Preface

In the fall of 1991, I was called upon to defend myself before the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario against two charges of sexual misconduct in my practice. I had experimented beyond what was considered acceptable in my profession, and I had been aware that I was doing it. The trial was closed to the public. (This book was a permitted exception because Part One had already been written and gave no specific information about the hearing.)
Legal process, taking the time that it does, allowed me more than a year to write a paper describing for the Discipline Committee, the precise nature of my particular and unusual psychotherapy methods.
I decided to publish this presentation as a book, even though many people urged me to rewrite it. They said I should remove myself from the text, and change several highly controversial examples of my work to make it more acceptable.
I have decided after much thought to let the book stand as I presented it in the courtroom. I decided this because it is a real and living experience and it is, word for word, my struggle to make myself understood simply and clearly. Part One of this book is essentially what the courtroom heard.
* * *
In October of 1991, the four-day trial was held before the Discipline Committee of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (the profession's governing body). In addition to the presentation of Part One of this book, 23 women, five men, and two couples came forward to corroborate the nature of my work, and the truths that are put forward in the book.
Nevertheless, the College revoked my licence for life. I then appealed to the Divisional Court of Ontario (part of the public civil court system).
In October 1992, the three judges of this court saw my original presentation in a different light than did the College. Accordingly, they overruled the lifetime suspension and changed it to 18 months, with mandatory re-instatement.
In January of 1993 the College attempted once again to have my licence revoked permanently. The Appeal Court of Ontario ruled that it was satisfied with the Divisional Court's decision, and disallowed any futher appeals against me. The case was closed.
Shortly after being reinstated, I resigned my licence to practise medicine. I remain in the private practice of psychotherapy, in Toronto.

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