James P. Leone, PhD - Cambridge, MA

Jimmik 

on Healthgrades

a year ago

Most people who stayed in Leotard's group won't know how exactly it affected them. "Good therapists won't try to control or manipulate you to get you to do what they think you should do or what they want you to do. Good therapists don't provide care without informed consent. This means they need to make sure you understand what you're signing up for from the beginning." Yeah, I think he did a lot of lying in that group. He just took the liberty of being manipulative because he is just that confident of a therapist. Which, im... read more

Joe 

on Healthgrades

a year ago

This explains too, how Leon played on me and others being narcs, making us prominent in the group and playing on our desire to be his sidekick and enforce the group onto the members who are thinking of leaving, and it is initially because we want connection and are passionate about the pretend reasons of the club (therapy): Great post by someone here... 'The stereotypical narcissist joins the cult only if he gets a prominent position ,like the sidekick to the cult leader etc where they get to lorde it over a large number of ... read more

Patient 

on Healthgrades

a year ago

Speaking for myself I am surprised to see negative reviews of Jim's work. I have worked with Jim for more than 30 years off and on. I have participated in 3 different groups and seen him off and on for individual therapy. While there were times he would say things to me that I did not want to hear, in retrospect they were always things I needed to hear. This is, after all, what therapy is all about. After thirty years, the relationship between a therapist and a patient is by definition going to be strong. Jim has reinforced ... read more

Figured out what happened 

on Healthgrades

2 years ago

"THE PSYCHOLOGY OF THE CULT EXPERIENCE", NYT: "Many cult groups have developed basically similar and quite compelling conversion techniques for exploiting the vulnerabilities of potential converts.. such groups have taken techniques from the human-potential and humanistic-psychology movements, and combined them with cult ideology and persuasive sales methods - and packaged them in various combinations..Often they set up a we-they philosophy: We have the truth and you do not..the patient is placed in a panicky, disoriented st... read more

Anonymous 

on Healthgrades

3 years ago

Again, to add to my previous review, the reason what he teaches is bad is that it is not kind to people, hurts people's feelings so much, that any change that the methods supposedly will bring are not worth the emotional damage and are not wise in the long run, because they will damage the relationship between the two people probably traumatizing both of them in the process. He uses unknown methods without us knowing, gets us to act in ways that don't feel right, and are in fact a very poor and unwise ways of acting. He let ... read more

2 year patient, warning others 

on Healthgrades

3 years ago

Unlike whoever wrote the last FIVE reviews, all within two weeks, I was actually in Dr. Leone’s group. I saw him individually twice per week, and in group once per week.. Previous reviewers were right. His therapy was traumatic. If not for the pressure I received from well-intended family, not to mention Dr. Leone’s own hard-sell tactics (think cult leader), I would have left after 1 or 2 months. Dr. Leone encourages people to speak abusively to each other, not assertively. I heard him refer to a squabble between two very hu... read more

Animate 

on Healthgrades

3 years ago

My work with Dr. Leone began years ago in individual therapy and, for a year or more, group therapy. He was helpful and insightful from the beginning and helped me change my life. Over the ensuing 30 years I returned at times when life hit a rough patch and always found the help I needed from a trusted resource. 

Anonymous 

on Healthgrades

3 years ago

Dr Leone is a skilled experienced therapist who has helped me grow over a decade of individual and group therapy. He has the ability to help one grow through insights that are most often gently arrived at with an occasional slight push. I am indebted to him for the help he has provided me on my journey the last ten years 

Anonymous 

on Healthgrades

3 years ago

I have been a patient of Dr. James Leone in both individual and group therapy. He helped me build relationships and sustain them throughout my young adult life and into making my own family here in the US. I am forever grateful. The group therapy under Dr. Leone’s guidance was a powerful tool for change, most of the learning occurs from interactions with other group members. Dr. Leone gently guides, and for the most part lets the group members do the work. Thanks Dr. Leone.