Psychologist Ronald Federici of Virginia, a well-known therapist of internationally adopted children, is suing another noted psychologist, Dr. Jean Mercer, for a column she wrote about one of his cases in Psychology Today.
Federici designed a treatment plan for an adoptive family of a 13-year-old Russian adoptee that involved withholding food from the boy and confining him to his room for weeks. The boy ended up starving and hospitalized. The parents went to jail for felony child abuse. And Dr. Federici? Dr. Mercer wrote about the case for a national magazine in a piece titled "The Hungry Boy" which must have embarrassed him, so he's fighting back. You can read about the lawsuit and the family's plight on Dr. Mercer's blog.
Thanks to Jessica of O Solo Mama for highlighting this story.
Parents, please be cautious when choosing a therapist for your child. As Dr. Mercer has previously pointed out, there's a lot of questionable and dangerous advice out there.