Response to Scott Sandland of HypnoThoughts

Scott Sandland, founder of the massive Ning-based HypnoThoughts blog community, sent us an email today declaring his disdain for our approach in exposing the degree scammers. He wrote:

Dear Scott Sandland,

None of us here at PhD Scammers care that your removed the "fake PhD" thread from your blog. We were exposing these fakes long before the thread and will continue to do so long after it's gone.

You write, "I'm a big fan of accountability and raising standards." That's a BS statement if I ever heard one, considering your own site is rampant with individuals using false credentials and you have done absolutely nothing to counter it. Thus, you are about as guilty as them because you allow it to go on. But your site is self-serving, isn't it? In providing an outlet for new and prospective people interested in hypnosis so that you can sell your product, training, and enhance your own credibility and exposure. Brilliant concept. So why alienate the frauds that contribute to your community? They only bring your more exposure. Unwitting individuals think that Dr. So and So is an expert and, thus, you have a community of experts (with phony doctorates). Too bad for the few that really have honest to goodness doctoral degrees.

Not to mention, that you have made many professional connections with those purporting to have (fake) doctorates, and you are using their name and title to enhance your own credibility, including the testimonial on your biography from Roger Moore, PhD who alleges holding a PhD in Clinical Hypnosis:

And Anne Spencer's testimonial and articles (which would NEVER be published in a scholarly publication), who is elusive about where she earned her PhD and in what field, but consistently refers to herself as Anne Spencer, PhD:

 and

 

Shame on you, Scott Sandland. You are supposed to be a shining star but you truly are just as guilty as them. Thank you, by the way, for the referrals. We'll be looking at Roger Moore and Anne Spencer on our blog shortly.

Recently, you suggested a discussion about it. A meager discussion won't fix the problem. They have been given an opportunity to redeem themselves and not a single one has taken advantage of this. They would rather go on and take their chances with their phony credentials.

These individuals need to be exposed, if anything, for the wise potential client or student that decides to conduct some background research on their prospective fraud.

We will continue to reference HypnoThoughts, if need be, as long as there are individuals claiming to have (phony) doctorates and posting as experts. We believe that will be for a very long time.