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Exposure #1
Bad Therapist
Inside the biggest scandal in the history of America’s $40 billion drug recovery a predatory Malibu rehab guru—and the fearless female patient who exposed his empire of deceit.
Chris Bathum was a respected therapist, addiction specialist, and founder of one of the fastest-growing rehabilitation chains in America. But Bathum was a total he was a meth-head with a history of sexually abusing his patients, scamming insurance companies, and eliminating whistle-blowers. Like Rose Stahl. But this intended victim would be his last. Stahl would risk her life to bring down the monster she and so many other people in need had once trusted for their salvation.
Evan Wright’s Bad Therapist is part of Exposure, a collection of six incredible and true stories of American double lives from millionaire CEOs and suburban teens to undercover investigators and scam artists—all for whom secrets are a way of life. Each piece can be read or listened to in a single astonished sitting.
Chris Bathum was a respected therapist, addiction specialist, and founder of one of the fastest-growing rehabilitation chains in America. But Bathum was a total he was a meth-head with a history of sexually abusing his patients, scamming insurance companies, and eliminating whistle-blowers. Like Rose Stahl. But this intended victim would be his last. Stahl would risk her life to bring down the monster she and so many other people in need had once trusted for their salvation.
Evan Wright’s Bad Therapist is part of Exposure, a collection of six incredible and true stories of American double lives from millionaire CEOs and suburban teens to undercover investigators and scam artists—all for whom secrets are a way of life. Each piece can be read or listened to in a single astonished sitting.
180 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 30, 2019
1378 people are currently reading
515 people want to read
About the author
Evan Wright
13 books377 followersThat "author's photo" of me is an illustration done by my friend Hawk Krall, an awesome artist from Philly.
I had an odd path to writing which I describe in the first chapter of Hella Nation.
For the most part, my biography is contained in the books and articles I publish.
I had an odd path to writing which I describe in the first chapter of Hella Nation.
For the most part, my biography is contained in the books and articles I publish.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 137 reviews
September 26, 2020
It’s amazing how far this scam lasted, and how easily it was to pull out. I felt so sad for the victims of this terrible person.
The story is strong enough that kept my attention and helped me ignore the absolutely horrible narration.
The story is strong enough that kept my attention and helped me ignore the absolutely horrible narration.
June 20, 2019
The story of corruption in the drug and alcohol rehabilitation industry needs to be told. This book was my first encounter with Amazon's audio service. It was horrible. The voices mimicked very stupid people or breathy, helpless little girl voices. And the story went around and around, never really getting to the point. A lost opportunity to provide an important account of financial scandal and personal exploitation.
July 13, 2019
Wow!
Wow! What an insane and infuriating story. A clear example on how horribly our country is failing those who suffer from addiction. Dropped down to 3 stars, because while the story was insane, the writing was meh.
Wow! What an insane and infuriating story. A clear example on how horribly our country is failing those who suffer from addiction. Dropped down to 3 stars, because while the story was insane, the writing was meh.
November 2, 2019
I listened to this on Audible--free for Amazon Prime members. This 4+ hour work was frustrating. I was shocked to learn about massive fraud in the rehab industry, but the author was much more interested in the salacious details of the fraudster/rapist Chris Bathum. Did I really need to know that Bathum had a small penis and that it smelled bad?
In addition, the narrator was not up to imitating the voices, although his imitation of Bathum was somewhat humorous.
I feel the rehab industry deserves an investigation by a skilled investigative journalist like John Carryou (Bad Blood) or any others. Hopefully, I can find another book or series of Newspaper articles that explains this corrupt industry better.
In addition, the narrator was not up to imitating the voices, although his imitation of Bathum was somewhat humorous.
I feel the rehab industry deserves an investigation by a skilled investigative journalist like John Carryou (Bad Blood) or any others. Hopefully, I can find another book or series of Newspaper articles that explains this corrupt industry better.
July 31, 2019
Fascinating story, poorly written.
May 16, 2025
This is an important story to tell and I am glad I read it. But it bugged me to no end how the author referred to people in treatment as “addicts.” And the audiobook narrator is the worst I have ever heard.
July 16, 2019
Another Exposure Success
Overall the books in the Exposure series have been excellent exposes on topics of great importance. In Bad Therapist, Wright details the dangers of the underregulated rehab/sober house industry and the toll it has taken on those who depended on the system to save their lives. He outlines the general issues and their underlying cause while digging into one particular case, that of faux - therapist, convicted felon, drug addict, and con artist Christopher Bathum. The horrors of the case are worse than I imagined. The bravery of those who came forward may never be fully recognized because of the controversy of their spotted pasts, but it does not detract from how important it was for them to act. I think the narrative could have been a bit tighter, with less back and forth between time periods, but it definitely packed a punch. I'm so angry at people who would take advantage of someone at their lowest point. Research into the topic and the case seems very thorough, as does the evidence against Bathum. Bad Therapist is worth the read, and will hopefully stimulate conversation on better protecting people who are preyed upon by a broken system and the predators who abuse it.
Overall the books in the Exposure series have been excellent exposes on topics of great importance. In Bad Therapist, Wright details the dangers of the underregulated rehab/sober house industry and the toll it has taken on those who depended on the system to save their lives. He outlines the general issues and their underlying cause while digging into one particular case, that of faux - therapist, convicted felon, drug addict, and con artist Christopher Bathum. The horrors of the case are worse than I imagined. The bravery of those who came forward may never be fully recognized because of the controversy of their spotted pasts, but it does not detract from how important it was for them to act. I think the narrative could have been a bit tighter, with less back and forth between time periods, but it definitely packed a punch. I'm so angry at people who would take advantage of someone at their lowest point. Research into the topic and the case seems very thorough, as does the evidence against Bathum. Bad Therapist is worth the read, and will hopefully stimulate conversation on better protecting people who are preyed upon by a broken system and the predators who abuse it.
August 1, 2019
Fascinating! I had no idea it was so lucrative and uncomplicated to commit such extensive fraud! It was a story I had never heard about (happening on the other side of the country...). The downside was that the book was long. It jumped around in the timeline of events too much and it took forever to get to the point of it all.
June 3, 2019
An interesting read.
March 30, 2022
This blows the door on the rehab industry wide open. I listened to this on audio, and the information was well organized and easy to follow.
June 10, 2019
I dislike the narrator trying to do voices, I really wish that was not a thing as it’s quite annoying!
The format was a little crazy, got a bit confused at times but overall I found the story tragic and fascinating.
None of the books in this series (Exposure) have been great for various reasons, but overall the subject matter of this one kept me intrigued. There was a lot of crazy stuff happening.
The format was a little crazy, got a bit confused at times but overall I found the story tragic and fascinating.
None of the books in this series (Exposure) have been great for various reasons, but overall the subject matter of this one kept me intrigued. There was a lot of crazy stuff happening.
October 27, 2019
2.5 A topic like this is always interesting for so many reasons. How could someone be this evil? How do people blindly follow someone when there’s clearly something not right? Why is our system so broken that people in distress feel they have no other options? But the writing at times seemed like a pulp fiction novel. Sometimes a little cringy with the adjectives. It became hard to get through.
June 16, 2019
Clear and concise. Easy reading for non-fiction. But content? Wow. It is a lot to take in.
July 23, 2019
Wow. "Bad Therapist" contains insightful information about the rehab and sober living industry. But this book is written out of chronological order and filled with sexual content and profanity.
December 30, 2020
Incredible true story of the rise of the drug and alcohol addiction rehab industry, particularly in CA, in the early 2000’s. The details of the excesses and abuses that happened will make you look at rehab facilities in a totally different way. At the center of the story is Chris Bathum, a person who was not a medical doctor, does not have doctorial degree, was not a licensed therapist but yet presided over a multi-million dollar empire of sober living and rehab facilities for people struggling with drug and alcohol addiction. The unraveling starts with a person named Cliff Brodsky who, by all accounts, sincerely wanted to help recovering addicts and went into business with Bathum to the tune of over $600K to build facilities for that purpose. Cliff quickly realizes that Bathum is not who he claims to be and attempts to single handedly expose him. The full unraveling was precipitated by Rose Stahl, a former patient and employee of Bathum’s whose insider information provided to law enforcement help firm up the charges Bathum finally faced. Fascinating, true crime story.
September 3, 2019
Don't be put off by the amateurish look of this thin book--too many photos have no captions and the font is too small for the size of the page--because the writing, imho, is very good. The story is chopped up and taken out of order, which is not helpful, but the story is very important. Post-rehab or halfway houses apparently fall into a crevice where they don't have to be regulated like rehab but at the same time could not be inspected due to privacy protected under ADA as addiction is a disease.
May 8, 2022
Addictions, Drug Overdoses, Fraud, Sexual Assults, Attempted (and possibly successful) Murders. Greed!
I am terrified for those fighting for sobriety; they may unwittingly become prey, victims of an incredibly corrupted and flawed system. Where does one turn when seeking help and guidance from an industry with little to no oversight?
The most telling part of this entire, sorted ordeal is summed up in a single sentence -
"Nothing has changed, except for Rose"
I am terrified for those fighting for sobriety; they may unwittingly become prey, victims of an incredibly corrupted and flawed system. Where does one turn when seeking help and guidance from an industry with little to no oversight?
The most telling part of this entire, sorted ordeal is summed up in a single sentence -
"Nothing has changed, except for Rose"
November 6, 2020
Interesante y explica cosas sobre el negocio de los centros de rehabilitación en USA que no conocía.
Lo que no me ha gustado y me ha dado un poco de rabia es que el narrador hiciera voces para algunas de las personas: las voces para las mujeres las hacen sonar como si fueran tontas y las de los hombres, idiotas. Sobraba.
Lo que no me ha gustado y me ha dado un poco de rabia es que el narrador hiciera voces para algunas de las personas: las voces para las mujeres las hacen sonar como si fueran tontas y las de los hombres, idiotas. Sobraba.
July 16, 2021
A short Amazon originals story about the biggest scandal in the drug recovery business (I do mean business!) and the "therapist" who perpetrated it, a junkie/rapist/scammer that preyed on the most vulnerable. Interesting story and would have rated it higher but for the lack of structure, it jumped around and made it a little hard to follow.
April 10, 2020
* I borrowed this book for free from Amazon Prime. *
I liked this book. I thought it was interesting.
I liked this book. I thought it was interesting.
January 15, 2020
Sad ....this story is just sad .
As a Recovery Home Coordinator in a Sober Living home I am sickened . I am also a nurse
( although not practicing in my current position ) . Drug addiction is such an epidemic in this country , lives are lost to over-doses every second of the day and the addicts seeking help deserved just that - tell me how anyone could do the unthinkable shit that Chris Bathum did !
Sad , it is just plain sad .
I found the book informational for those out there unfamiliar with the drug rehab world . A lot of reviews talk about the poor timeline , etc . ... I get it , but the information alone is worth 3 stars ;-)
As a Recovery Home Coordinator in a Sober Living home I am sickened . I am also a nurse
( although not practicing in my current position ) . Drug addiction is such an epidemic in this country , lives are lost to over-doses every second of the day and the addicts seeking help deserved just that - tell me how anyone could do the unthinkable shit that Chris Bathum did !
Sad , it is just plain sad .
I found the book informational for those out there unfamiliar with the drug rehab world . A lot of reviews talk about the poor timeline , etc . ... I get it , but the information alone is worth 3 stars ;-)
November 5, 2019
Bizarre story of a con man who thrived as a bogus "health care provider."
July 25, 2019
Sociopath + Rehab
An interesting look inside parts of the rehab industry. A disturbing maze of loopholes that allow unqualified people to make money from those desperate for a cure.
An interesting look inside parts of the rehab industry. A disturbing maze of loopholes that allow unqualified people to make money from those desperate for a cure.
April 10, 2021
The story itself is interesting, but the erratic writing choices throughout made it less enjoyable. The occasional abrupt time-skips of events, backtracks and lack of narrative buildup in between made it hard to follow.
However the forced emotionality and black/ white characterization of all people involved was the biggest annoyance for me. Especially since those blatantly portrayed as good received more in-depth backgrounds and explanations while the ones identified as bad were kept to short, terse sentences that were often sprinkled with stretches of out-of-context past behaviors or faults.
I don't need a continuous added layer of emotionally heavy explanation to decide if someone made good or bad decisions. Let the actions be told factually because overtime a pattern of behavior will stand on its own merits, good or bad. But I realize this is a personal reading preference of mine. If the same level of "character buildup" (I know these are real people) had been applied equally to all, no matter the intensity of emotionality portrayed, I wouldn't have found it nearly as irksome.
I still recommend reading this book, or about Rose Stahl's story in general. At least the ending here gives a motivating factor for readers to be aware and possibly take action against the kind of laws that allow such illegality to thrive.
(Minor Spoilers Maybe?) This isn't about the writing style, but it was also pretty disheartening to learn the FBI didn't initially care at all about the sexual harassment and coercion.
However the forced emotionality and black/ white characterization of all people involved was the biggest annoyance for me. Especially since those blatantly portrayed as good received more in-depth backgrounds and explanations while the ones identified as bad were kept to short, terse sentences that were often sprinkled with stretches of out-of-context past behaviors or faults.
I don't need a continuous added layer of emotionally heavy explanation to decide if someone made good or bad decisions. Let the actions be told factually because overtime a pattern of behavior will stand on its own merits, good or bad. But I realize this is a personal reading preference of mine. If the same level of "character buildup" (I know these are real people) had been applied equally to all, no matter the intensity of emotionality portrayed, I wouldn't have found it nearly as irksome.
I still recommend reading this book, or about Rose Stahl's story in general. At least the ending here gives a motivating factor for readers to be aware and possibly take action against the kind of laws that allow such illegality to thrive.
(Minor Spoilers Maybe?) This isn't about the writing style, but it was also pretty disheartening to learn the FBI didn't initially care at all about the sexual harassment and coercion.
June 16, 2019
Predator Therapist
This is a sad story of predator who took advantage of people at their worst, in need of help and preyed upon them for sex, money and drugs. A man with no experience of credentials was able to create and run a series of sober living houses for recovering addicts which netted millions in insurance fraud. Many joined the gravy chain, but learned that the cost was much higher than expected in more ways than one. It took the courage of a woman who was a former addict to help bring him to justice. The lack of state and federal safeguards is also appalling regarding this issue. An eye opening read. I hope that Rose has a better life now along with the others. A must read for anyone interested in the racket that addiction treatment has often been. The audio book was a compliment to the book
This is a sad story of predator who took advantage of people at their worst, in need of help and preyed upon them for sex, money and drugs. A man with no experience of credentials was able to create and run a series of sober living houses for recovering addicts which netted millions in insurance fraud. Many joined the gravy chain, but learned that the cost was much higher than expected in more ways than one. It took the courage of a woman who was a former addict to help bring him to justice. The lack of state and federal safeguards is also appalling regarding this issue. An eye opening read. I hope that Rose has a better life now along with the others. A must read for anyone interested in the racket that addiction treatment has often been. The audio book was a compliment to the book
June 9, 2019
This was the first in the Exposure series (free with amazon prime). I read others first, which I’m glad I did, as this is my least favorite. I listened to it on audio and when the narrator did most voices, it grated on me. The therapist story was okay, but I was more interested in the development of sober houses and how the system is conned.
May 19, 2020
Great tale that is emblematic of our times
This tale by Evan Wright is difficult to read due to the nature of its antagonist - and unfortunately I am finding out that this therapist is not just a lone bad guy - there are hundreds like him, and many of them are still active.
One of the unintended consequences of one of Obamacare's more popular measures - no denial for pre-existing conditions - is that many sham rehab centers started up, and then proceeded to do every test there was on their patients before kicking them out.
The real truth about rehab is that it has a 20% success rate at most, and the patients tend to keep coming back.
So after Obamacare, a few non-doctors started a few centers in Florida, and then proceeded to take every penny they could out of their patient's insurance.
This is no one's fault - but it must be addressed
There was only good intentions in Obamacare's edict to help insure both those with pre-existing conditions and addictions.
But the latter opened up a hole for profit, and the bad guys swarmed around.
Recently the Florida government has caught on, and the rehab centers are going to other states.
The character here is but one of many characters like this, and many are still active.
In any case though, great tale - I highly recommend it.
This tale by Evan Wright is difficult to read due to the nature of its antagonist - and unfortunately I am finding out that this therapist is not just a lone bad guy - there are hundreds like him, and many of them are still active.
One of the unintended consequences of one of Obamacare's more popular measures - no denial for pre-existing conditions - is that many sham rehab centers started up, and then proceeded to do every test there was on their patients before kicking them out.
The real truth about rehab is that it has a 20% success rate at most, and the patients tend to keep coming back.
So after Obamacare, a few non-doctors started a few centers in Florida, and then proceeded to take every penny they could out of their patient's insurance.
This is no one's fault - but it must be addressed
There was only good intentions in Obamacare's edict to help insure both those with pre-existing conditions and addictions.
But the latter opened up a hole for profit, and the bad guys swarmed around.
Recently the Florida government has caught on, and the rehab centers are going to other states.
The character here is but one of many characters like this, and many are still active.
In any case though, great tale - I highly recommend it.
November 6, 2025
Raise your hand if you check your state's medical board licensing verification site before you visit a doctor...
Waiting...
Yeah, well, you should. There are MANY people who claim to be therapists, chiropractors, physicians who have never passed any kind of test or attended a program. They are liars. Avoid them.
This "bad therapist" took advantage of his "clients" -- he was supposed to be helping them kick their addictions. Instead he gave them more drugs.
This still happens in the recovery industry today. Seek in-network addiction treatment programs. Especially if you're looking at programs in California or Florida. I cannot stress to you enough how many "facilities" there are out there that are truly JUST sober living homes. They claim to over counseling, etc, but they actually just bus patients from their very pricey sober living home to non-facility AA/NA meetings. They bill insurance for THOUSANDS of dollars for "partial hospitalization" when other programs may only charge a thousand dollars for a month of the same level of care.
DO YOUR RESEARCH. (If you need assistance or have questions, please feel free to reach out. I am in no way an expert (or a therapist), but I am pretty familiar with the industry.)
Waiting...
Yeah, well, you should. There are MANY people who claim to be therapists, chiropractors, physicians who have never passed any kind of test or attended a program. They are liars. Avoid them.
This "bad therapist" took advantage of his "clients" -- he was supposed to be helping them kick their addictions. Instead he gave them more drugs.
This still happens in the recovery industry today. Seek in-network addiction treatment programs. Especially if you're looking at programs in California or Florida. I cannot stress to you enough how many "facilities" there are out there that are truly JUST sober living homes. They claim to over counseling, etc, but they actually just bus patients from their very pricey sober living home to non-facility AA/NA meetings. They bill insurance for THOUSANDS of dollars for "partial hospitalization" when other programs may only charge a thousand dollars for a month of the same level of care.
DO YOUR RESEARCH. (If you need assistance or have questions, please feel free to reach out. I am in no way an expert (or a therapist), but I am pretty familiar with the industry.)
August 11, 2019
Educational read. The Affordable Care Act fixes one thing (treatment for addicts) and leaves a loop hole big enough to drive an aircraft carrier through. A loop hole that causes exploitation of those addicts. (free prime read)
February 5, 2020
This is a great read and part of (mostly) solid series of short books called Exposure. 4.445 stars rounding down, only because the prose dries up and feels rushed at times. The pacing is good, the structure compelling, and the story mind boggling.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 137 reviews