, according to Stavins.
Carlson says Libman became an extra source of mental anguish and even caused her physical pain. She is seeking $50,000 in damages.
Delnor-Community Hospital fired Libman in January and has referred her case to Illinois Department of Professional Regulation and local police. A search of the regulatory agency's database shows that no prior disciplinary action has been taken against Libman.
"While employee and patient confidentiality laws and pending litigation prevent us from discussing details of the case any further, we can say that Delnor takes patient complaints of this nature very seriously," according to the hospital's statement, "and it is our policy to immediately investigate such complaints and take disciplinary action when warranted."
Although Libman is accused of different crimes against each woman, her pattern of harassment is consistent in all three cases, Stavins said.
"They are afraid of her. She has a gun," Stavins said. "She has told each one of them, 'If you rat on me I will make life miserable for you. And no one will believe you because I am a doctor.'"
The women were so afraid of Libman that two of them moved away from the area after terminating their therapy, he said.
Shelley Standau, whose suit was filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago, moved to North Carolina because she feared for her life, the lawyer said. Standau is seeking $1 million.
Deanna Whetstine started therapy in July 2002 for reflex sympathetic dystrophy, a disease of the nervous system characterized by severe, chronic pain.
In addition to the typical mention and use of witchcraft, Libman convinced her to move in with her, stripped naked during their sessions, and convinced Whetstine to divorce her husband, according to the suit.
Libman even convinced her that witchcraft, not neurology, would better treat her chronic illness, Whetstine claims. She also drove her to suicidal thoughts and increased her mental and psychical pain, according to the suit.
The lawsuits do not seek to disqualify Libman from practicing psychology. The women's lawyer hopes the suit is enough to get the attention of the hospital and have her dismissed.
"Whether [licensers] are going to proceed against her is their decision," Stavins said. "Obviously, she shouldn't be practicing clinical psychology
:MAD
(Court TV) — An Illinois psychologist acted more like the Wicked Witch of the West than Sigmund Freud, according to three former patients who are suing the hospital, saying they received treatment that included witchcraft, sexual advances, and threats of violence.
The three women say psychologist Letitia Libman, on behalf of Delnor-Community Hospital in St. Charles, Ill., first administered normal therapy, but later made unwanted sexual advances, shared private client information, and advised them to practice witchcraft to get over their problems.
"The big question here is: Where was the hospital for two and a half years?" said attorney Richard Stavins, who is representing all three women. "If you want to play Halloween for 365 days a year, that is your prerogative, but not as a doctor."
The latest suit was filed on April 9 by Kathleen Carlson, who began seeing Libman for emotional distress while she was divorcing her husband in September 2002. At first, she did not notice any unusual behavior from the therapist.
"The patterns of each of the three victims has been the same. It starts out with very proper psycho-therapeutic care to win the confidence of the patient," Stavins said. "She then starts slowly suckering them into this absolutely bizarre witchcraft therapy."
The suit claims that eventually Libman started touching Carlson's head, chest and stomach, and ordered her to retrieve pieces of her husband's DNA so she could perform a spell on it.
Carlson claims Libman's behavior worsened after her divorce was finalized. She claims the therapist urged her to begin practicing witchcraft herself. She also instructed her to always wear a pentagram necklace because it represented a witch's power, according to the suit.
She later dished out sexual advice and revealed her own sexuality and that of other clients.
"Teach me how to give better blow jobs to men," Libman told Carlson, according to Stavins.
Carlson says Libman became an extra source of mental anguish and even caused her physical pain. She is seeking $50,000 in damages.
Delnor-Community Hospital fired Libman in January and has referred her case to Illinois Department of Professional Regulation and local police. A search of the regulatory agency's database shows that no prior disciplinary action has been taken against Libman.
"While employee and patient confidentiality laws and pending litigation prevent us from discussing details of the case any further, we can say that Delnor takes patient complaints of this nature very seriously," according to the hospital's statement, "and it is our policy to immediately investigate such complaints and take disciplinary action when warranted."
Although Libman is accused of different crimes against each woman, her pattern of harassment is consistent in all three cases, Stavins said.
"They are afraid of her. She has a gun," Stavins said. "She has told each one of them, 'If you rat on me I will make life miserable for you. And no one will believe you because I am a doctor.'"
The women were so afraid of Libman that two of them moved away from the area after terminating their therapy, he said.
Shelley Standau, whose suit was filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago, moved to North Carolina because she feared for her life, the lawyer said. Standau is seeking $1 million.
Deanna Whetstine started therapy in July 2002 for reflex sympathetic dystrophy, a disease of the nervous system characterized by severe, chronic pain.
In addition to the typical mention and use of witchcraft, Libman convinced her to move in with her, stripped naked during their sessions, and convinced Whetstine to divorce her husband, according to the suit.
Libman even convinced her that witchcraft, not neurology, would better treat her chronic illness, Whetstine claims. She also drove her to suicidal thoughts and increased her mental and psychical pain, according to the suit.
The lawsuits do not seek to disqualify Libman from practicing psychology. The women's lawyer hopes the suit is enough to get the attention of the hospital and have her dismissed.
"Whether [licensers] are going to proceed against her is their decision," Stavins said. "Obviously, she shouldn't be practicing clinical psychology
:MAD
