James P. Leone, PhD

Claire H. 

on Birdeye

a year ago

He was a person abusing his authority as a licensed psychotherapist, and acting as a narcissist, then snaking his way out of it (by lying, playing mind games, using distractions, theatrics, gaslighting) when people confronted him. It was like clockwork. An educated client told him he is an obviously bad person and his therapy was not good and not needed, and he started attacking that person with more therapy as a distraction and to try to hook them back in.  

Claire H. 

on Birdeye

a year ago

100% cult! The snake (Leon) was building a 1970s style cult by suggesting we go to a bar and socialise with each other. He also got two group members to inter-marry. So it’s a group with an extremist group therapy ideology, alienated from friends and family, who come to have drama with each other once a week with him at the helm. Very sick and disturbing!  

Claire H. 

on Birdeye

a year ago

As a client unaware of narcissism and likely in therapy thanks to a parent or 2 being a narcissist you will be stabbed very hard in the back while the narcissistic therapist manipulates their way out of accountability. Plus there is this asinine culture where if you complain about a therapist someone will go "you didn't like what you heard" as if what you "heard" is automatically "hard truth" - when people are this thumpably stupid it's an open goal for narcissists to win by becoming therapists as if the process of training... read more

Claire H. 

on Birdeye

a year ago

Basically, we have come to this conclusion as a psychological profile of this guy. He was neglected and abused by his parents and siblings as a child - a childhood that tends to result in someone developing narcissism and psychopathy. He did not learn to relate to people normally, because nobody would listen to him in his family. Instead of communicating, he learned to manipulate people. Then he got into psychology and used manipulation on his therapy clients to fulfill his personal needs. We are not even sure he realizes th... read more

Claire H. 

on Birdeye

a year ago

Here is another lecture that explains the dynamics of what the guy seems to use on people from what I experienced and observed: https://www.youtube.com/live/hqI1FHnr1mQ?si=oZW17FxDQdPCkcuF 

Claire H. 

on Birdeye

a year ago

That guy kind of set me up to get humiliated in his groups and he did it to others too! Very ‘skillfully.’ He told me ‘the women in the group will go crazy over you’ during my initial pre-group consultation using women to try to lure me to join his cash cow group. I remember, second group, after Leone’s guidance, one group member told me, ‘I just want to bash your head off. You annoy me so much. You remind me of my ex boyfriend.' It was obvious they did not like or care for me and were saying how I annoy them and they have ... read more

Claire H. 

on Birdeye

a year ago

He copied Attack Therapy method from cults like Synnanon and used to break down and rebuild people with conduct disorder on people who did not have it. His method matches what these attack therapy groups did: invite anyone in the group to talk openly, ask for group feedback, covertly praise aggressive and abusive responses that attacked the person who spoke, the effect made worse by that person not expecting it: https://www.breakingcodesilence.org/playing-the-game/ 

Claire H. 

on Birdeye

a year ago

Other than trauma bonding, the other manipulation was the hot/cold technique he used. Hot if you open up to him. Hot if you let him control your mind. Hot if you let him basically molest and abuse you. Hot if you support incorrect things he says. Hot if you say things that support the narrative that he is an adult figure and a helpful therapist genius. Hot if you support his narrative and attack people who criticise him. I bet devoted members were inadvertently vying to get praise and support from him be basically rephrasi... read more

Claire H. 

on Birdeye

a year ago

I was programmed by this group therapist who was is a malignant narcissist. It’s like he programmed me. I have his voice in my head, think I had to explain to him that he is a bad evil influence before I could leave, and I keep copying his sadistic manipulative nasty personality even fifteen years later. It’s like a PTSD response. This has made my life so bad as after his influence I am always alienated from and bad to my family. It’s like I was convinced to have a pseudo personality and can’t go back. It’s always in me! I f... read more