from https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/2018/06/15/memphis-psychiatrist-hit-patients-whip-riding-crop-officials-say/705322002/

Well!!! How judgemental!
"Not peer reviewed and proven"!
Hmmm, well I bet it was never studied enough to
prove it didn't work!!!

Psychiatrist spanked patients with whips, riding crops, and called them 'mules,' officials say
Brett Kelman, Nashville Tennessean Published 12:40 p.m. CT June 15, 2018
| Updated 12:41 p.m. CT June 15, 2018
Man at the psychotherapist
(Photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto)


A Memphis psychiatrist has been forced to close her office for two
months and potentially lose her medical license for good after it was discovered she spanked at least 10 patients with whips and riding crops
and sometimes compared them to mules.

Dr. Valerie Louise Augustus, who has led Christian Psychiatrist Services
for 17 years, was found to have used a riding crop – a thin whip
normally used to strike horses – on the buttocks of a patient in 2015, according to Tennessee medical discipline documents that were made
public on Friday.

The patient, who had a history of physical abuse, was suffering from
depression and struggling with suicidal thoughts, documents state.

An investigation by state authorities also found that Augustus had “made contact with other mental health patients with a riding crop, whip or
other object.” The documents also state that Augustus kept both a riding
crop and a whip “displayed in her office” and “compared her patients to mules.”


The Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners suspended Augustus license
after determining there was “no evidence” in psychiatrist literature for using whips or riding crops as an effective part of treatment. The board suspended her medical license for no less than 60 days, starting in
June. To get her license back, Augustus will be required to take a
two-day class on “medical ethics, boundaries and professionalism” and be cleared by the Vanderbilt Comprehensive Assessment Program, which
examines professionals who are having emotional or behavioral issues in
the workplace.

If the program clears Augustus, she can then petition the board to get
her license back. If it is restored, she will start a probationary term
of 3 years.

Augustus was also fined $10,000 – $1,000 for each patient she struck – according to board documents.

Augustus could not immediately be reached for comment. Calls to her
clinic were unanswered, and a voicemail said Augustus was unavailable
and clinic would be closed for June and July. The clinic's website said Augustus was on "personal leave."

Augustus' clinic has previously been named the top mental health
practice in the Memphis area by The Commercial Appeal, a USA TODAY
Network newspaper.

Augustus’ discipline was revealed through a monthly announcement by the Tennessee Department of Health, which maintains public records on
licenses for doctors, nurses, chiropractors, massage therapists and
other health care professionals throughout the state. More than 100 disciplinary actions were included in the latest monthly report.

Brett Kelman is the health care reporter for The Tennessean. He can be
reached at 615-259-8287 or at brett.kelman@tennessean.com. Follow him on Twitter at @brettkelman.

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Well, I think she needed to have made sure people agreed to this ahead of
time, in writing as she is obviously not doing things that are normal for
the super conservative medical profession..

I guess she could set up as an alternate therapist with no problems, but
then her reputation might bring along the people who just want to get their rocks off rather than genuine people with an issue.
The main thing here seems to be that no real harm was done but maybe she
was attempting to give them a jolt.As far as I'm aware electric shocks are
now out of bounds for brain issues.
As for humiliation I guess trying to get somebody to passionately disagree
with you is one way to break the cycle of being sorry for ones self.
Of course the implication in this story is that she just enjoyed doing it
for its own sake.
Brian

--

-----
Mildew_spores@blueyonder.co.uk is the alter ego of
Brian G.
Anything goes here.
"a425couple" <a425couple@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:pg4137091t@news2.newsguy.com...

from https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/2018/06/15/memphis-psychiatrist-hit-patients-whip-riding-crop-officials-say/705322002/

Well!!! How judgemental!
"Not peer reviewed and proven"!
Hmmm, well I bet it was never studied enough to
prove it didn't work!!!

Psychiatrist spanked patients with whips, riding crops, and called them 'mules,' officials say
Brett Kelman, Nashville Tennessean Published 12:40 p.m. CT June 15, 2018 | Updated 12:41 p.m. CT June 15, 2018
Man at the psychotherapist
(Photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

A Memphis psychiatrist has been forced to close her office for two months
and potentially lose her medical license for good after it was discovered
she spanked at least 10 patients with whips and riding crops and sometimes compared them to mules.

Dr. Valerie Louise Augustus, who has led Christian Psychiatrist Services
for 17 years, was found to have used a riding crop - a thin whip normally used to strike horses - on the buttocks of a patient in 2015, according to Tennessee medical discipline documents that were made public on Friday.

The patient, who had a history of physical abuse, was suffering from depression and struggling with suicidal thoughts, documents state.

An investigation by state authorities also found that Augustus had "made contact with other mental health patients with a riding crop, whip or
other object." The documents also state that Augustus kept both a riding
crop and a whip "displayed in her office" and "compared her patients to mules."

The Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners suspended Augustus license after determining there was "no evidence" in psychiatrist literature for using whips or riding crops as an effective part of treatment. The board
suspended her medical license for no less than 60 days, starting in June.
To get her license back, Augustus will be required to take a two-day class
on "medical ethics, boundaries and professionalism" and be cleared by the Vanderbilt Comprehensive Assessment Program, which examines professionals
who are having emotional or behavioral issues in the workplace.

If the program clears Augustus, she can then petition the board to get her license back. If it is restored, she will start a probationary term of 3 years.

Augustus was also fined $10,000 - $1,000 for each patient she struck - according to board documents.

Augustus could not immediately be reached for comment. Calls to her clinic were unanswered, and a voicemail said Augustus was unavailable and clinic would be closed for June and July. The clinic's website said Augustus was
on "personal leave."

Augustus' clinic has previously been named the top mental health practice
in the Memphis area by The Commercial Appeal, a USA TODAY Network
newspaper.

Augustus' discipline was revealed through a monthly announcement by the Tennessee Department of Health, which maintains public records on licenses for doctors, nurses, chiropractors, massage therapists and other health
care professionals throughout the state. More than 100 disciplinary
actions were included in the latest monthly report.

Brett Kelman is the health care reporter for The Tennessean. He can be reached at 615-259-8287 or at brett.kelman@tennessean.com. Follow him on Twitter at @brettkelman.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)