Third Woman Sues Ballwin Treatment Center for “Implanting False Memories”

Another woman is suing the in Ballwin, alleging counselors there planted several false memories through hypnosis, according to a lawsuit filed July 6 in St. Louis County.

Brooke Taylor, who attended the center from May until August of 2010, becomes the third former patient to sue the eating disorder treatment center, which claims on its website to help clients “resolve the underlying causes (of eating disorders), leading to a deeper and more lasting recovery.”

Lisa Nasseff and Leslie Thompson also filed malpractice suits against the center, one in 2011 and one in 2012, respectively. In the lawsuits, Nasseff and Thompson claimed the center implanted false memories of rape and abuse.

Both of those two cases have pending settlement conferences in September, according to CaseNet.

According to Taylor’s lawsuit, the center implanted the memories through hypnosis while she was on drugs. She is suing for two counts of malpractice and negligence, seeking a minimum of $25,000 for each count.

“...defendant carelessly and negligently hypnotized plaintiff at a time when she was under the influence of various psychotropic medications and said hypnotic treatment directly caused or contributed to cause the creation, reinforcement or increase in the plaintiff’s mind of false memories.”

The lawsuit then states the alleged false memories, which include physical and sexual abuse, rape and says that it caused Taylor to believe she had multiple personalities.

A statement released by the treatment center dismisses Taylor’s claims, saying she “simply piggybacks on publicity generated by earlier false and outrageous allegations."

The two earlier cases gathered wide national and international attention from news organizations such as ABC News and UK’s Daily Mail.  

The center has even created a special tab on their website for “Editorial Responses,” where patients have submitted letters of support.

“Castlewood is not a place that ‘brainwashes’ people or ‘cult like’,” said a patient going by the name of Kimberly Gravlin, on the center’s website. “It makes me extremely angry that allegations from a few women, that are unreliable, can outweigh all the good Castlewood does.”

Tell us in our comments: Have you ever used hypnotic services? Do you believe memories can be implanted? What do you make of Taylor’s claims?

Editors note: if you are a patient or former patient of the Castlewood Treatment Center, and wish to talk about your experiences, e-mail Carlos Restrepo at carlos.restrepo@patch.com.

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