On the Rotten Mango podcast, the ethics of therapist Jodi Hildebrandt and her interactions with clients are examined. The blurb details Hildebrandt's manipulative tactics towards clients, such as isolating them from loved ones and making baseless claims about addictions and improper behaviors.
It also explores the suspension of Hildebrandt's therapy license and her subsequent launch of a life coaching business, "Connections." The summary further delves into the traumatic experiences of individuals like Adam, whose abuse as a child was weaponized against him in a custody battle after Hildebrandt misled Adam's wife into believing false allegations. Hildebrandt's abuse of power and exploitation of vulnerable clients, particularly in Mormon communities, are recounted as well.
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Jodi Hildebrandt is scrutinized for manipulative tactics towards clients and unethical conduct as a therapist. She baselessly accused clients like Adam of "addictions" and "sins," even falsely claiming food and religious text reading as addictions. Jodi isolated clients like Mary from spouses by convincing them of alleged improper behaviors. She also exploited mental health struggles, like Adam's PTSD, to control and confuse clients.
Following ethical breaches, Hildebrandt's therapy license was suspended. She then started "Connections," a life coaching business with fewer constraints, promoting pseudo-religious concepts of "truth" vs. "distortion." Her income model included expensive group sessions and costly leadership programs.
Adam, a victim of abuse by an LDS Church scout leader, faced a destructive custody battle where his trauma was used to portray him as an unfit father. Hildebrandt's manipulative therapy misled Adam's wife Mary into falsely believing he was a sexual predator, leading to Adam losing custody and facing felony charges despite no evidence.
Hildebrandt isolated her 14-year-old niece Jesse, forcing confessions of fabricated "sins" through coercion and physical torture like running punishments. She leveraged authority to discredit and control Jesse. Over two decades, Hildebrandt exploited LDS Church connections to attract vulnerable Mormon clients, prioritizing wealthy ones. Her unethical, intrusive practices traumatized families like Adam's.
1-Page Summary
Jodi Hildebrandt is under scrutiny for her controversial therapy practices and subsequent shift to a less regulated role as a life coach, raising serious concerns about her professional ethics.
Jodi is accused of using scare tactics and control mechanisms within her therapeutic practice, often crossing personal and professional boundaries.
Jodi Hildebrandt has a habit of accusing clients of addictions—everything from food to reading religious texts excessively—without tangible evidence. She also uses the necessity to avoid thinking about certain imagery, such as that on magazines, as proof of being a sex addict. Such baseless allegations have affected clients like Adam, who faced heinous accusations in the absence of proof.
Hildebrandt's manipulative techniques further extend to isolating her clients. She convinces Mary, a client, of her husband Adam's unacceptable behavior and pushes her to set boundaries, thus urging a rift between couples. She instructed Adam and his wife not to communicate directly, asserting that breaking the relationship was necessary to rebuild it. Additionally, she encouraged the wife of another husband to push for a divorce during a sensitive period, further isolating him.
Jodi blurs professional boundaries by moving in with the Frankie family under the pretense of her house being haunted. Jodi's presence disrupts the family dynamics, even displacing family members from their rooms. Furthermore, she exploits the vulnerabilities of clients, such as Adam's PTSD, confusing him with vague accusations that every action stems from addiction. Hildebrandt is also known to apply group pressure to punish husbands for confessed behaviors in group sessions, and she claimed to require support from her clients during her own self-declared mental health crises.
Following ethical breaches, Hildebrandt faced professional consequences but managed to recommence her work as a life coach.
With her therapy license suspended, Jodi Hildebrandt transitions to life coaching, calling herself a "mental fit ...
Jodi Hildebrandt's Unethical Practices as a Therapist
Adam's journey from being a victim of abuse to being branded as an abuser reveals the intricate and often destructive complexities within systems of justice, perception, and support.
Adam was abused by a scout leader who also held a position in the LDS Church at a Boy Scouts camp. As one of the biggest whistleblowers of the LDS Church's abuse cases, his attempts at exposing the abuse ironically led to being shunned and dismissed by the institution meant to protect him.
Adam Paul Steed's history as a victim of abuse significantly affected his later life, especially his marriage. His past was instrumentalized against him in a vicious custody battle. His childhood trauma was used to argue that he was unfit to be a father, leading to a 500-page honor code file at BYU, potential expulsion from college, and a problematic divorce. Adam is now facing a precarious situation, with severe implications on his legal standing, financial situation, custody rights, and reputation.
Jodi Hildebrandt, a therapist, influenced Mary's perception of Adam, leading her to believe he was a dangerous sexual predator. Allegations arose without verifiable evidence, further aggravating Adam's already delicate situation. Jodi's guidance not only appeared to manipulate Mary's thinking but also suggested a potential collusion in fabricating evidence against Adam. Manipulative counseling and questionable collusion between Mary and Jodi ...
Adam and Mary's Family's Destruction
Jodie Hildebrandt's career as a licensed therapist is marred by accounts of abuse and exploitation, particularly concerning her niece, Jesse, and vulnerable Mormon clients.
Jodi Hildebrandt isolated her 14-year-old niece, Jesse, at a family gathering, taking them to "fix" them, implying coercion into confessing fabricated "sins." Jesse, who has always been inquisitive by nature and was raised in a strict LDS environment, was pressured by Jodi to confess to "sins" and "addictions" they didn't commit. Jodi, leveraging her authority as a therapist, confiscated Jesse to a room, instructing them to write down their sins daily and would force Jesse to make up sins to appease her demands.
Jodi physically tortured Jesse as part of her abusive tactics. She made Jesse run on Hell Hole Pass Road for their "sins," punishes them for a fabricated sexual history, and used the threat of hell to motivate compliance. Jesse describes having to run up and down mountains as penance for attempting to escape, endure freezing temperatures on a balcony, and sleep in a windowless room on a floor at Jodi's office. When Jesse resisted these abuses, Jodi punched Jesse, knocking them down. Jesse also was made to wear duct tape over their mouth, being labeled a liar, and they were forced to beg for forgiveness in humiliating ways.
Jodi leveraged her legal authority over Jesse, who was terrified at family events and frequently attempted to escape. Jodi falsely claimed to family members that Jesse was a dangerous individual, bordering on murderous, and manipulated Jesse to lie to church members to protect her narrative. Jodi's power allowed her to make Jesse sleep in inadequate and unsafe conditions, falsely reassuring Jesse's parents about their wellbeing.
Jodi Hildebrandt is known for exploiting her status, particularly within the LDS community, over the past two decades. Using her connections, Jodi attracted many clients referred by church bishops, with the LDS church covering therapy costs through tithes. Jessie noticed that most of Jodi's clients emerged from such recommendations. Moreover, through a company called Life Star, she further leveraged these connections, causing a conflict of interest ...
Jodi's Abuse Of Niece Jesse and Client Exploitation History
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