Dr. Ford — accuser of  Kavanaugh — flunks  basic decency standards including APA guidelines for psychologists.  That is, don’t exploit or harm others & avoid relationships that could reasonably impair their professional performance.
What about the legal standards of presumption of innocence and preponderance of evidence?  A research Ph.D. psychologist knows how to add up the overall picture of “facts” of her case. Dr. Christine Blasey Ford’s facts — best we know — are weak.
Ford, a registered Democrat who signed a letter opposing Trump’s immigration policies, joins other  Democrats & progressives who turn American due process upside down. See Presumption of Guilt published in the Wall Street Journal 9/22/18.
American Psychological Standards (APA)  standards for psychologists  are not put on  akin to a business suit for   the 8 to 5 day.
For many professionals what they do – whether  doctor, lawyer, psychologist  becomes interweaved with the essence of who they are as a person  and  how they interact  in general  with people.
Read in their entirety, APA ethical guidelines and standards expect psychologists to show care towards all persons equally  and to provide options and ways for persons to respond back. The thinking that underlines guidelines for psychologists and doctors:   do no harm
Concerning  the APA ethical guidelines:
- Psychologist Ford failed to treat persons equally by a)  failing to notify  all parties e., President Trump, Republicans, the Judiciary Committee.  Dr. Ford is a registered Democrat who only notified other Democrats.
- Psychologist Ford failed to provide the entirety of her Therapist Notes for general inspection by neutral parties. Her therapist notes state 4 boys  and Dr. Ford opines fewer.  No names are included in the therapist notes.
- No highly specific identifiable information is provided  i.e., what the boys looked like, their clothing, the color of room, how Dr. Ford  got there or got home (as she did not drive)
Self-care by Psychologists is  is part and parcel to providing care towards others:
Dr. Ford states in her publications that mentoring future psychologists is her primary goal. Dr. Ford presumably has professional / clinical interactions with her students.  For trauma Dr. Ford states that she incurred sometime in 1983-85, Dr. Ford first sought professional help roughly six years ago.
What were the Therapist Treatment Goals related to the trauma Dr. Ford says she experienced 36 years ago?  Diagnosis is the flip side of treatment.    If you go to a MD and he/she determines that you have a torn ligament and not a broken leg then there’s one treatment and not another.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) may have been the diagnosis?  If that was the diagnosis, what were the treatment goals and are they in the clinical notes of the therapist Dr. Ford and husband saw in 2012 or so for couple’s therapy?  Those clinical notes could and should be released by Dr.Ford.
Aptos Psychologist opines:
Dr. Ford fails to meet basic decency standards as well as general APA guidelines for psychologists.  Do no harm, take care in all your interactions with people and provide multiple means for feedback are part and parcel of APA guidelines and standards.
Dr. Ford is a research/ clinical psychologist. Psychologists measure — carefully –small differences using standardized tests in conjunction with behavioral observations and other information.  Finding commonality in all of the information (standardized test data,  reports from different sources and behavioral observations)  is the hallmark of what clinical / research psychologists do best.  It’s what psychologist are particularly trained to do.
What psychologists are trained to do best — fit together the “big picture” from all available information — Dr. Ford fails to do.   I give Ford an F.
written by Cameron Jackson, Ph.D.  Monterey Bay ForumÂ
Monerey Bay Forum
Fax: 831 688 7717
Email: jaj48@aol.com
