James P. Leone, PhD

Claire H. 

on Birdeye

11 months ago

Yes, the whole premise of Leon’s groups was that you are deceptively, unexpectedly attacked. After being encouraged to talk about anything openly, he then encourages people attack you, and then blames the attacks on them and not him. This hurts the trust you have toward all people and outside world. You walk out of there losing trust to people. This also creates a feeling of learned helplessness. He then teaches you to accept abuse and to abuse others. So you learn abuse from him. He also personally abuses you, but makes it ... read more

Hello! 

on Birdeye

11 months ago

 I went to Leon as a group therapist and said I suk with girls and that I groped a girl in school and feel bad about it. he said the girl probably enjoyed being groped and it’s normal for boys and girl to figure out what they like at that age. I thought he wasn’t a very good therapist and was going to leave. he then says “the women in my group will go crazy over you.” so I tried it. he then encouraged a girl to ask a guy out and watch her get rejected and blamed it on me which made her mad at me. He then accused me of insert... read more

Claire H. 

on Birdeye

a year ago

A parasite who somehow slipped through the cracks and became a therapist, looking to mooch off of you and drain you to meet his personal and financial needs. Wish more people realized it.  

Jeff P. 

on Birdeye

a year ago

Yes, he seemingly exploited his position as a therapy and guilt tripped people about discussing his unethical behaviors and made them feel pressured to join and stay in his group therapy. He would call them and tell them they are missing out on 'things getting good' and would tell it is just about to happen. Playing a game of teasing every time they thought about quitting and acted like it was his job to do so. It's very messed up what he did. His whole practice.  

Claire H. 

on Birdeye

a year ago

Yes. What you experienced was not a typical mental health experience,  but more akin to a domestic violence and business fraud situation.   

Hello! 

on Birdeye

a year ago

Yes he would misconstrue what you said and use it gaslight you; misrepresented the kind of demographic who was in his groups during the initial session; would lie, humiliate, demean, and mock people and take it upon himself to do this APA prohibited unethical behavior is airing it was allegedly for your own good; untrustworthy individual with personal empathy, manipulating and abuse issues who should not have been in therapy in the first place.  

Claire H. 

on Birdeye

a year ago

Forgot to add, people stay in his group because they start wanting to be the fixer of a manipulator. Trying to change and fix the manipulator is futile. Trying to out manipulate a manipulator is futile. They like what they are doing and have no other desirable and acceptable way to operate in the world. You just make them angry and make them manipulate you in other ways. I saw people giving up and sitting in his office and thinking they are the fixer of him. I myself keep thinking I could have talked to him about him being... read more

Jeff P. 

on Birdeye

a year ago

When you brought up Jim being abusive and manipulative (by his own brazen admission!), he would get angry and shift to discussing your feelings, not because of therapy (that was a pretense), but really because his personality and behavior were inappropriate, unprofessional, unethical and he did not want people to realize that or to take appropriate action (walking out and reporting him). The focus was on you being honest, and him manipulating and abusing you. That was the dynamic he desired and was passing off as therapy.  

Jeff P. 

on Birdeye

a year ago

I went away for a group approved vacation for two weeks and Leon started blowing up my phone telling me to come back. Literal cult!