Utah social workers are struggling to come up with standards for therapists who say they have uncovered their clients' repressed memories of childhood sexual abuse.
The effort has been prompted by the Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing, which is investigating allegations that some therapists contribute to "false memory syndrome.""This is really a polarized issue," University of Utah social worker Joanne Yaffe said Friday in reporting the initial findings of a yearlong study into the phenomenon.
"The bottom line is there isn't much good research on false-memory syndrome. You can critique both sides," Yaffe said during a presentation to the annual Utah National Association of Social Workers conference.
"But we have to move beyond that if we are to protect our clients, our profession and the image of mental health services," she said.
Some therapists believe patients subjected to repeated abuse as children may repress those memories, only for the memories to emerge years later. Often those "recovered memories" are of ritual or satanic abuse.
But many other therapists dispute the authenticity of recovered memories, arguing that traumatic experiences are virtually impossible for people to block out for extended periods.
A two-year task force study authorized by former Gov. Norm Bangerter reviewed scores of allegations of satanic ritual abuse and led to a statewide criminal investigation.
The panel disbanded in 1992 without substantiating any cases of ritual abuse.
In Utah, 159 families are listed as dues-paying members of the national False Memory Syndrome Foundation, founded on the premise that there's no such thing as a recovered memory.
Yaffe said percent of the complaints against Utah therapists involve just six professionals.
David Robinson, director of the licensing division, said the agency's investigation has not resulted in any disciplinary actions. However, he said, the lack of guidelines for therapists in such cases is problematic.
Yaffe acknowledged "there are bad therapists . . . there are people out there who may be making clients worse rather than making them better."
Yaffe said her task force will develop recommendations to be distributed for comment by social workers statewide.
Robinson said he would like to see standards adopted as soon as possible so his division can get on with its investigations. But, he said, "We've got to be careful that in doing this, we don't interfere with appropriate therapy."