Second Thoughts [Paperback]

Paul Simpson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1996

Once a leading practitioner of Recovered Memory Therapy, Dr. Paul Simpson concludes that he had been "horrifically wrong", and that the movement has contributed to untold suffering in families where there have been false accusations of sexual abuse.

Product Details

• Paperback: 246 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson Inc (June 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0785274189
• ISBN-13: 978-0785274186
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,559,685 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An accurate, thoughtful account of false memory ., November 12, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Second Thoughts (Paperback)

Dr. Paul Simpson presents an honest, most accurate account of the the effects of Recovered Memory Therapy and its tragic aftermath. Falsely accused parents and client/victims of RMT will find answers to the many questions related to this phenomenom. As a "retractor" of false memories and a therapist intern, I appreciated Dr. Simpson's courage to come forward as a therapist who had once been involved with this most unethical treatment. I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Simpson at a recent conference. There, he apologized to all parents and clients negatively effected by RMT. His apology, given in the name of all RMT therapists, touched my heart. This book is a "must read" for all therapists and those who have recovered memories of abuse. I encourage all to read this book with an open mind. Take the time to have Second Thoughts.

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Second Thoughts about the validity of recovered memory, April 17, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Second Thoughts (Paperback)

Dr. Paul Simpson is a christian psychologist who was very involved in the practice of helping his patients recover memories of abuse through the very popular therapy called RMT.

Like so many other therapists today, Dr. Simpson at first believed he was doing God's work, helping to retrieve memories of real abuse so that his patients could be healed from broken lives which had stopped working due to emotions out-of-control and destructive personal behaviors.

Later he discovered he had been greatly in error as are his colleagues who continue to practice RMT today commonly resulting in false memories, and assigning the false identity of "abuse victim" to dependent patients desperate for answers to their problems in living.

The author says the Christian Church is in great error in its acceptance of the concept of recovered memory and needs to do more to aid the falsely accused parents of children giving false witness based upon therapy suggested "memories."

The expose of what is happening in today's therapy is all the more important because it comes from someone who was inside the clinical office and involved from start to finish. Also, it is important because Dr. Simpson has all the right credentials, a born-again Christian, alumni of Christ for the Nations, Rapha therapist, dedicated care-giver. Still, his practice of RMT hurt his christian patients and their families.

Simpson says in RMT, he saw 100% of his patients go into severe decompensation[nervous breakdown] due to the effects from recalling or imagining vile scenes of horrific abuse. This led them to become very dependent upon him in an unhealthy way. Some of them could not even open their own mail. One assumes this is the point where such a patient will accept the label of MPD or satanic high priestess for themselves. Anything just to get it over with and back to a sense of normalcy.

Paul Simpson says he prayed with his clients and asked God to bless the therapy and still had ungodly results. He now realizes that God will not bless idolatry and occult practices no matter how much a spirit filled Christian might pray. Obedience to bibical principles and truth is absolutely necessary to avoid self-delusion.

Dr. Simpson gives an account of how his patients lives were affected before and after his therapy with them. The statistics as to how they were functioning supports his statement that he never saw a single patient who was better off after the therapy for having remembered such abuse.

This important book is must reading for all Christians and especially those who believe wrongly that christian psychologists will not lead them into error or that the Spirit of God will keep them safe from consequences of their idolatry.

The author has appeared on the James Dobson radio program Focus on the Family to discuss his book and the topic of RMT. Paul Meier was also on the show claiming that his own SRA and MPD patients were valid. He was talking when he should have been listening.

Buy this book, which like all truth is hard to find at the bookstore.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I wish I knew this before abusive repressed memory therapy..., June 21, 2011

By 

L. Simmons "life enthusiast" (Denver, CO, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Second Thoughts (Paperback)

A family member has become brainwashed by a therapist claiming to be able to promote healing through recovery of repressed memories using supposed regression therapies such as body memories and hypnosis. Over several years, the memories have become stranger and further removed from reality. Now she has cut off all contact with her family. I wish I had researched false memories several years ago because it may have saved her from the mental deterioration that has resulted from abusive therapy. Unbelievably, it has the characteristics of a cult and has become a current day witch-hunt. After conducting lots of research on-line and reading five books on the subject, I recommend this book by Dr. Paul Simpson, as the most readable. It is sensitive to the legitimate issue of sexual abuse against children. Dr. Simpson is a recovered repressed memory therapist. He presents well-documented evidence and highly-informed intelligent logic to explain how the therapy produces false memories and how it hurts the patients and those they falsely accuse. He is not afraid to address Christianity and how it has contributed to the problems but also how it creates a duty to seek the truth. I hope I can figure out how to get my loved one to read the appendix, "A Word to Regression Believers," especially Dr. Simpson's list of 9 "rights" that patients "may not have been told about" by their therapists. It may save her life. If you are one of these regression patients, have the courage to read this book without the permission of your therapist. If you are one of these therapists, have the professionalism to explore the possibility that you have made a mistake and are harming instead of helping your clients.