James P. Leone, PhD

Hello! 

on Birdeye

a year ago

Like a sort of PTSD-anxiety he instilled in me, that I think something bad will happen if I don't go all Leon-mode on people. And.. even for us to say we mimicked our therapist is highly inappropriate. You are not supposed to take on your therapist's personality! We never signed up for that. Shows that man had psychopath-level influence powers. Your therapist isn't your parent or peer (he tried to appear as both btw) and you aren't supposed act and live like them. This is some unique brainwashing and influence. I became ... read more

Jeff P. 

on Birdeye

a year ago

I was from mirroring him (and following his instructions) essentially being dishonest and teasing people, tricking them, just to be a dick and keep them in the dark. For a sense of power and like dumb stupid sadism. It is unnecessary and actually always unnecessary, unless you are a fake therapist trying to fool people in your office. I wonder if this sadism was to trauma bond people in a way they don't notice, accept and let you do it. I think charm and trauma bond was like his #1 goal.  

Claire H. 

on Birdeye

a year ago

I always thought he used body language and movement to distract and supplement his words. His nonverbal behaviour was often so convincing and diverting that clients didn't recognise he was being deceitful. For example, 'Leon, what you are doing is medically unethical and may be malpractice,' Leon: 'Enough X, what is this really about??' Like lip smacking, leaning back and smiling, wiggling his pen, putting up his feet - all theatrics when he was trying to win someone over or was lying and distracting the person from explorin... read more

Jeff P. 

on Birdeye

a year ago

I think Jim appears as this friendly amazing affectionate guy, who cycles like John Kerry, and does big Italian pasta dinners, likes to travel to Ireland and Martha's Vineyard. He does this amazing thing with the groups - helping transform people and teach them about life - he loves psychology and teaching as an adjunt professor of introductory psychology classes at a community college (for $5,000 per year, no benefits) - and teaches HARVARD (unpaid) psychiatry students on a drop-in clinical experiential experience basis - ... read more

Claire H. 

on Birdeye

a year ago

We became emotionally unavailable (while having predisposition to it due neurodivergence) and started to manipulate and abuse others while remaining detached. For him being emotionally distant is his natural state that he was born with and manipulation is the natural next step for him. We copied him doing both, so for us it was a learned behavior! We aren’t like him in being naturally detached, but we just learned it and copied it from him. How awful. Surely it hinders relationships but fosters superficial manipulation just ... read more

Claire H. 

on Birdeye

a year ago

Psychopathic therapist. He seems to fits the description of psychopathy almost exactly: “While psychopathy is a complex and rare personality disorder, some common traits associated with psychopathic individuals include:  - Lack of empathy and impulsivity  - Superficial charm and charisma  - Manipulative and exploitative behavior  - Grandiosity and a sense of entitlement  - Lack of responsibility and accountability  - Pathological lying and deceit  - Emotional unavailability and instability  - Prone to gaslighting and emot... read more

Hello! 

on Birdeye

a year ago

“Pseudo relationships” that are all in your mind; when a simple positive enjoyable opportunity to just hang out was possible! A psychosis induced by a psychopathic therapist! Manipulating and abusing others while remaining alienated due to not trusting or wanting people to know what’s going on in your head taught as a casual form of being through mirroring casual manipulative abuse in casual interaction. Abusing people during casual interaction - how awful and unpleasant! 

Claire H. 

on Birdeye

a year ago

a licensed group therapist who appeared very nice, said he can like read people’s minds and understands emotions better than most people, that he is sadistic, and that yes of course he manipulates his patients, would encourage you to fight with and mistreat your parents and grandparents, and teach us how to manipulate women, would lie effortlessly and manipulate every situation and conversation multiple times in the fly, and didn’t really show remorse, admitted to a history of neglectful and abusive upbringing, stated he wou... read more

Hello! 

on Birdeye

a year ago

Leon taught me borderline criminal things - to grope girls, abuse the elderly, to do malpractice to customers, mistreat children, to manipulate women for sex and to financially abuse my parents, and to beat up my dad with my hands. He said he did it and it’s normal. That fistfights with his own dad were productive. That girls like being groped. That manipulation is how you get relationships. That picking fights with people first is how you make friends with them later. I learned abuse in his group! Not joking!