Psychology, a Riskier Profession than You Thought
I just read about the murder of therapist Kathryn Faughey in her office yesterday in NYC in this gruesome article from the New York Daily News:
The meat cleaver-wielding maniac who savagely murdered an upper East Side therapist planned the execution – and brought a sick bag of tools to the killing. Knives, rope, duct tape, women’s clothing and adult diapers were found in the luggage he abandoned after butchering 57-year-old Kathryn Faughey in her office, police sources said.
“No one is helping me! No one is helping me!” the balding butcher yelled as he hacked away at Faughey, said a rattled building resident who heard the screams.
I would like to say that the murder of a fellow mental health professional came as a complete shock to me — I am a psychologist, after all — but honestly, I am more shocked that murders like this happen so seldom. It is a little known dirty secret that psychologists and psychiatrists are at a high likelihood of being stalked or attacked:
<blockquote
As a profession, there might be a little bit of denial,” Kanaris said. “We spend a lifetime thinking about others. We don’t always do a great job of protecting ourselves.”
A recent national study found that threats against psychologists and therapists are common. The American Psychological Association determined that 49% of psychologists had been threatened and 39% had been attacked at least once.
A recent survey of 238 North American psychologists found that 10 percent had experienced serious stalking events.
And lest you think after reading about the NYC murder above that female therapists are most at risk, studies show that this is not the case; contrary to surveys conducted in the general population, in the mental health field, those most likely to be stalked are psychologists who are male and they appear to be most at risk of being harassed by patients.
To give one example, take the case of Vallejo, California psychologist Ira Polonsky, Ph.D., who was shot and killed by what family members believe was a former patient. Unfortunately his death is still a mystery. Why? Blame the confidentiality laws in California:
…police have been stymied in pursuing that line of investigation because of confidentiality laws protecting Polonsky’s patient records and appointment books.
Vallejo police detectives are in touch with a court-appointed attorney – a “special master” – who is working with the county court to see if there can be at least a limited review of protected records, but neither police nor court officials will comment on progress in that area.
I noticed in the Kathryn Faughey case, her computer records were being investigated immediately after the murder:
They were searching her desktop computer for clues – after determining that an initial lead pointing to a patient wasn’t solid, the sources said.
I don’t know whether New York law is more sensible here, or whether the authorities are just being more active. But as someone who deals with the ethical and privacy rules relating to psychologists, I think that those rules should pay more attention to psychologists’ own safety. We’re required to take action when a patient threatens another person — so why isn’t anyone required to take action when a patient threatens us?
Helen Smith is a psychologist specializing in forensic issues in Knoxville, Tennessee and blogs at drhelen.blogspot.com. This advice column is for educational and entertainment purposes only and does not purport to replace therapy or psychological treatment.
I too am surprised that more mental health professionals aren’t assaulted and/or murdered. After all, the good ones tell their patients the truth as kindly as possible and no matter how or what is said and done, some patients cannot bear it.
I work in a sleep lab and sometimes get calls from people desperate from lack of sleep who are ready to harm either themselves or us because of that desperation. I’ve been threatened as well and it’s a scary thing. The hospital wants us to identify ourselves on the phone but I refuse to do so.
HIPPAA laws DO make exceptions for law enforcement, so I don’t understand California’s reluctance to allow law enforcement to look at these records. I’m glad I live in NY and that they’re more pragmatic.
Take care of yourself, dear.
“I noticed in the Kathryn Faughey case, her computer records were being investigated immediately after the murder:”
I’ll bet that the eveidence obtained will be thrown out ant the cops censured.
That, after all, was the plot of Sixth Sense. I also teach medical students to never get between a paranoid patient and the door. A therapist was killed about 10 years ago in Santa Monica in just that way.
Mike K
That’s good advice–we need more information on self-protection and dealing with violent clients etc. in graduate and professional schools. The topic is rarely brought up. I remember during an internship class, there were rumors that a female psych intern had been badly hurt by a patient but the faculty wouldn’t talk to us about and swept it under the rug when we tried to bring it up. Too much bad publicity, I guess.
A social worker who my family knew was killed by a patient just days ago. She was an inspiration to many and will be sadly missed.
it’s surprising there are no records kept of her patients, shouldn’t there names go into some patient list database or something?
Dr. Helen? May you stop taunting us stalkers with pictures of cute jailed jailbait girls and tight sweater pictures like this one:
http://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i14/SnickSnack/InstaWife/?action=view¤t=Instawife.jpg
And this one too:
http://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i14/SnickSnack/InstaWife/?action=view¤t=Instawife-1.jpg
I left out the camel toe one
But one wonders why you are (with your husband) becoming main stream media, so that suddenly a new way to commit suicide is suddenly a new “meme”. I hate that word, but it does neatly translate to “Media Me Too Me Me Me Me Me.”
As a psychologist (I was trained in physical science, followed by having to learn how to date outside of school classroom dynamics), you must be aware of the Rank theory of depression?
People want attention. You just gave attention to a “man bites dog” sort of “man twice hit by lightening strike” or lately “sex offender wins lottery” headline.
Has the blogosphere turned tabloid because some days have no real news?
Rhetorical questions aside, I beg of you to set new standards instead of just replace the old ones with the EXACT SAME THING.
Give WORLDWIDE attention to social misfits? Then they’ll make movies out of them. Wait, that’s what you already did. HELTER SKELTER.
There should be a simple honor code amongst journalists, which is what you and your amazing Libertarian husband have become. Do not report about shark attacks, or how guys get electrocuted when they try to steal copper wire from high voltage lines. There’s no class in that, of course. But suddenly “killing my therapist” will give me fame for a day (followed my PRE-PLANNED avoidance of being found by the cops, since I used a fake name in the first place, etc. etc. etc. and each day…just like the day before 9/11 the Media was recycling the same story of some long forgotten congressman’s raped/killed little intern, after two YEARS of a stained dress news?!)
Attention. That’s what crazy people want, so they become printed up more than rock stars for a day, two days, then a week or two. Don’t give attention to freaks, unless you wish to breed a nation of freaks, who, once in jail, have twenty random girls visiting them, vying for the right of marrying them.
It is sad and it’s a tragedy, and unfortunately it’s always been the medal of honor to face when we help others in a Christian way.
A schoolfriend, whose father was a handsome doctor, told me his father was often accused of committing rape in his surgery – up to a dozen times a week. He simply sent his wife over to the police station where she would tear the woman’s case to shreds in seconds. Almost always the accuser was a senile woman in her seventies, and the police were simply doing their boring thoroughness with yet another boring case, and laughing up their sleeves at a chance to rest their backsides on a chair and drink a coffee.
I wish the police were allowed to treat their work for us more seriously. It matters! It’s a matter of life and death. And I suppose they wish “we” would listen, before they take a bullet for us.
I also am surprised this does not happen more often, but for a different reason. In my (admittedly limited) experience with/knowledge of NYC therapists, I have been struck by a real lack of professionalism. I’ve seen flirtation with patients, inappropriate dress, inappropriate advice, etc. There’s something about delving into the human psyche that attracts dodgy participants on BOTH sides of the couch. It seems to me, in my (again, limited) experience, that there’s plenty of instability to go around – both sides have a full book of matches and a full tank of gasoline.
Present company excepted, of course.
NikFromNYC,
I didn’t know I signed up for a burka upon becoming a psychologist. I’ll pass the word on to the other unsuspecting women going into the field…
I also teach medical students to never get between a paranoid patient and the door.
Not too far removed from the very good advice in bear country…
Never get between a momma bear and her cubs.
While…a guy wearing a knit cap and a green (?) trenchcoat whiz bangs through the door of a NY office building at night with one suitcase filled with women’s clothing and adult diapers and so forth and another filled with knives and duck tape and several meat cleavers.
Says he has an appt. with Dr. Shinbach.
At the very least, wouldn’t scheduled nighttime appts. be on record with the doorman ?
tanstaafl,
“..wouldn’t scheduled nighttime appts. be on record with the doorman ?”
Actually, the guy probably didn’t look that different from many other New Yorkers, even with that description. In addition, due to confidentiality, no therapist would let a doorman know who was or was not a client–or give any information about who or if they were seeing someone for an appointment.
It’s too bad the building didn’t require ID badges. Suspect’s lack of one might have caused the guard to call upstairs & find out if the guy really had an appointment. Sad that paranoia seems like common sense these days.
My track record when I have seen a psychologist or counselor, is pretty consistent. I do them wonders.
One used me as a research subject and didn’t help me.
Another, (whom I consulted because my fiance was discussing suicide) refused to give me help, rather insisted on seeking to discuss my feelings about her committing suicide.
Several others have used me to deal with their religious issues. (I look like a caricature of a rabbi.)
Another, whom I saw after a traumatic car accident, lied about me to the insurance company so they could deny my claim. (Guess who was paying the bill.)
There were a couple who were merely a waste of time.
The most memorable was the marriage counselor who kept flashing her breasts at me.
I hope that everyone enjoys these stories. Compiling them cost me a couple of thousand dollars plus inconvenience.
There was one who was so nasty while I was under hypnosis that I considered seeking some kind of revenge.
I am surprised how few are attacked by patients. Many deserve it.