This is my response to the letter from Don Hansons' organiser asking me to remove the account of my experience with him from this forum.
It is a modified version as some identifying details have been removed.
""In reading your words what I hear you asking me to do is to deny my own experience of sexual assault and trauma that I experienced with Don Hanson, along with the exploitation, manipulation and mind bending that took many years to recover from.
While there may be many who have had positive and life affirming experiences of him and his work, there are many who have had almost the direct opposite, who have ended up in terrible confusion, devastated and as the reports state, suicidal. I am one of them and have met many others over the years, and what really disturbs me now is that you are negotiating with me here on his behalf.
Yes we have a history of friendship. I wept with you telling you when I was leaving the group that I was in much more of a mess from having had sexual relations with Don (particularly from how it all began with the assault), than I ever was before I went into his workshops looking for healing.
There is more than one report on the the Cult Education website of the harm he has caused through sexual misconduct.
There are many teachers and groups that I have come across over the years who work with sexuality in all its shapes and sizes and none of those that I respect or see bringing deep healing have sex with their current students or participants. This is because they understand that it is a violation of the boundary of the student and abusive to do so for many reasons. If you look at any of the code of ethics of respected alternative health and meditation centres in the US or worldwide today they all have the same understanding when it comes to relations between teacher and student or workshop leader and participant.
I am shocked that you would ask me to take back what I have said. I spoke up because there are others who have gone through what I did and suffered hugely because of it. I spoke the truth of my experience, which is similar to others so that people can be informed. I am sorry for Don's children, in the same way I feel sorry for any children whose father causes damage to others and gets caught publicly. Perhaps he should have considered them before he acted as he did.
Would you ask another woman who had been sexually violated by a different man to be quiet about it?? To protect the man who did it?? The level of denial is frightening here. I am very disturbed that you ask me to be quiet about such a serious and clearly ongoing matter.""
In the accounts I have given on this forum I made a conscious and personal choice not to hide my identity. Although I have a user name I gave enough details in the original account for people close to him to know who I am, and I published the letter from his organiser knowing that it provides a written link to my identity.
This choice to be visible is a very personal one that I needed to make at this time.
The pattern is for his followers to try and discredit, blame or verbally abuse anyone who challenges Don's behaviour or authority.
Several days ago I received a legal letter threatening to take me to court if I do not remove or retract the accounts I have given on this forum. Everything I have given an account of is being denied by Don Hanson.
It is a modified version as some identifying details have been removed.
""In reading your words what I hear you asking me to do is to deny my own experience of sexual assault and trauma that I experienced with Don Hanson, along with the exploitation, manipulation and mind bending that took many years to recover from.
While there may be many who have had positive and life affirming experiences of him and his work, there are many who have had almost the direct opposite, who have ended up in terrible confusion, devastated and as the reports state, suicidal. I am one of them and have met many others over the years, and what really disturbs me now is that you are negotiating with me here on his behalf.
Yes we have a history of friendship. I wept with you telling you when I was leaving the group that I was in much more of a mess from having had sexual relations with Don (particularly from how it all began with the assault), than I ever was before I went into his workshops looking for healing.
There is more than one report on the the Cult Education website of the harm he has caused through sexual misconduct.
There are many teachers and groups that I have come across over the years who work with sexuality in all its shapes and sizes and none of those that I respect or see bringing deep healing have sex with their current students or participants. This is because they understand that it is a violation of the boundary of the student and abusive to do so for many reasons. If you look at any of the code of ethics of respected alternative health and meditation centres in the US or worldwide today they all have the same understanding when it comes to relations between teacher and student or workshop leader and participant.
I am shocked that you would ask me to take back what I have said. I spoke up because there are others who have gone through what I did and suffered hugely because of it. I spoke the truth of my experience, which is similar to others so that people can be informed. I am sorry for Don's children, in the same way I feel sorry for any children whose father causes damage to others and gets caught publicly. Perhaps he should have considered them before he acted as he did.
Would you ask another woman who had been sexually violated by a different man to be quiet about it?? To protect the man who did it?? The level of denial is frightening here. I am very disturbed that you ask me to be quiet about such a serious and clearly ongoing matter.""
In the accounts I have given on this forum I made a conscious and personal choice not to hide my identity. Although I have a user name I gave enough details in the original account for people close to him to know who I am, and I published the letter from his organiser knowing that it provides a written link to my identity.
This choice to be visible is a very personal one that I needed to make at this time.
The pattern is for his followers to try and discredit, blame or verbally abuse anyone who challenges Don's behaviour or authority.
Several days ago I received a legal letter threatening to take me to court if I do not remove or retract the accounts I have given on this forum. Everything I have given an account of is being denied by Don Hanson.