Psychotherapy With Sex-Abuse Victims: True, False, and Hysterical

by Richard A. Gardner

Deals with the psychiatric treatment of children who have been sexually abused, and children who have not been abused but have been programed to think they were, and details ways to tell the difference. Describes an original theory of how sexual abuse leads to psychological problems, discusses treatment techniques, and details the manifestations of false programming in the context of recent knowledge about individual, group, and mass hysteria. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

544 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1996

About the author

Richard Alan Gardner was an American child psychiatrist best known for his controversial work on parental alienation and child custody disputes. A prolific writer, he authored 41 books and over 200 scholarly articles, and developed therapeutic materials for child psychotherapy through his company, Creative Therapeutics. Gardner introduced the concept of parental alienation syndrome (PAS), describing how one parent could manipulate a child into rejecting the other. While his work was influential in custody cases, PAS has never been recognized by the American Psychiatric Association or other professional bodies, and has been widely criticized as lacking scientific validity and being used to dismiss legitimate abuse claims.
Gardner earned his medical degree from SUNY Downstate and trained in psychiatry at the New York State Psychiatric Institute. He served in the U.S. Army as director of child psychiatry in Frankfurt, Germany, and was later a clinical professor at Columbia University for four decades. He held academic appointments in the U.S., Belgium, and Russia and was a member of several professional psychiatric and psychoanalytic associations.
Gardner’s 1990 book Sex Abuse Hysteria: Salem Witch Trials Revisited became central to his claims about false accusations in abuse cases. He frequently served as an expert witness, including in the successful appeal of Margaret Kelly Michaels. However, his work drew fierce criticism for being unscientific, gender-biased, and sympathetic toward individuals accused of abuse. Critics argued that PAS was based on anecdotal evidence and personal beliefs, not empirical research. Attempts to include PAS in the DSM-5 were rejected.
Gardner strongly denied condoning pedophilia or abuse, insisting his theories were misunderstood. He also opposed mandatory reporting laws and advocated support for those falsely accused of abuse. Despite the controversy, his legacy continues to spark debate in psychiatry, law, and child protection. He died by suicide in 2003, reportedly after suffering from a debilitating neurological pain disorder.