A British Columbia psychiatrist has permanently given up his medical license following complaints about his treatment of PTSD patients who participated in a clinical trial of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy, CBC News reported.
Donna Dreyer, of Cortes Island, irrevocably withdrew her registration on Aug. 1 and was cited for unprofessional conduct toward female patients, according to a letter to patients from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia (CPSBC). He admitted this and received formal disciplinary action.
No disciplinary action has yet been made public, but the letter said Dreyer’s unprofessional conduct included conflicts of interest, boundary violations, and disclosing that her husband and research partner, Richard Jensen, had sex with a patient. This includes the fact that Dreyer continued to have a therapeutic relationship despite knowing about the incident.
The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), the sponsor of this clinical trial, characterized Jensen’s conduct as sexual abuse.. The patient filed a sexual assault complaint with police and confirmed in 2022 that Quadra Island RCMP recommended unspecified criminal charges, but the Crown Prosecution Service said they did not approve it.
Videos taken during patient treatment sessions in a 2015 clinical trial show Dreyer and Jensen hugging, spooning, blindfolding and holding down women who are clearly in distress. It shows what is happening. At one point, Jensen suggested that she “lie down on her side and spread her legs.” One time he lies on top of her while she moans in her pain.
The CBC agreed not to reveal the patient’s name due to the sensitive nature of the complaint, but asked the Health Professions Review Board to review the university’s handling of the case.
The patient said she strongly disagrees with the language of the university’s reprimand, which says Jensen “had a sexual relationship” with her.
“There is no such thing as consent between patient and therapist,” the patient told CBC in an email.
“Perceiving sexual assault as a ‘sexual relationship’ encourages victim blaming and implies consent in situations where consent is not possible.”
Jensen does not deny having sex with the patient, but claims it was consensual.
Patients also question the university’s decision to resolve their complaint through a consent agreement with the dryer and have not received an investigation report outlining why the university’s investigation committee resolved the complaint this way. said.
“They care more about protecting doctors’ reputations than they do about protecting patients from rape,” she argued.
A university spokesperson said in a written statement that a public notice regarding the disciplinary action will be posted online soon.
The university said officials were unable to comment on Mr Jensen’s actions as he is not registered with the CPSBC and would not comment further on the incident as it is currently under review by the Health Professions Committee. It is said that it is not possible.
Dryer did not respond to a request for comment.
Sexual assault lawsuit settled out of court
The complaint against Dryer was first filed in 2018 and took more than five years to resolve.
The patient said he entered the trial as a last-ditch effort to treat severe post-traumatic stress disorder caused by past sexual abuse and assault.
Dryer and Jensen worked as MAPS co-investigators on a Health Canada-approved Phase II clinical trial investigating the safety of MDMA, a party drug better known as ecstasy or molly, to treat PTSD.
Mr. Jensen admitted to having sex with the patient after the experimental session ended while he was still participating in the clinical trial.
In a 2018 lawsuit that was later settled out of court, she alleged sexual assault. In her response, Jensen claimed that the patient had manipulated him and caused the contact.
Because counseling and psychotherapy are not regulated in B.C., there was no university or regulatory body that could investigate what happened or consider disciplinary action against Jensen.
But the latest Standards of Practice from the BC Association of Clinical Counselors makes clear that therapists who have sex with clients are taking advantage of a power imbalance. commit sexual misconduct.The Association of Psychologists of British Columbia has similar standards and clearly states that Prohibit sex with research participants.
map Statement released in 2019 The company said Dryer and Jensen’s behavior towards their patients was unethical, and announced that they had severed all ties with the couple and agreed to pay the patient $15,000 for their treatment.
After the video of the therapy session was released in 2022, MAPS announced it had begun a compliance review of all of the couple’s efforts in the trial.
The organization has not yet responded to CBC News’ request for an update on the status of its review.
Dryer previously worked as a clinical associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of British Columbia. A UBC spokesperson confirmed on Thursday that she would no longer be at the university as of April 2022, but she said she could not comment further due to privacy laws.
