TELL: Therapy Exploitation Link Line

TELL is a peer support network that seeks to help victims and survivors of exploitation by psychotherapists and other healthcare providers find the resources they will need to understand what has happened to them, to take action, and to heal.

History of TELL

In the spring of 1989, The Boston Globe publicized the issue of therapy exploitation by highlighting cases involving two prominent psychiatrists in the Boston area. At the request of a victim of one of those psychiatrists, Boston social worker Nancy Avery agreed to call her colleagues to ask whether any of them was currently treating or had treated women who had been similarly abused and who might be interested in meeting with other victims/survivors.

After meeting one another, the first three women contacted two others whose stories had been publicized. Those five got together that July to explore the possibility of starting a networking and support group. One of these 'Founders,' a former advertising copywriter, suggested the acronym TELL, to stand for Therapy Exploitation Link Line, a name that was quickly accepted.

The first meeting, held in October, drew twelve women who shared their stories, some for the first time beyond the closed doors of subsequent treatment.

With the help of additional publicity, referrals from attorneys and subsequent-treating psychotherapists, and word of mouth, attendance at TELL’s monthly meetings quickly reached 40 to 50. One of the founders agreed to host a telephone hot-line which increasingly was used by a geographically wider number of victims/survivors from across the United States and Canada, some seeking to start similar groups in their own areas. Leadership of TELL meetings was shared by the Founders and regular attendees.

As the needs of the attendees at TELL meetings became better identified, Boston attorney Linda Jorgenson was invited to give practical advice to those considering legal or licensing board actions. A sympathetic female psychotherapist was also included for several meetings to help clarify appropriate psychotherapeutic boundaries and to lend support.

TELL held a number of public meetings on specific issues such as legal concerns and healing, with speakers drawn from both the victims/survivors and professional communities. Family members of victims/survivors, interested professionals, and media representatives were invited, often leading to overflow crowds.

Representatives of the various media contacted TELL seeking commentary and input from the victim’s point of view. As a result, TELL representatives appeared on: national television talk shows such as Donohue and Geraldo; radio shows; were called as consultants in the Nova special entitled “My Doctor-My Lover;” have been sought out by print-media journalists, academics who wanted classroom speakers, and professional organizations that wanted to include the victim’s point of view in their educational programs; and have written and published papers and book chapters on this subject. TELL participants have served on the planning boards for conferences and lectured to medical and law students.

Some TELL representatives have become politically active, sponsoring bills and testifying at public hearings. Others have worked on committees to help draft patients’ bills of rights and to assist professional organizations and boards in developing procedures for handling complaints. Some have participated in on-going dialogue groups with members of the psychotherapy professions in an attempt to find common and understandable interests between professionals and consumers.

In 1992, The American Psychiatric Association awarded TELL its Assembly Speakers Award for its work.

By 1997, TELL ceased to hold regular public meetings in Boston. Chapters formed in other parts of the country were short-lived. Assisted for many years by an association with Advocateweb.org, today TELL exists largely as a cyberspace organization with its volunteers from across the USA, Canada, Europe, and Australia. Each year, thousands of victims/survivors, referred by their attorneys, subsequent treaters, and others, or who have found TELL through web searches, contact TELL to find the information and support they need.

From time to time, volunteers hold small regional TELL meetings to give victims/survivors a chance to get together, further breaking the sense of isolation that each feels. In recent years, meetings have been held in Boston and New York City.

Who We Are

TELL is a support network run by victims/survivors for victims/survivors of sexual and emotional abuse by psychotherapists and other healthcare professionals.
All responders to TELL e-mail inquiries are volunteers who have themselves been exploited in psychotherapy or other healthcare settings.
No volunteer is paid for working with TELL.

Who We Are Not

TELL is not a charity and neither requests nor accepts financial contributions.
TELL is not a membership organization. No membership or contact lists are kept, and there is no fee for using the TELL website or network.
TELL is not engaged in any for-profit ventures and is neither affiliated with, sponsored by, nor sponsors of any for-profit ventures.

What We Do

By suggesting resources and readings, TELL helps victims/survivors help themselves.
When possible and appropriate, TELL helps victims/survivors network with one another.
TELL helps victims/survivors become aware of, understand, and weigh their options.
TELL recommends that victims/survivors seek responsible and knowledgeable professional support. TELL volunteers are available to serve as sounding boards for victims/survivors who have concerns about the support they are receiving.
When available, TELL supplies speakers for professional conferences, meetings, teaching venues, and media interviews.
When possible, TELL will facilitate networking with individuals who have specialized knowledge in relevant aspects of abuse in psychotherapy settings.

What We Don’t Do

TELL is not equipped to deal with issues of pedophilia, incest, domestic abuse or rape (except when it occurs within a therapy or healthcare setting).
TELL is not equipped to deal with abuse by clergy (except when the clergy person is practicing psychotherapy or counseling).
TELL does not recommend specific subsequent therapists.
TELL does not provide legal advice.
Although some TELL volunteers are also psychotherapists, TELL does not provide psychotherapy.
TELL does not keep a database of abusers’ names or other identifying information.
TELL does not keep a database of victims/survivors names or other contact or identifying information.
TELL does not provide information on victims/survivors or abusive practitioners to any medical, or other certifying or licensing boards or agencies.

Nuestra misión

TELL es una red de apoyo entre pares que busca ayudar a las víctimas y sobrevivientes de explotación por parte de psicoterapeutas y otros profesionales de la salud a encontrar los recursos que necesitan para comprender lo que les ha ocurrido, para poder actuar y sanar.

Historia de TELL

En la primavera de 1989, The Boston Globe dio a conocer el tema de abuso y explotación en terapia al publicar los casos de dos destacados psiquiatras locales.

A petición de una víctima, la trabajadora social Nancy Avery contactó a sus colegas para averiguar si atendían o habían atendido a mujeres con abusos similares que quisieran hablar con más víctimas o sobrevivientes.

Poco después de conocerse, las tres primeras mujeres contactaron a otras dos que también habían hecho públicos sus casos. Las cinco se reunieron en julio de ese mismo año para crear un grupo de apoyo mutuo. Una de ellas, que antes trabajaba como redactora publicitaria, propuso el acrónimo TELL (Therapy Exploitation Link Line), un nombre que todas aceptaron de inmediato.

A la primera reunión, que se celebró en octubre de 1989, asistieron doce mujeres que compartieron sus historias. Varias hablaban por primera vez de su abuso fuera de un espacio terapéutico.

Con la ayuda de más publicidad, de recomendaciones boca a boca, y de referencias de abogados y terapeutas subsecuentes, la asistencia a las reuniones mensuales de TELL subió rápido a unas 40 y 50 víctimas. Una de las fundadoras puso una línea de ayuda telefónica en su casa. Cada vez más víctimas y sobrevivientes de todo Estados Unidos y Canadá la usaban. Algunas querían crear grupos similares en sus propias zonas. El liderazgo de las reuniones de TELL fue compartido por sus fundadoras y las asistentes habituales.

A medida que entendieron mejor lo que necesitaban las asistentes a las reuniones de TELL, invitaron a Linda Jorgenson, una abogada de Boston. Ella dio consejos prácticos a quienes querían tomar acciones legales o acudir a juntas de licencias profesionales. Además, en varias ocasiones invitaron a una psicoterapeuta empática con la causa, quien ayudó a definir los límites éticos y profesionales de la terapia y ofreció su apoyo emocional

TELL organizó varias reuniones públicas sobre temas clave, como dudas legales y opciones de tratamiento. En estos espacios participaron tanto expertos como personas de la comunidad de víctimas y sobrevivientes. Como público se invitó a familiares, profesionales y medios de comunicación, lo que atrajo a un público muy numeroso.

Diversos medios buscaron a TELL para conocer la postura y aportaciones de las víctimas. Gracias a esto, sus representantes aparecieron en programas de televisión como Donohue y Geraldo, espacios de radio, entrevistas con periodistas, y fueron invitadas como consultoras al documental My Doctor-My Lover. Además, varios académicos las invitaron como ponentes a clases, conferencias y foros profesionales para incluir la voz de las víctimas y supervivientes. Por su parte, las integrantes de TELL también han escrito artículos y libros, organizado congresos y dado pláticas a estudiantes de medicina y derecho

Algunas representantes de TELL han participado activamente en la política. Han impulsado proyectos de ley y testificado en audiencias públicas. Otras han colaborado en comités para redactar cartas de derechos de los pacientes. También ayudan a juntas profesionales y organizaciones a crear procesos para recibir quejas. Incluso, algunas han formado parte de grupos de diálogo constante con terapeutas. Su meta es encontrar acuerdos y metas en común entre quienes ejercen la profesión y clientes.

En 1992, la Asociación Americana de Psiquiatría (APA) concedió a TELL el premio "Assembly Speakers Award" por su labor.

Hoy TELL existe como una organización en el ciberespacio, con voluntarias de todo EE.UU., Canadá, Europa, Australia y México. Cada aḿo, miles de víctimas/sobrevivientes que han encontrado a TELL a través de búsquedas en Internet, o que son derivadas por sus abogados/as, terapeutas subsecuentes u otras personas, se ponen en contacto con TELL para encontrar la información y el apoyo que necesitan.

En 1997, TELL suspendió las reuniones públicas en Boston, y los grupos de otras ciudades no duraron mucho. Tras muchos años de recibir asistencia de Advocate Web, hoy opera solo en internet con voluntarias en EE.UU., Canadá, Australia y México quienes atienden anualmente a miles de víctimas y supervivientes que llegan a través de búsquedas en la web o derivadas por terapeutas y abogados.

De vez en cuando, las voluntarias organizan pequeños encuentros regionales de TELL para dar a las víctimas y sobrevivientes un espacio para reunirse y reducir la sensación de aislamiento. En los últimos años, se han celebrado reuniones en Boston y Nueva York.

About TELL

Our Mission

History of TELL

Who We Are

Who We Are Not

What We Do

What We Don’t Do

Nuestra misión

Historia de TELL

Quiénes somos

Quiénes no somos

Qué hacemos

Qué no hacemos