A Case Study on Drug-Assisted Psychotherapy and Recovering and Retracting Beliefs of Abuse

Henry Otgaar; Lilian Kloft-Heller; Anne-Fiona Griesfeller; Sanne T. L. Houben; Mirjam Ter Beek; Mark L. Howe; Chunlin Li; Peter Muris; Marko Jelicic

doi:10.1080/24732850.2025.2597832

A Case Study on Drug-Assisted Psychotherapy and Recovering and Retracting Beliefs of Abuse

Henry Otgaar^*
, Lilian Kloft-Heller
, Anne-Fiona Griesfeller
, Sanne T. L. Houben
, Mirjam Ter Beek
, Mark L. Howe
, Chunlin Li
, Peter Muris
, Marko Jelicic

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

We present the case of a man, JK, who came to believe during therapy that he had been abused by his father, but later repudiated this claim. JK underwent narcoanalysis intended to uncover repressed memories, during which a psychiatrist used suggestive techniques to elicit memories of abuse. As a result, JK came to believe that he had been abused by his father. Later, after reading a newspaper article discussing the potential for psychiatrists to implant false memories, JK retracted this belief. This case study offers insight into the processes by which traumatic experiences can be both recovered and subsequently retracted.

Original language	English
Number of pages	15
Journal	Journal of Forensic Psychology Research and Practice
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/24732850.2025.2597832
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 2 Dec 2025

Keywords

Retractor
memory wars
repressed memory
false memory
recovered memory
FALSE MEMORY SYNDROME
CONSTRUCTION

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10.1080/24732850.2025.2597832Licence: CC BY-NC-ND

Cite this

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title = "A Case Study on Drug-Assisted Psychotherapy and Recovering and Retracting Beliefs of Abuse",

abstract = "We present the case of a man, JK, who came to believe during therapy that he had been abused by his father, but later repudiated this claim. JK underwent narcoanalysis intended to uncover repressed memories, during which a psychiatrist used suggestive techniques to elicit memories of abuse. As a result, JK came to believe that he had been abused by his father. Later, after reading a newspaper article discussing the potential for psychiatrists to implant false memories, JK retracted this belief. This case study offers insight into the processes by which traumatic experiences can be both recovered and subsequently retracted.",

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author = "Henry Otgaar and Lilian Kloft-Heller and Anne-Fiona Griesfeller and Houben, \{Sanne T. L.\} and \{Ter Beek\}, Mirjam and Howe, \{Mark L.\} and Chunlin Li and Peter Muris and Marko Jelicic",

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AU - Otgaar, Henry

AU - Kloft-Heller, Lilian

AU - Griesfeller, Anne-Fiona

AU - Houben, Sanne T. L.

AU - Ter Beek, Mirjam

AU - Howe, Mark L.

AU - Li, Chunlin

AU - Muris, Peter

AU - Jelicic, Marko

PY - 2025/12/2

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N2 - We present the case of a man, JK, who came to believe during therapy that he had been abused by his father, but later repudiated this claim. JK underwent narcoanalysis intended to uncover repressed memories, during which a psychiatrist used suggestive techniques to elicit memories of abuse. As a result, JK came to believe that he had been abused by his father. Later, after reading a newspaper article discussing the potential for psychiatrists to implant false memories, JK retracted this belief. This case study offers insight into the processes by which traumatic experiences can be both recovered and subsequently retracted.

AB - We present the case of a man, JK, who came to believe during therapy that he had been abused by his father, but later repudiated this claim. JK underwent narcoanalysis intended to uncover repressed memories, during which a psychiatrist used suggestive techniques to elicit memories of abuse. As a result, JK came to believe that he had been abused by his father. Later, after reading a newspaper article discussing the potential for psychiatrists to implant false memories, JK retracted this belief. This case study offers insight into the processes by which traumatic experiences can be both recovered and subsequently retracted.

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KW - memory wars

KW - repressed memory

KW - false memory

KW - recovered memory

KW - FALSE MEMORY SYNDROME

KW - CONSTRUCTION

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DO - 10.1080/24732850.2025.2597832

M3 - Article

SN - 2473-2850

JO - Journal of Forensic Psychology Research and Practice

JF - Journal of Forensic Psychology Research and Practice

ER -

A Case Study on Drug-Assisted Psychotherapy and Recovering and Retracting Beliefs of Abuse

Abstract

Keywords

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