Home
National Association for Rights Protection & Advocacy (NARPA) Annual Meeting
Dispute Goes Public: International Center for the Study of Psychiatry and Psychology (ICSPP)
Update2: For years, ICSPP has been one of the main networking organizations for dissident psychiatrists, psychologists, mental health professionals, allies and others to question mental health system. ICSPP is a sponsor group in MFI. Psychiatrist Peter Breggin founded ICSPP. In 2002, Dr. Breggin announced he was turning over stewardship of ICSPP to new leadership. However, apparently Dr. Breggin disagreed with a decision by the ICSPP board of directors. In April 2010 he suddenly redirected the ICSPP web site to a new, personal effort of his own. The ICSPP board of directors has issued the below public statements in response. [Update2 on 4 Sept. 2010]
The ICSPP board voted to affirm Toby Watson, PhD as Executive Director of ICSPP.
In a dispute between activists, it's important for someone to focus on the facts, which we've tried to do here.
Bottom line of the news here: ICSPP (International Center for the Study of Psychiatry and Psychology) has a new web site.
For the brand new ICSPP web site click here:
Background in brief
The reason for ICSPP's new web site, is that their founder and former board member Dr. Peter Breggin was the one to obtain the original web address years ago.
This last year, Dr. Breggin has had a dispute with the ICSPP board, a board he has not been on for many years.
Because of the dispute, Dr. Breggin suddenly redirected ICSPP's web address to his own new web site.
ICSPP maintains that according to their corporate records, Dr. Breggin obtained the original web address for the express purposes of the nonprofit organization ICSPP.
As that domain name dispute grinds on, ICSPP has a new web site, and MindFreedom covered this news.
Dr. Breggin and his wife Ginger contacted the MindFreedom office requesting that this news item below, with ICSPP's statement, be taken down from the MindFreedom web site.
Said David Oaks, director of MindFreedom, "We at MindFreedom International are not involved in this dispute, though ICSPP is a long-time great sponsor group in MindFreedom International's Support Coalition. We are focusing on just covering the basic undisputed facts, especially for those who are trying to reach ICSPP and may be confused about these confusing web address changes. Therefore we are leaving this news item up on the MFI web site."
Oaks added, "If anyone finds an error in our news coverage, let us know. In the meantime, the people we serve are survivors of abuse in the psychiatric system. It's in their public interest to have transparency and full news information, such as how to reach the very-important advocacy group ICSPP, and why that may now be more difficult for the public. On a personal note, Dr. Breggin has been a hero of mine, and a long time friend. I can only hope he understands our decision to publish the facts, because we both have a dedication to the truth, especially when that truth impacts our constituency, survivors of psychiatric abuse."
Those interested in more details, can go through the updates and two ICSPP public statements below.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Update2 - 4 September 2010: Dr. Breggin has held on to the ICSPP's web address, which was originally obtained by him for use by ICSPP according to their own corporate minutes. In addition, Dr. Breggin's new web site has no link to ICSPP on it, and he's created new words for their acronym. ICSPP has issued it's own statement, copied below.
To read a blog entry on 30 April by David W. Oaks, Director of MindFreedom International, about the ICSPP dispute, click here.
To read ICSPP's statements on their web site click here.
July 7, 2010 - Statement from ICSPP BOARD OF DIRECTORS
ICSPP Statement Regarding Website Change & ICSPP Name and Website Confusion
On April 22, 2010, International Center for the Study of Psychiatry and Psychology, Inc., hereinafter, referred to as ICSPP, issued a statement regarding the then recent, unauthorized, redirection of ICSPP's url (www.icspp.org) by Dr. Peter Breggin to a new organization he has formed. This unauthorized redirection and disassociation from ICSPP by Dr. Breggin occurred immediately after the ICSPP's Board of Directors expressed broad support for the International Executive Director, whereby the board agreed to revisit Dr. Breggin's dissatisfaction in October, 2010. ICSPP maintains it' original core principal values and mission statement.
Since the above statement was released, ICSPP contacted the url provider and informed them that ICSPP is the rightful owner of the url and domain name. In turn, the company without ICSPP's permission redirected the url to a general pro psychiatric medication and biological illness mental health page. Unfortunately, as is policy with these situations, the url company told only Dr. Breggin they planned to freeze the url for 30 days, but did not tell ICSPP about the 30 day deadline. During that time, ICSPP attempted to resolve with Dr. Breggin the taking of the website url. ICSPP expressed willingness to allow a shared, one-page visitors' website link with Dr. Breggin so that visitors to the original www.icspp.org would be redirected to either ICSPP's new website url (www.icsppOnline.org) or to one of Dr. Breggin's new websites.
Unfortunately, Dr. Breggin has not returned control of the url and has not created the joint page. Instead, after the 30 day freeze, Dr. Breggin decided to redirect the url to yet another new organization; however, this time he now is using the ICSPP acronym, a spin off ICSPP's name. This has led to massive confusion when visitors are trying to reach the real ICSPP, but are directed to Dr. Breggin's mock ICSPP instead.
The public is finding it confusing that Dr. Breggin also is promoting a Syracuse, NY conference like ICSPP has been for the past year. Thus, when visitors are attempting to register for the ICSPP conference, join ICSPP and gather information from ICSPP, they might be joining, registering and reading Dr. Breggin's new information.
ICSPP at this time is seeking arbitration through the url provider company, and hopes to regain the url shortly. Upon resolution by the arbitrator, ICSPP will redirect the energy spent on this issue back to our educational reform work and our international educational conference: October 8-9, 2010, in Syracuse, NY. For more information, please visit www.icsppOnline.org.
ICSPP Board of Directors
Statement from ICSPP Board of Directors
Regarding the ICSPP Website
April 22, 2010
This statement is being issued to explain what has happened to the ICSPP website, which has been redirected to Dr. Breggin's new organization. By way of background, in 2002, after founding ICSPP and running it for many years with his wife, Ginger, looking towards the future, the Breggins handed complete authority and control to new leadership and removed themselves from the board of directors. However, they continued to be active in supporting the organization in many different ways, including Dr. Breggin being featured at all of ICSPP's annual conferences.
Dr. Dominick Riccio became Executive Director in 2002 and held that position, until last year, when Dr. Toby Watson was elected to the position. A few weeks ago, Dr. Breggin expressed great dissatisfaction with Dr. Watson and lobbied the Board of directors to remove him. A Board meeting was held by teleconference, and after much discussion and consideration of the facts there was very broad Board support for keeping Dr. Watson.
Once informed of the Board's decision, Dr. Breggin decided to break all association with ICSPP, urged the Board to dissolve ICSPP and start a new organization. Dr. Breggin now claims ownership of the ICSPP.org Internet domain, and has the password controlling it. He changed the Internet address so that people wanting and expecting to go to ICSPP's website instead find themselves at Dr. Breggin's new organization's website. It is ICSPP's position ICSPP is the owner of the ICSPP.org domain.
The board of directors' responsibility is to the organization and its mission of bringing the truth out about psychiatric practice, and at a special meeting held last night has decided to work diligently to resolve the matter. In the interim, the website is now available at ICSPPOnline.org.
The Board admires Dr. Breggin's work and is saddened and disappointed by Dr. Breggin's reaction to the Board's decision to retain Dr. Watson as Executive Director. Every member of the Board is also committed to ICSPP's mission and determined to make the organization an even greater success. We hope you will join us October 8-9, 2010 in Syracuse, New York as we enter our exciting new phase.
