Tampa FL Hypnotist Arrested for Posing as a Doctor

"Sandra Rovhana had all the makings of a doctor. She's well-spoken, intelligent and armed with framed certificates from various institutes. She even has a quiet, calming voice and a remarkable capacity to listen intently. But, she's not a doctor. She doesn't even have a degree."


Read the full story:

http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/crime/odessa-woman-practicing-as-hypnotherapist-was-unlicensed-police-say/1089104

Former PhD Fraud Recants Fake Doctorate

Another victory was had today when we received this email from an individual who we exposed on this blog. This individual removed all references to their illegitimate doctorate on their website.  As such, we removed this same individual from our site. This is what he had to say (we have retracted his name and location information):

Gentlemen,

When I was first told by a friend that there was a site on the internet that was accusing me of using a fake doctorate, it took me several days to locate it. Once I found it, and quickly read through it, I assumed that it was from a source local to my area and that someone (an individual or small group) was very angry with me or perhaps was angry with someone closely associated with me. I saw no evidence at all that there was any way to respond directly to what seemed an un-resolvable personal attack. That was about a year ago, and, unfortunately, I did not look at your blog again until 4 days ago because I thought visiting it would only strengthen its position on the internet and draw it closer to my own internet materials. Please understand that I was fully convinced that nothing I could possibly do would ever halt the attack on my work and my character. I believed that the site (your blogspot with my picture) would remain online essentially in perpetuity, and that nobody was likely to be overseeing it other than to perhaps keep renewing it year after year. Therefore it seemed that my only possible reaction to was to do whatever I could to defend the degree, which I did for many months as you already know.

Back in 1993, I was looking for a way to get more knowledge and experience in my chosen field of hypnotherapy. At the time, I was already in possession of several proper, nationally recognized, hypnosis certifications, and was working in a professional office. When I heard about the AIH, the American Institute of Hypnotherapy and their DCH degree, I was intrigued. It sounded too good to be true, even though there was obviously a great deal of work involved. Ninety semester hours of study with the opportunity to do quite a bit of hands-on work, a chance to travel to locations where I could receive training from various prominent specialists, and the whole package was not excessively expensive.  I started with a phone call to the California State Department of Education. They assured me that the degree being offered by AIH was a real degree conferred by the State of California. It took me 4 years to complete the program, which was August of 1997. By that time AIH was under new ownership. It was clear to me that the new owners were primarily interested in promoting NLP, and they were not continuing to develop the DCH program. So things were changing pretty rapidly in a way that did not inspire my confidence. Looking back at the events of that time from a more recent perspective, it also seems clear that the serious financial problems, that were quickly sweeping the State of California toward an impending bankruptcy, were totally interrupting the process that might have taken AIH all the way to fully accredited status. I know they had been working toward that goal by steps. Had it been achieved, I believe it would have been a major breakthrough toward a more academic basis for the field of hypnotherapy in the US. I also believe that this must be achieved eventually if hypnotherapy is to reach its full potential.

My own position is simply that I highly value the education I got from AIH, but the degree itself is not that important. The WORK is what’s important to me. It’s precious. I’m certain that it’s more important than my existence in this world or yours. We all know that hypnotherapy is a legal practice throughout the United States, and a doctoral degree is not a requirement for such practice in any state. There is no question that a practitioner can get into serious legal trouble by claiming to be a medical doctor or a psychologist, or anything else, without the actual credentials. However a hypnotist can get in almost as much trouble if a client even mistakenly presumes that their practitioner is a member of one of these professions.  Every client I have seen, since restarting my practice in January of 2002, has signed a form that makes it clear that I am not an MD of any kind and I don’t have a PhD in anything. It states that hypnosis is an independent profession. While the DCH degree has apparently become problematic, I wouldn’t trade the education I obtained while pursuing it for anything. In fact, there is no accredited school in this country that offers the resources and material I was able to avail myself of during my four-year period of training and study.

This is a no-brainer. The degree is not important for me, but the work is priceless. Had I known a year ago that there was an intelligent way to respond to that blogspot with my picture on it, I would have immediately renounced all attachment to the degree. It grieves me that it took me all this time to find out (just 4 days ago) that I could do this. I fear that my reputation has been damaged. I wish I had never referred to the DCH degree in my materials, but that’s history now. I have removed all references to the degree on my website, and on all the other organization’s websites that I am affiliated with. There may be a couple of low-end sites that I have no control over, but the 2 that I could find have also been notified that I want references to me either altered or dropped completely. I have also reprinted my business cards and brochures, etc.

Raymond Roberts AKA Ray Ronson, Hypnosis Trainer in Cardiff Valley, UK - Fake PhD

We were alerted about this individual by the name of Raymond Roberts aka Ray Ronson. He operates Capital Hypnotherapy teaches hypnosis courses under the name of "Elestial Training" in Cardiff Valley, UK. 

He claims to have received an "honorary doctorate" from the Society for Information, Protection, and Education of Consumers (SIPEC-Europe) in recognition for his contribution to the spreading of knowledge and to scientific research.

Most people we know who have honorary doctorates don't actually refer to themselves a doctor. When we saw Raymond Roberts' website, our senses gathered that something didn't seem quite right. 

So we researched SIPEC. Yes, there is a SIPEC, but it appears that Raymond Roberts is the only individual who has ever claimed to have received an honorary doctorate from SIPEC. Therefore, his "contribution to the spreading of knowledge and to scientific research" must be earth shattering. Of course, we wonder what this contribution might be? Yet, there appears to be no research background in Roberts' CV. 

And, even if he did earn such a doctorate from SIPEC, we question what SIPEC's authority to issue a doctorate would be. 

We're calling this guy out as a PhD sham.

Michael Sheehan, Fake Master's Degree in Clinical Hypnotherapy, Kent UK

We've been focusing a lot on folks who have falsely claimed to have earned legitimate doctorates. However, we would also like to cast light on those who falsely claim to hold Master's Degrees.

Today we have Michael Sheehan of HypnoSpirit located in South East, Kent UK  (hypnospirit.co.uk and hypnospirit.org), of claims to hold a Master's of Science in Clinical Hypnotherapy. Of course, he doesn't state from where he earned it, nor does it matter since there are NO legitimate, accredited master's degree program in clinical hypnotherapy anywhere in the world.

From CBS News: Top Officials Hold Fake Degrees

Top Officials Hold Fake Degrees - CBS News: Assistant Secretary of Defense Charles Abell has a master's from Columbus University, a diploma mill Louisiana shut down. Deputy Assistant Secretary Patricia Walker lists among her degrees, a bachelor's from Pacific Western, a diploma mill banned in Oregon and under investigation in Hawaii. CBS News requested interviews with both officials. The Pentagon turned us down, saying, "We don't consider it an issue." But using such a degree is a crime in some states. Alan Contreras cracks down on diploma mills for Oregon, a state that's taken the lead on this issue. "You don't want somebody with a fake degree working in Homeland Security," says Contreras. "You don't want somebody with a fake degree teaching your children or designing your bridges."

Elsa Stokes. Bay Harbor Islands, FL, Fake PhD

We were alerted to this lady today. If you want to become a "Certified Angel DNA Health Practitioner," you should go see her. We thought only organic elements contained DNA. Who would have known that Angels do, too?

Perhaps she holds a doctorate in Angel Biology. But we don't know, since she is elusive with regard to what her doctorate is in or where it was earned.

By the way, she is also a "Professional Medium, Angel Therapy Practitoner, Angel Theta Healing Practitioner, Reiki Master, Shamanic Practitoner, Ordained Minister, Spiritual Teacher and Speaker."

Those credentials should speak for themselves.

PhD-Fraud Roy Hunter Speaks Out On Fake PhD and Alpha University

Today, Roy Hunter, a PhD fraud who we previously exposed, wrote an open letter on Scott Sandland's HypnoThoughts.com. Our response will be coming soon.....
                                                             
 From Roy Hunter:
----------------------

For several months now the debates have continued over whether or not to use any degrees other than those originating from a regionally accredited university. While it is a fact that some alleged degrees can be purchased without being earned, that does not make all degrees fake just because they come from lesser known institutions that may not have “regional” accreditation.

Here Roy insinuates that his so-called degree granting "institution," Alpha University (or what we call a MILL), is one of those lesser known institutions.

Contrary to personal accusations from several people posted both publicly and sent privately, I acted in good faith regarding the two PhD’s awarded to me. There was no intent whatsoever to “deceive” or use a fraudulent degree. I did what several professionals told me was both legal and ethical.

If he truly believes that his fake PhD's are legitimate, then he is an idiot. Otherwise, one must presume that he is scamming the consumer into believing that he holds a legitimate doctorate. Idiot or scam artist? You decide before you give him or his publisher your money.

However, before getting back to the topic of degrees, I wish to address two specific issues that concern me greatly:

First, several critics of so-called fake degrees have attacked my character and imputed dishonorable motives. In my opinion their caustic comments appear to try to discredit me and my work, and/or discourage people from buying my books; and some comments may constitute libel.

We are not discrediting Roy's work, ROY is discrediting Roy's work. It's not libel if it's true and we can support our facts with additional facts. Roy's argument that "several professionals told me was both legal and ethical" doesn't carry any weight, particularly in an industry overshadowed by fraudsters with fake credentials.

While I believe their personal attacks are not worthy of individual responses from me, several colleagues whom I respect suggested that I post this response for the benefit of people who are new to Hypnothoughts and not familiar with my work.

Some critics have also stated that writing books does not mean you know much, indirectly referring to me. While that may be true for some people, numerous hypnosis instructors around the world recommend my books to their students because they believe my books contain valuable information. If those who judge me so harshly walked just one month in my shoes, they might have at least a little respect for my work.

Roy attempts to divert the argument to his books. The fact remains that we are here to discuss his illegitimate degree.

Second, when hypnotists attack other hypnosis professionals rather than debating issues, it destroys unity and creates division and confusion. Over the years I’ve seen a few caustic critics drive good people away from other internet hypnosis forums. That is starting to happen here, as several of my friends no longer post on hypnothoughts because of the flame wars. We need to put a stop to that. Take your caustic criticism to the Wild, Wild West group, which I hope is in the “safe” zone without Google access.

Sure Roy. You would love more than anything to not be called out on your fake PhDs. The best thing for hypnotists to do is EXACTLY what they are already doing, which is to make it absolutely clear to you and others like you, that you are the ones who destroy unity within the profession. Your fake degrees are an abomination and hurt the entire industry.

A personal attack is NOT appropriate just because the caustic criticism is sugar coated with “kind regards” and sprinkled with a few more polite words. A flaming critic looks bad in the eyes of most of the readers rather than the person the critic attacks. It is both rude and unprofessional, so PLEASE stop the personal attacks if you wish to post on any public forum.

Roy would love to not be attacked over his fake degree. We will never stop from exposing the fraud that you are.

We need more unity even though we may have diversified opinions. We can agree to disagree on certain issues and debate them without attacking the person. My goals ever since starting my practice in 1983 have been: first, to help empower my clients;

How can you empower your clients when you misrepresent your qualifications before they even walk in your door? Do you get a thrill out of being called, "Dr. Hunter?"

second, to help improve the quality of our profession;

Again, you have done nothing but denigrate the profession with your bogus credentials.

third, to create more unity even when we have differing opinions; and fourth, to help build bridges with mainstream healthcare.

What does Roy know about building bridges with mainstream healthcare? Mainstream healthcare, consisting of doctors with legitimate doctorates, will never build bridges with hypnotists that wave their bogus doctorates.

Back to the debates over degrees: Rather than engaging in the endless debates over the use of degrees and their impact on building bridges, I am currently not using either one of my two PhD’s on my marketing materials…nor on most pages of my website. However, I currently have no intention of renouncing either one of my PhD’s.

Note that Roy wrote "either one of my two PhDs." As can be seen by the possessiveness in his statement, Roy STILL can't get over the fact that his doctorates are fake.  And he has no intention of renouncing either one of his PhDs. Clearly, Roy wants to dig his feet into the ground and wave his fake PhDs like a flag. Yet, argues that he is trying to help the profession. Can anybody see the logic in that?

Further, Roy is deceiving his readers even more when he wrote, "I am currently not using either one of my two PhDs on my marketing materials...nor on MOST pages of my website." We beg to differ. Roy's most current marketing ad for Iceland clearly shows "Roy Hunter, Ph.D."

Several years ago an attorney told me it was appropriate for me to use the degree conferred by St. John’s University, the college founded by the late Arthur Winkler that was accredited by a theological accrediting agency.

St. John's University is not an accredited university. See our research here http://fakedoctorate.blogspot.com/2012/11/roy-hunter-phd-fraud-scam-artist.html
He should ask that attorney for a refund. 

More recently, I received the following information from Dr. Conrad Adams from Alpha University regarding its legitimacy and accreditation:

"Dr." Conrad Adams is another degree fraud. See our research on this scam artist here: http://fakedoctorate.blogspot.com/2012/11/conrad-adams-phd-fraud-and-diploma-mill.html

* * * * * * *
Facts: Alpha University:

1. is a private not for profit professional membership education institute registered in Nevada and Louisiana.
2. offers adults the opportunity to finalize their formal education.
3. adheres to guidelines and standards as set forth by the U. S. Department of Education stated in 8 CFR 214.2(h)(4)(iii)(D). We are going to print the entire code for you here shortly.
4. offers its courses using a hybrid system for learning (online, correspondence, classroom combined). So?
5. is accredited by the National Accreditation for Colleges and Schools and has been since September 11, 2009. The NACS is a fake agency. See http://www.ripoffreport.com/business-consulting/national-accreditati/national-accreditation-for-col-a3e05.htm
6. degrees have been examined, evaluate and verified by California University Foreign Credentials Evaluation and determined to be equivalent to degrees awarded by regionally accredited universities and colleges in the USA. Another scam outfit. See http://www.degreeinfo.com/accreditation-discussions-ra-detc-state-approval-unaccredited-schools/27628-california-university-foreign-credentials-evaluation-issues-degrees.html

* * * * * * *
We direct your attention to our research on this degree mill. See http://fakedoctorate.blogspot.com/2012/12/alpha-university-degree-mill.html

Before jumping to conclusions, please consider the facts. I know that I am not the only person to have lost respect for several flamers on hypnothoughts. You know who you are, and if you ever want my respect, you will have to earn it through better behavior.

Let each of us find that part of ourselves that wants to help others and improve our profession by improving ourselves rather than trying to put other people down. Think twice, or even thrice before hitting the “Add reply” button.

Roy Hunter

Attorney for Travis Fox speaks out

We heard today from an alleged attorney for Travis Fox, the celebrity we ousted for falsely purporting to hold a doctorate yet, alleges to hold a doctorate in just about all of his marketing endeavors. This is what he wrote:

Gentlemen:

 

Please be advised that this office represents Dr. Travis Fox in connection with the untruthful and slanderous e-mails and your blog that you have created about Dr. Fox and his credentials.

 

In addition to the foregoing, you have put up a picture of Dr. Fox which you are not permitted to do without his written permission.  This picture must be immediately taken down and never used again.  If you do not cease and desist from using Dr. Fox's picture, then all appropriate legal action will be taken against you for a permanent injunction as well as an action for monetary damages.

 

Your blog is totally untrue and is libelous.  You must cease and desist from using this blog and/or e-mail and must stop spreading untruths and lies regarding Dr. Fox.

 

We do not know where you allegedly obtained your information about Dr. Fox, but rest assured that he has his credentials and your libelous and slanderous statements about Dr. Fox will be met with the full force of the law should you continue.

 

In conclusion, we want your blog corrected or removed completely and you can no longer use Dr. Fox's picture in any way.  This is a violation of Dr.Fox's rights and is an invasion of his privacy.

 

You can respond to this e-mail as listed. 

 

 

Very truly yours,

 

 

Our response:

 

Dear Lawyer: 

 

We have done our research and Travis Fox does not hold an accredited doctorate. Therefore, our allegations are truthful and cannot be considered as slander. We ask you, Mr. Juris Doctor, how would you -or any judge on the bench who had completed a legitimate doctoral program, feel about somebody who fraudulently misrepresents themselves as a doctor? One certainly would presume that Travis Fox would receive no sympathy from these individuals.

Further, the image that we used is in the public domain in that it was readily accessible on Google. As members of the press, we have the right to use his image for public information and we are not gaining profit from it.

 

We'll make a deal with Travis Fox. If he can prove to us that he has earned a legitimate, accredited doctorate, then we will be more than happy to remove any reference to him from this blog. This would be much more cost-effective than hiring lawyers to fight a legal battle that he is likely to lose. Heck, we'll even apologize. Until then, we're not going anywhere.

Former Client of "DR." Larry Volz Speaks Out

A former client of the PhD-fraud Larry Volz reached out to us today. They lost over $2000 on this fraudster. They requested anonymity, so we took the liberty to mask their name and email address. Read on:

I just found your blog with information on "Dr." Larry Volz  I was a client of his when he ran the American Hypnosis Clinic.  His company offered a lifetime guarantee and then about a year after I paid for a program for drug addiction, he shut the company down and opened up a new one in the same city.  

I am infuriated with the scam he pulled .  I went to him specifically because he was listed as a Dr and not many other hypnotists are Doctors. I had no idea that he wasn't a real doctor.  I have done some research on this scam artist, which I should have done before I paid him over $2000, and found out that he does not even have a masters degree.  He took a couple of master's level courses but never completed the program.  His "Master's degree" is really a "Master's level hypnosis certification" that he got in a weekend.  

I am outraged.  I also have since found out that it is against the law in Virginia for him to offer substance abuse counseling if he isn't certified by the Virginia Board of Counseling. 

http://www.dhp.virginia.gov/counseling/counseling_laws_regs.htm

But it is still listed on his new companies website as a service he offers.  

http://www.larry-volz.com/abchypnosis/Drug%20Treatment.htm

He is even running his own diploma mill training other people to be scam hypnotists like him.

http://howtobeahypnotist.net/Larry_Volz.htm

He even does hypnosis and magic shows at "adult oriented" events.  http://wickedfaire.com/pleasures

"Doc Volz" is a real scumbag. He deserves to go to jail for the frauds that he is pulling on people who were vulnerable and needed help.

Please do not publish my email address as I wish to keep my name out of this mess. I feel stupid for not doing better research at the time. 

Thanks for the work you are doing with your blog.  I really appreciate you getting the word out and helping to alert others to the slime balls out there like Larry Volz.

 

 

Paul McKenna, DJ turned Hypnotist "Earned" Fake Doctorate

Taken from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-398025/Paul-McKenna-wins-court-battle-fraud-claims--price.html

Paul McKenna wins court battle over fraud claims - at a price

Paul McKenna has won his libel battle over a claim that he had bought a bogus degree. But his success could come at a price - with even the judge publicly wondering whether it was a pyrrhic victory.
The TV hypnotist faces picking up a big slice of a £1.5million legal bill while receiving damages that could be as low as £20,000. He was also counting the cost of being exposed as a victim of a scam which saw him work for an unaccredited doctorate.

Mr Justice Eady said McKenna, 42, must bear some responsibility for a 'curious case ... (in which) both sides seem to have been determined to fight themselves to a standstill'. He added: 'What all this has achieved is open to question.'

McKenna - a former radio DJ who now runs a self-help empire with an annual turnover of £2.5million - had sued the Daily Mirror after columnist Victor Lewis-Smith accused him of boasting about having a PhD despite knowing it was fake.

The doctorate in hypnotherapy, which the TV star had gained from La Salle university in Louisiana in 1997, had been the subject of regular mocking by the Mirror, and Lewis-Smith in particular, McKenna said.

For six years he ignored the barbed comments which, he said, had made him 'a laughing stock'.
But, in October 2003, he decided enough was enough after Lewis-Smith wrote: 'I discovered that anyone could be fully doctored by Lasalle within months (no previous qualifications needed), just so long as they could answer the following question correctly, "Do you have 2,615 dollars, sir?".'
During the hearing, the High Court heard that La Salle was not officially accredited to award doctorate degrees.

Instead, it had been accredited by an organisation called the Council for Post-Secondary Christian Education - a bogus body set up by the La Salle's founder, Thomas Kirk, who later pleaded guilty to fraud.
None of this however was known to McKenna until after he got his PhD, the court was told. The hypnotist was simply one of La Salle's many 'innocent victims'.

What's more, rather than simply 'getting a degree in exchange for a cheque', McKenna had spent more than 500 hours on a 50,000 word thesis, later published in his best-selling book Change Your Life in Seven Days.

In his ruling, the judge openly questioned the value of the degree. However, he was adamant that McKenna had not tried to 'hoodwink' the court or the public when he referred to his PhD in his promotional material. He described the entertainer's performance in the witness box as 'determined, indignant, and manifestly proud of his work (whatever anybody else may think of it)'.  He concluded: 'Mr McKenna was not, in my judgment, dishonest and, for that matter, whatever one may think of the academic quality of the work, or of the degree granted by La Salle, it would not be accurate to describe it as "bogus".

'It was certainly not granted merely for money. The claimant is therefore entitled to succeed on liability.'

Lowly academic credentials

But any sense of triumph McKenna felt will be tempered by the ordeal of having had his lowly academic credentials pored over in public. Even the entertainer himself appeared doubtful as to whether the court action had enhanced his reputation.

He told Channel 4 News: 'Well, certainly, by bringing this to court - something I did not want to do - has actually put it on the radar. 'But I felt that I had no choice as I had to restore my reputation and protect the livelihood of those people that work for me. He (Lewis-Smith) did not show any signs of stopping saying these things.'

McKenna was born in Enfield, North London, the son of a builder and a home economics teacher. After leaving school with few qualifications, he began working as a DJ before joining Capital Radio in London in the mid-1980s.

His interest in hypnotism, however, soon took precedence. His television programmes, The Paranormal World of Paul McKenna and The Hypnotic World of Paul McKenna, regularly attracted 12million viewers, and he acquired a raft of celebrity clients such as Sophie Dahl, David Beckham and Tara Palmer-Tomkinson.

He now lives in West London with a fortune in excess of £ 10million and hosts weight-loss and corporate leadership seminars which sell for up to £7,000 a ticket.

Although now single, his former girlfriends include GMTV's Penny Smith, golfer Colin Montgomerie's ex-wife Eimear and former fiancÈe, Claire Staples, who now works as his manager.
The case cost McKenna an estimated £5million in lost earnings because poor ticket sales led to the cancellation of tour dates.

The Daily Mirror was ordered to pay costs estimated in excess of £1.5million. But Mr Justice Eady indicated that McKenna may have to pick up some of his own expenses if they are deemed to be unreasonable for the newspaper to cover.

Damages will be decided in October and are expected to be between £20,000 and £50,000.
The Mirror said: 'We are disappointed with today's judgment but given that the case has yet to conclude, it would not be appropriate to make any further comment at this stage.'

Wyoming fights diploma mill website

Wyoming fights diploma mill website: The state of Wyoming is pursuing legal action to stop a Cheyenne-based website that offers degrees in medicine, cosmetic dermatology, law and teaching based on life experiences. The website, www.degreeinaday.com, says it offers associate to master’s degrees for $195-$360. The complaint asks the defendant, Right Price Registration LLC, to stop operating as an unregistered institution in Wyoming and to remove all references to Wyoming from its websites and promotional materials. Repeated calls to Degree in a Day's Cheyenne phone number by the Star-Tribune were unanswered. Calls to the listed phone number for Alex Callan, the registered owner of the domain name, and Right Price Registration rang to a fax or modem.

Richard Bandler, Co-Founder of NLP - PhD Fraud and Acquitted Murder Suspect

Richard Bandler, who is accredited with co-founding Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP), claims to have earned a doctorate. NLP was allegedly intended to understand and change human behavior-patterns. Many will argue that it's just a sham and is merely a money-making tool for those who teach it. But judging the validity of NLP is not why we're here. Let's talk about his fake doctorate.

On his website at richardbandler.com, and in numerous other locations, he refers to himself as Dr. Richard Bandler. However, we cannot find one confirmed source indicating what his doctorate is in or from where it was earned.  A Wikipedia article states that once he even identified himself as holding a doctorate in a seminar in Konstanz, Germany, and testified to such in a court in 2000. His fake doctorate was also corroborated in a 1989 article published in Mother Jones Magazine,  where "Bandler blamed his fictional Ph.D. on promoters, even though he is repeatedly identified as "Dr. Bandler" in a book he published." See http://www.american-buddha.com/bandler.method.htm

Having researched more about Bandler, we were shocked to see that Bandler was tried for the murder of his NLP student, Corine Christensen. After almost six hours of deliberation, Bandler was acquitted and the murder has still not yet, officially, been solved.

Many thanks to Richard Clark of HypnoThoughts, the Hypnosis Practitioner Training Institute, and California Mental Health Counseling Associates for alerting us about Mr. Bandler.

A Message From Richard Clark

We received a delightful email today from Richard Clark, who accused us of being "every bit as big a liar and fraud as anyone you write about."

Thank you, Mr. Clark, for confirming that everybody we have written about is "a liar and a fraud." Richard Clark is a licensed counselor in California. Yes, people actually go to this chump for help with their own problems. Sounds like he needs some counseling for himself.

In case any of our readers don't know who Richard Clark is, he is also Scott Sandland's right hand man. He operates the California Mental Health Counseling Associates in San Pedro, CA. We have outed several people that Mr. Clark is associated with, particularly the fake PhD "liars and frauds" that will be presenting at the HypnoThoughts Live conference that he is throwing together with Scott Sandland. So we give thanks to Richard Clark for further confirming that what we said about the frauds is true.

You see, Richard Clarke happens to be the Chief Operating Officer and instructor for Scott Sandland's Hypnosis Practitioner Training Institute. He is also a moderator on Sandland's HypnoThoughts blog.

We find it interesting that Mr. Clarke would like us to out that Mr. Richard Bandler as a fraud. Since the Hypnosis Practitioner Training Institute offers a "course" on NLP, a widely used approach that Bandler is credited with co-founding. We presume that, since you consider a co-founder of NLP a fraud then perhaps your course, "Introduction to NLP," is also based on a sham principle. Thanks for the tip, Richard. We'll get right on that.

Richard Clark wanted to see if we are "all hot air" and dared us to post this. Well, we did. And our next post will be to oust Richard Bandler as a Doctor of PhD Fraud.

So we ask the question of Mr. Clark, what makes us "a liar and fraud?" By bringing to the spotlight all of the persons who falsely use unearned titles to enhance their credibility? Many of these people who are your personal friends and business associates? We understand your anger, but perhaps you should direct it at those frauds who denigrate your profession.

--------------------------
From Richard Clark, it's title was "Let's see if you are all hot air.":

Readers respond to Scott Sandland blog

I've never met Scott Sandland but a friend of mine just graduated from his school.  From what I've heard and seen from her, that is one demanding program.  She studied her ass off almost every week for a year.  I'm talkin 20 hours of work minimum every week.  She was stressed about finals for most of the classes.  they had live class two or three times a week on top of the 7-10 hours of recorded video and the books they had to read and assignments (papers, videos, etc).

At one point I asked her what kind of certificaiton she was gonna get for all her hard work.  She told me the school taught her that all the titles in the hypnosis industry are bullshit and so she wasn't doing it for letters after her name.  

I trust her opinion and she says scott and richard clark are working their asses off to help them, even after they've graduated.  They helped all the students get internships with hypnotists, psychologists, counselors, and probably a few other things I don't know about.  I've never heard of a hypnosis school doing this, and now I wish I had done the program with her because she got all that on a partial scholarship for like a thousand bucks.  I paid $800 for a week long class that didn't teach a thing and had back of the room sales.   

So like I said I don't know Scott, but I am a hypnotist who has benefited from hypnothoughts.com and know people who have benefited from his school.  I've never seen him promote or endorse a PhD.  It's pretty unfair of you to blame him because other people are assholes.  

I guess I should have just made this one sentence long though:  Yeah, you are being too hard on Scott Sandland.

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 Scott Sandland is perpetuating the use of fake doctorates in hypnosis. Just look at the most current ad by Roy Hunter for his workshop in Iceland (displayed on the right hand side of HypnoThoughts). Click on it and it will take you to Roy Hunter's page where he proudly boasts his non-accredited fake PhD.

If Sandland actually cracked down on this and stood by his ethical word, these folks wouldn't be able to con others with fake doctorates, and use, his HypnoThoughts blog to do it. He is absolutely guilty by association. He's inviting these loons to present at his conference.

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Hmm, holding someone responsible for the actions of someone else is kind of a grey area. It's sort of like holding godaddy responsible for hosting phony websites (i.e. sites by the people who claim to have fake PhDs).

Though it's true he might be viewed as an accessory to fraud, is he a fraudster himself? Do you want to take your site in the direction of pointing the finger at everyone involved in perpetuating a single, disreputable person's actions? It seems to me the list of accessories would be never ending (and 6 degrees of separation might actually start hitting close to home).

I have no clue who Scott Sandland is, so I really don't care about the outcome either way. But I do wonder if the people called out on your blog are providing good content on Scott's site. If so, I can understand Scott not wanting to start calling these people out on his own site. It's almost a catch-22 situation for him:

If he calls them out, his site may start to lose credibility (making it known he has scammers on his site). 

If he doesn't, you will continue discrediting him, with the same results.

Unless he, himself, is claiming fake credentials, I lean towards letting some of the pressure off of him. If he really does support your missing, then exposing those individuals that are somehow associated with him will all work itself out in the long run.

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Thank you for your efforts in exposing all these fake doctors of hypnotherapy.

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I wonder what it's like for Scott to know that there is a website having people basically vote on his quality of character.  I don't know how I would react if people who never met me got to decide if I was ethical or not.  What a weird concept.

thanks again for doing all the work

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I'm writing in response to your request.  I think that person who said Scott is a good guy is right on the money.  Like I said before to you in a previous email, he is the reason I stopped using my unaccredited PhD.  He was calm and respectful in his conversation with me about them.  Some of us will learn better from him than from you.  You make it a fight, he makes it an education.  I'm not here to tell you if one is better than the other.

You can't fault him for knowing people who do something you disagree with.  That's like hating one politician because another one lied.  His website has no standards and is free for anyone to use.  Every single hypnosis conference in America has presenters with fake PhDs.  That's a problem with hypnosis, not Scott.  

Whoever wrote that email to you has a lot of good points.  

You are telling people you don't like the way they run their businesses.  Scott told you he didn't like the way you run your business.  The only difference is he was brave enough to use his real name and had enough respect to tell you directly.  Scott's biggest problem is he keeps expecting other people to act with the same level of respect and integrity that he does/has.  Your treatment of him is a perfect example of that.  

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The person who's email you just published is absolutely right.  You've misrepresented Scott to an amazing degree.  Very few hypnotists have worked harder to build more bridges with the licensed health care practitioners.  The guy is barely 30 years old and he's taking pay cuts to help people older than his parents build their businesses.  Who else in this field brings in other hypnotists to meet doctors and dentists in clinics?  Who else has presented at Medical schools?  Who else is turning down money to do what he thinks is right?  If he was in it for the money, do you really think his school would cost $2,000 for a full year that he gives away 50% of before expenses?

Scott could have sold out and made big bucks a couple times.   He's trying to work with the decision makers and industry leaders instead of fighting with them.  You have chosen controversy and fighting.  Your tactics are based on hiding your true identity and scaring people to change.  Scott is the opposite of you.  He's being an example of a person willing to put his name on things and build people up.  He encourages people to be better.  I'm sure he isn't perfect and if you dig you can find mistakes in anyones past, but guilt by association is the best you've really been able to do with him.  

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Are We Being Too Hard On Scott Sandland?

We received an email today in defense of Scott Sandland, the proprietor behind the HypnoThoughts website. I'd like to share it with our readers and see what you think. We would love your replies. If we decide to publish it, your privacy is assured.

This particular reader, whose privacy we will keep, suggests that Sandland is a good guy, who does not condone the use of fake credentials.  We disagree. Sandland continues to associate with several persons, on both his blog site as well as his HypnoThoughts Live! conference, who falsely claim to have doctorates, including Roy Hunter, Nancy Barwick, Roger Moore, Anne Spencer, Bob Otto, Melissa Tiers, Marla Brucker, William Mitchell, and Shelley Stockwell. If these individuals are truly as good as their word, they would not need to pretend (aka scam other to believe) that they have earned a doctorate.

Here's the email. What do you think?

Hi,

  I'd like to start by saying thank you for creating this site.  I've been in the field for about ten years and can't stand the fake degrees that people promote.  A couple years ago I considered doing something similar to your site, but never followed through.  I don't think I would have put in the research you have.   I hope more people will reconsider their claims because of this movement.

So here is my constructive criticism.  Your posts about Scott Sandland seem personally motivated and seem like a distraction from the good work you are doing.  I re-read his email to you that seems to have upset you, and found it interesting.  He may disagree with your priorities and tactics, but he certainly agrees with and supported your goal.  he even said he was excited about the idea of your site and was dissapointed when he read it.  Disapointed means he wants it to work!  I know hypnothoughts allows people to put their phoney credentials after their name, but that site has slammed conrad adams and alexander regal and a few other people you've mentioned on your blog.

I met Scott two years ago at a conference and was impressed.  He's sincere in his commitment to helping the profession of hypnosis and is willing to take a pay cut to help hypnotists learn.  He's not a fraud like the other people on your site.  He's never received, given, sold, or claimed to have a PHD.  The man seems honest and congruent to me (and I can spot a bull shitter).

So I did a little homework.  His name is not on Alpha University's site.  I don't know when or why or how it was removed, but it isn't there.  I couldn't find the quotes you grabbed from his website either, I didn't do a deep search though.  And let's be honest, that's pretty nit-picking compared to these other people.  I noticed he doesn't use credentials on the site for the hypnothoughts conference and the instructors at his school have legitimate PHDs (except for Roy Hunter, who I think teaches with a psychologist or something like that).  Actually, the school was so impressive that after looking into it I'm now thinking about taking the neurology class.

what he's doing may not be the way you would do it, but he's solving a lot more problems than he causes.  he's not a fraud.   I wonder if you resented his email and have been going after him -more than anyone else on this site- as retaliation for his email or something like that.  Of all the people to focus on, you've picked a person who is actually on your side.

I don't think I'm out of line in saying all this.  My goal is the same as yours.  I want you to keep naming and shaming the people who lie and deceive others about their credentials.  when you slip in the comments about scott it comes across as personal and out of place.  Please don't be distracted away from the liars.  There's plenty more for you to expose.

thanks for taking the time to read this,

Thank you for your support!

We wanted to take a moment to thank you for your support. There is clearly a silent majority of people who, like us, believe that using fake credentials does nothing more than undermine the hypnosis, wellness, alternative healing professions. If the scammers had any idea how many emails we receive daily showing their support, and how fast this blog is catching on all over the world, they would be shocked. Some may even recant their fake degrees, and some have. Yet, some still continue to press forward with their sham (see Roy Hunter).

We are also grateful for the support of those who wish to publicly acknowledge our blog, such as http://www.tranceforms.co.uk/fakedoctorates.php, who wrote:

People Who Have Fake Doctorates Blog

I love this blog, and you should you too if you think that it's wrong to claim to be something you're not. It's all so they can look more ‘professional’ and, therefore, important, but the bottom line is that they are scamming the public. There's too many liars, thieves, charlatans and scumbags about in our lives as it is to have those that offer ‘trust’ to be a part of it too. They should be ashamed of themselves but many argue about it with the blogger! Disgusting. Go take a look for yourself: http://fakedoctorate.blogspot.uk

Roy Hunter Still Going At It With His Fake PhD

Despite being aware of our blog, Roy Hunter is still going at it by scamming others with his fake Ph.D -and with the help of Scott Sandland's HypnoThoughts blog at that. Just recently, Roy Hunter advertised a training in our beautiful home of Reykjavik where he qualifies himself as "Roy Hunter, Ph.D." Where did he advertise this? On HypnoThoughts, of course. Yes, there you have the so-called [un]"ethical" Scott Sandland and the so-called [un]"ethical" Hypnosis Practitioner Training Institute, once again supporting this no-degree scammer.

"Train with the master himself," he writes. Yes, he is the master -of degree scams.

We have previously highlighted Roy Hunters indiscretions here at http://fakedoctorate.blogspot.com/2012/11/roy-hunter-phd-fraud-scam-artist.html.

We find it a unique opportunity to highlight Roy Hunter's scam while he is here in Iceland. We are considering picketing and alerting the media to this shammery.

Carol Look, New York, NY, Fake PhD for the EFT

We would like to bring to our spotlight, Ms. Carol Look of Attracting Abundance in New York, NY. Carol is a the so-called EFT Master. EFT means "Emotional Freedom Technique," which is a procedure tapping on one's own supposed meridian points while reciting affirmations out loud. If you want to believe in it, go for it, because we're not here to debate its efficacy. Instead, we're here to point out that Carol proclaims to have earned a Doctorate in Hypnotherapy. Readers of our blog know that there is no such degree anywhere in the world. So, here's your "leading voice" in the EFT community, a bonafide PhD con artist. Take a look at just the first page of a Google search to see all the people she's conned into believing she's a doctor:

Hena Husain - Sterling Heights, Michigan - PhD FAKE

Hena Husain of Balance4Life in Sterling Heights, MI claims to have earned a doctorate in Behavioral Science from Alpha University. Readers of this blog know that there is no such university (See http://fakedoctorate.blogspot.com/2012/12/alpha-university-degree-mill.html). She cons others into thinking she has a doctorate and then trains them to become hypnotists for organizations such as the International Association of Counselors and Therapists and the International Medical and Dental Hypnotherapy Association (both owned by Bob Otto, who is another fake PhD scammer, See http://fakedoctorate.blogspot.com/2012/12/robert-otto-owner-of-imdha-and-iact.html).

Husain is a proud member of these supposedly "ethical" organizations:

Clinical Care Network Professional Group 
Medical Office Managers Association 
National Guild of Hypnotists 
American Board of Hypnotherapy, IACT and IMDHA 
The Greater West Bloomfield Chamber of Commerce 
Local Business Network (LBN) 
The Pakistani Women's Association of Michigan

Wayson Lee, PhD Fraud, Strikes Back...Or Tries To

A while ago, we wrote about Wayson Lee from Washington, DC, who FALSELY claimed to have earned a PhD, a Doctor of Clinical Hypnosis. See http://fakedoctorate.blogspot.com/2012/11/wayson-lee-washington-dc-fake-doctorate.html

He sent us a series of emails last night ranting about how he "never got a gig based on 'degree.'" And that doctors "suck" at their profession. Well, Mr. Wayson Lee, it is quite clear that, if your "abilities shine through" like you claim, then you would have no need to misrepresent your academic qualifications. You are NOT a doctor of anything. It is quite clear that you are lying about having a PhD in order to increase your own credibility.

We don't have the time to write about Wayson Lee's rants about Iceland, so we'll just publish his rant for you.

Dorothy Neddermeyer, Phoenix & Scottsdale, Arizona - FAKE DOCTORATE

Dorothy Neddermeyer of Genesis Consultants located in Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona falsely claims to have earned a PhD. Just like many of the other perpetrators we have identified, Neddermeyer conveniently leaves out the details such as from where she earned her "PhD" and in what field.

Mary Sidhwani of Ellicott City, Maryland = FAKE DOCTORATE

Mary Sidhwani is another non-doctors proclaiming, at every possible opportunity, that she holds a doctorate. Our first red flag was that she claims to have earned a "Masters in Clinical Hypnotherapy." Readers of this blog know well and clear that there is no such degree anywhere in the world. Yes, there are many degree mills who will sell you a piece of paper that reads "Masters in Clinical Hypnotherapy." However, it's worth as much as the paper that it's written on.

Next, Mary Sidhwani claims to be a psychotherapist. We researched this with the Maryland Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists at https://mdbnc.dhmh.md.gov/pctVerification/

As we suspected, there is nobody by the name of Sidhwani anywhere in Maryland licensed to work as a psychotherapist.

Finally, in every web search pertaining to Mary Sidhwani, where she claims to have earned a Doctorate in Counseling Psychology and Psychotherapy, she completely (and conveniently) omits the name of the institution from where she supposedly earned said degree.

Marianna Lead, New York - FAKE PhD!

Marianna Lead of the Goal Imagery Institute in New York is another one of those people who never earned a doctorate (and from what we can tell, it looks like she's also never even earned a bachelor's degree), yet LOVE to call themselves "Dr." at every possible opportunity.

She is apparently a "trainer" for the International Coach Federation and the International Association of Counselors and Therapists (right up there with one of the most notorious fake PhD's, Robert Otto).

As is the case with many of these scam artists, Marianna Lead fails to cite where any degrees were earned, or in what field. Readers of our blog know that this one of the red flags to look for when considering hiring or training with such an individual.

Hypnotist renounces fake PhD from Alpha University

Another well-known hypnotist and teacher of hypnosis from the UK, has renounced his scam PhD he supposedly earned from "Alpha University," thanks to our blog.

Of course, he does so kicking and screaming.

On his Facebook page, he wrote:

IMPORTANT - PLEASE READ FULLY!

I hereby fully renounce the 'Doctorate in Philosophy in Behavioural Sciences' that I announced a few months ago.

This was NOT a 'bought degree'. On the contrary, I had submitted in excess of 200,000 words to what I had been led to believe was a private but bona fide university in Louisiana for their PhD programme. I was assured that the submission would be externally validated by California University and everything seemed genuine. The papers I subsequently received looked authentic, were complete in every detail, and included degree certification from both universities, transcripts, course details, evaluation reports and everything else you would expect.

Only a dimwit would think they can submit a "paper," regardless of how many words, and receive a valid doctorate. In a typical academic doctoral program, there are years of course work in your field and in also research methodology prior to even proposing a research paper. Once a paper is proposed, then it has to be approved by a committee, researched, submitted, and defended.

However, the recent attacks on my integrity and honesty led to me spending many hours investigating the situation. Smoke screens abound but I eventually discovered that the issuing university...

why don't you just say Alpha University?

...in Louisiana is a correspondence address (either that or it's a small office shared by several independent companies), the 'California University' is NOT the same place as the University of California (in fact, it's another correspondence address, albeit in 'University Tower, Campus Drive') and the 'validation office' appears to be a daycare centre for children. Therefore, in my opinion, this 'degree' is completely without value or credibility and I have returned all the papers to the issuing address.

I am now left with a feeling that I need to set the record straight. I do NOT hold a PhD. (My 'MCGI' from City & Guilds is the genuine article, however).

In my defence, I will say that there were many good reasons for me to accept the validity of this PhD programme, though they are not for discussion on a public forum.

Ignorantia juris non excusat.

Fight back! Post our blog everywhere!

We received word that some of the sleaze bag degree frauds identified here are trying hard to bury our blog by lowering our Google rankings. Please help us fight back by posting our blog URL: http://fakedoctorate.blogspot.com/  everywhere you can.

It's simple. Use Google and find similar sites (fake academic credentials aren't just limited to the hypnosis profession). In the comments section, post our URL. Be sure to include something relevant so it doesn't come across as spammy.

We realize that many of you are concerned about your identities. Simply go to Gmail and create an entirely unique email account for yourself. It's that simple.

Happy posting!

Another UK-Based PhD Fraud Renounces Bogus Degree

The individual wrote to us today and stated:

"I have been informed that I appear on your blog as having a fake doctorate. It should be noted, that when I was awarded my DCH, the American Institute of Hypnotherapy enjoyed state approval from California which I believed to be adequate oversight for the qualification. My PhD was awarded under similar circumstances with the assurance that accreditation was being worked on, and whilst this organisation did gain accreditation, they had to drop their PhD programme as part of the accreditation agreement. I ceased using that qualification, some years before I ceased using the DCH."

There is a saying that goes something like: Ignorantia juris non excusat. In other words, ignorance of the law is no excuse. It's not rocket science to figure out that a degree program is not legitimate, so we will proceed with any such excuse as just that -an excuse.

However, we acknowledge that this individual has removed any reference to themself as a Dr. or PhD on their website. We also acknowledge that, thanks to years of cross-pollination on the internet, it will be difficult, if not cost-prohibitive or impossible, to eliminate such references from sites not under the individual's control.

Holding to our agreement, with have removed this individual from our blog.

Another PhD Faker RIghts The Wrong

We received word that a hypnotist in Michigan, USA had renounced the fake PhD they supposedly "earned" from Alpha University. The excuse was, "I didn't know it wasn't an accredited degree."

While we swiftly take that lame excuse and discard it with as much effort as it took to earn the supposed degree, we accept that the person indicated had removed any self-reference to "PhD" or "Dr." on their website or marketing materials.

As such, this individual was removed from our blog.

We will, however, continue to follow up on these individuals as we have been made aware that this individual, and the UK-Based individual who we last reported to have taken steps to clear their name, are still closely involved with Conrad Adams, leader of the Alpha University scam, and plan to offer trainings in conjunction with the Alpha University scam outfit in the UK.

APHP Chairman and Others Renounce their PhDs

An interesting thread surfaced recently on the hypnosis blog site, HypnoThoughts.com, entitled, "APHP Chairman and Others Renounce their PhDs: Start of the End of Exaggerated Credentialing?"

We wonder how long this thread is going to last before Scott Sandland decides to pull the plug.

See http://www.hypnothoughts.com/forum/topics/aphp-chairman-and-others-renounce-their-phds-start-of-the-end-of

Roy Hunter, a recipient of the prestigious (fake) doctorate degree, wrote:

"I believe this is a dangerous topic to discuss, as many people throw out the baby with the bathwater in their attempts to do housecleaning.
There is a huge difference between earning a degree, whether regionally accredited, non-accredited, or accredited by an agency that is not on the same level as a major university's regional accreditation."

Clearly you are oblivious to the fact that a "degree" that is "earned" from a non-accredited "university" or "agency" (as you write), is NOT A DEGREE. It is a piece of paper that means absolutely NOTHING.

"An accreditation attorney told me over a decade ago that it was legal to display non-accredited degrees that were earned unless prohibited by state law. For example, the DCH cannot be used in Florida, but it would be allowed if Florida (rather than California) had approved that degree as a non-accredited degree."

Of course you can display your non-accredited "degree" on your wall. Just like you can hang a photograph, a portrait, or a poster. It is when you mislead others into believing you are a doctor (which Mr. Roy Hunter has done), then it is unethical, immoral, and in some places, criminal.
 
"While I do not personally have a DCH..."

Really? What about the phony doctorates you supposedly earned from St. John's University and Alpha University? See http://fakedoctorate.blogspot.com/2012/11/roy-hunter-phd-fraud-scam-artist.html


"...several of my former students worked many hours to earn that non-accredited designation from Al Krasner's organization...which I was told was approved as a non-accredited degree by the State of California. So would I be out of line advising my former students NOT to use a designation they worked for?"

No, Roy Hunter. You would not be out of line for advising former students NOT to call themselves a doctor when they haven't earned a doctorate. In fact, that would make you an ethical person. Since you have no idea what the word "ethics" mean, then it is no wonder why you continue to use your own phony doctorate and tell others to do the same. Doing some sort of work, which I'm sure was nowhere close to being on par with any legitimate degree program anywhere in the world, does not give an individual the right to claim false credentials. 

"I applaud the integrity of Terence Watts, both personally and professionally. However, let's not over-react, as some good people might get hurt.
Roy Hunter, flawed human
PS: My work speaks louder than any credentials."

Go ahead and continue to speak your meaningless rhetoric, Roy Hunter. If your work speaks louder than your credentials, then it would be easy to stop using your phony doctoral credentials."