There is so much that is troubling here. Speaking as a therapist, I find Megan’s description of the company organised ‘group therapy’ sessions very disturbing. It’s great when companies genuinely want to empower their staff and used trained facilitators or counsellors for team-building - I’ve done that kind of thing in the past myself and it can be really beneficial to team and individual satisfaction - everyone wins. It’s an entirely different and profoundly unethical practice if that company arranged work includes any kind of exercise that brings up personal disclosure or trauma which it clearly sounded like this did. That puts the employees is a really difficult position which is not OK at all. It would be a breach of both of the NZAP and NZAC code of ethics and the Health and Disability Code https://www.hdc.org.nz/your-rights/the-code-and-your-rights/ Any service offered by someone that claims a therapeutic benefit falls under the HDC code, whether the counsellor or facilitator thinks so or not.
For next semester at uni I have a class called "The Deep State: Conspiracy Theories About Power, Evil And Democracy From JFK To 9/11, Trump and QAnon" with one of the leading conspiracy theory professors in the world, and I feel so lucky that you, David, are doing half my work with this blog. Keep it up, and I'm not just saying that because you're gonna make my course easier 😌
All fashion is exploitative in one way or another, usually in many ways. Beyond the waste of natural resources and the often risible wages, are the facts that fashion exploits the buyer. They aim at people's lack of strength. "My fashion will make you beautiful/important/one of the same crowd as the rich and (in)famous/make you feel you are not a greedy consumer/let you feel you are 'giving back'." In fact there is a very, very simple way to help the planet: don't buy stuff, particularly new stuff. Beauty is found far more in someone's attitude to life and facial expressions, than in the fit of their lingerie or the brand of their jeans. If you follow fashion you have been conned (even if you do it 'just for fun').
Why do people bother to try to have conversations with these idiots in the first place? Anyone who can believe that Hillary Clinton eats babies or that WHO is owned by Bill Gates and the Chinese Government (actually, it was unclear as to whether Bill Gates owns the Chinese Government, too: correct grammar and conspiracy theories rarely go together), is so obviously barking that why waste your time?
If you really want to buy products from a company that is trying to improve the way they do things and to take care of their employees, I suggest you patronise Unilever.
This was particularly gold for the Armchaired and Dangerous link. Go for the Lizards, stay for Dax and Monica's beautiful take on them. Always rated Dax as a human, love the chemistry and the compassion. The way David Farrier explains the theories and the respect with which people are treated during the discussions of even the most out there theories is a great lesson in how to deal with those whose brains seem prone to this kind of belief /manipulation. A master class.
It was strange that I'd been talking Icke with Dax, then he ends up coming into this story, too. Thanks for the kind words. This was a tricky story to report, as I said!
The thing is this brand was so popular and "cool", a lot of the big names came on board quite organically. In saying that - that may not have been the case with Kylie.
Turns out today is the day Lonely decided the dust had settled on this whole saga. I received my first subsriber email since this all came out. Will be interesting to see where they go from here/not interested at all and immediately unsubscribed.
Chiropractors are NOT MEDICAL DOCTORS. It is a pseudoscience that is more focused on selling shady supplements than actually helping their patients. Stay as far away from them as possible.
Yes, Craig is clearly in the NSA chiropractic tradition.
As I suspected, by using the term Dr without qualification (which he does extensively on his Orenda website in the blog section and on LinkedIn), he is indeed breaching both the Code of Ethics (section 1.8) and the Advertising Policy (clause 2g) of the Chiropractic Board of NZ.
Section 2.1.1.10 of the Code of Ethics also states "A chiropractor will not at any time misrepresent their professional qualification/s."
Claiming to have completed a Masters in ‘the dynamics of energy and the quantum energy field’ sounds like a possible breach of that section to me. That's in his bio here: https://good.net.nz/ti-ora-tea-talks/
A member of the public complaining to the chiropractor and/or the board might not get much action since the board notes that "practitioner privacy rights may limit the information the Board is able to provide to the complainant on outcomes".
However, an investigative journalist who planned to report on their experience of the complaints process might have more success in both spurring them to action and reporting the outcome :-)
Boards are responsible under the HPCA Act to the Health Practitioners Disputes Tribunal https://www.hpdt.org.nz/ to be seen to effectively regulate their members.
Hrmm.. And using Dr isn't the only problematic issue with Craig's advertising.
If you listen to this podcast with Anna Squelch https://annasquelch.com/thefullcirclepodcast/episodes/32 Craig making claims that 'new models' (he is speaking about NSA) is superior to both mainstream medicine (i.e. he says medications produce a lower level of functioning) and to other forms of chiropractic and only on the fringe and being suppressed because they are a threat to the financial profits of others.
That sounds like a breach of Section 2.1.7.1 of the Chiropractic Code of Ethics "A chiropractor should not unduly criticise another health professional." as well as clause 2a (ii) of their Advertising Policy referring to breaching the Fair Trading Act which prohibits material that "claims or implies that any particular chiropractor is superior to any other chiropractor or other health professional or compares the chiropractor’s practice with that of any other chiropractor".
One would assume (or hope?) that the Chiropractic Board would take a dim view of all this from one of their members.
And finally, on Craig's LinkedIn profile he has a pair of recommendations. I believe the way LinkedIn works, you have to request recommendations and then you can accept them to show on your profile.
However, clause 2f of the Advertising Policy of the Chiropractic Board states that advertisements are not permitted if it "uses testimonials whether from patients or any other person (see section on Medicines Act)"
The section on the Medicines Act notes that per Section 58(1)(c) "that it is an offence to imply, claim, indicate or suggest that a medicine, treatment or device is a panacea or infallible for any condition or is recommended by an appropriately qualified person or had beneficially affected the health of a particular person or class of persons, whether real or fictitious".
So Craig should not be soliciting and showing recommendations containing such testimonials which the two recommendations definitely do.
It would appear he might have commited an offence under 58(1)(c) of the Medicines Act in doing so and the truth of the claims is not recognised as defence for such 'testmonial' style offences.
Their Advertising Policy then continues:
"In addition to the sanctions under the Medicines Act and the Advertising Standards Codes for breaches of their provisions, the Chiropractic Board would regard a breach of the relevant provisions of the Act and/or the Codes as having the potential to attract disciplinary proceedings under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003"
So this sounds like they would take it very seriously.
Actually, I think you have a more specific point here. Craig Reynolds also calls himself Dr Craig Reynolds (such as on his LinkedIn profile and this podcast https://good.net.nz/ti-ora-tea-talks/ ) without qualifying that he’s not a medical doctor.
In fact, I’m not sure what Craig claims to hold a doctorate in or from what institution. His LinkedIn profile lists bachelors degrees in chiropractic and psychology and that podcast bio says he has recently completed a masters in ‘the dynamics of energy and the quantum energy field’, which doesn’t sound like any legitimate academic discipline I’m familiar with.
Very true. Given the international audience here on webworm, I'm not sure what the rules are where you live but possibly NZ is more strict about this.
In fact the NZ Chiropractors Association https://www.chiropractic.org.nz/why-choose-an-nzca-chiropractor/ states that "Our member chiropractors are entitled to use the title Dr; however, it needs to be qualified by including chiropractor so as not to confuse with other Drs of various sorts".
I'm not sure if Craig is (or was ever) a member of the NZCA, but he doesn't appear to be abiding by their rules to avoid breaching the NZ HPCA act.
Admittedly, he doesn't use the title of Dr on his current Orenda website and that podcast is from last year so maybe he has stopped claiming the title. He might want to update his LinkedIn profile then.
Interestingly, that site also says that his services are 'non-medical and non-therapeutic' which given the nature of the mental and physical health claims he then proceeds to make seems largely like an attempt to avoid liability under the Health and Disability Commissioners act.
As I mentioned earlier, any service offered by someone in NZ that claims a therapeutic or health benefit falls under the HDC code, whether the counsellor, facilitator or chiropractor (or whatever they call themselves) thinks they do or not.
The straights tend to stay close to chiropractic roots in folk medicine, bonesetting and vitalism (innate energy/wisdom etc.) and make spiritually based health claims that are very pseudoscientific as they essentially reject the scientific method.
The mixers focus more on musculoskeletal health like osteopaths and physiotherapists and are more grounded in science and do seem to provide actual benefits to their clients.
Orenda is an Iroquois word referring to a form of spiritual energy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiropractic so that tells you what ‘school’ of chiropractic that we’re likely talking about here. Straight chiropractic is in the minority these days, partly due to past scandals, but it still exists on the fringes of chiropractic with practitioners making unsupported mental health claims.
I feel sick to my stomach at the very suggestion Jacinda may have been involved in the Christchurch terror attacks... Lunacy in its highest form. I had to stop reading after that 😢😱😰
Really enjoyed this! Have missed a few articles thanks to a really bloody stressful week so I’ve had a little catch up and you never disappoint! Also enjoyed your podcast with Armchair Experts, again this was a nice little way to de stress, so I hope you have an amazing week! Keep being you 💖
There is so much that is troubling here. Speaking as a therapist, I find Megan’s description of the company organised ‘group therapy’ sessions very disturbing. It’s great when companies genuinely want to empower their staff and used trained facilitators or counsellors for team-building - I’ve done that kind of thing in the past myself and it can be really beneficial to team and individual satisfaction - everyone wins. It’s an entirely different and profoundly unethical practice if that company arranged work includes any kind of exercise that brings up personal disclosure or trauma which it clearly sounded like this did. That puts the employees is a really difficult position which is not OK at all. It would be a breach of both of the NZAP and NZAC code of ethics and the Health and Disability Code https://www.hdc.org.nz/your-rights/the-code-and-your-rights/ Any service offered by someone that claims a therapeutic benefit falls under the HDC code, whether the counsellor or facilitator thinks so or not.
For next semester at uni I have a class called "The Deep State: Conspiracy Theories About Power, Evil And Democracy From JFK To 9/11, Trump and QAnon" with one of the leading conspiracy theory professors in the world, and I feel so lucky that you, David, are doing half my work with this blog. Keep it up, and I'm not just saying that because you're gonna make my course easier 😌
Oh wow - who's the professor? Is it this course? https://odin.sdu.dk/sitecore/index.php?a=fagbesk&id=76506&listid=2079&lang=en
Yes, exactly that course! And Kasper Grotle Rasmussen is the professor - exceptionally smart man.
Two comments I'd lke to make:
All fashion is exploitative in one way or another, usually in many ways. Beyond the waste of natural resources and the often risible wages, are the facts that fashion exploits the buyer. They aim at people's lack of strength. "My fashion will make you beautiful/important/one of the same crowd as the rich and (in)famous/make you feel you are not a greedy consumer/let you feel you are 'giving back'." In fact there is a very, very simple way to help the planet: don't buy stuff, particularly new stuff. Beauty is found far more in someone's attitude to life and facial expressions, than in the fit of their lingerie or the brand of their jeans. If you follow fashion you have been conned (even if you do it 'just for fun').
Why do people bother to try to have conversations with these idiots in the first place? Anyone who can believe that Hillary Clinton eats babies or that WHO is owned by Bill Gates and the Chinese Government (actually, it was unclear as to whether Bill Gates owns the Chinese Government, too: correct grammar and conspiracy theories rarely go together), is so obviously barking that why waste your time?
If you really want to buy products from a company that is trying to improve the way they do things and to take care of their employees, I suggest you patronise Unilever.
This was particularly gold for the Armchaired and Dangerous link. Go for the Lizards, stay for Dax and Monica's beautiful take on them. Always rated Dax as a human, love the chemistry and the compassion. The way David Farrier explains the theories and the respect with which people are treated during the discussions of even the most out there theories is a great lesson in how to deal with those whose brains seem prone to this kind of belief /manipulation. A master class.
It was strange that I'd been talking Icke with Dax, then he ends up coming into this story, too. Thanks for the kind words. This was a tricky story to report, as I said!
They used a Kardashian to promote their brand of ‘inclusivity’? Someone get me a bucket.
The thing is this brand was so popular and "cool", a lot of the big names came on board quite organically. In saying that - that may not have been the case with Kylie.
Turns out today is the day Lonely decided the dust had settled on this whole saga. I received my first subsriber email since this all came out. Will be interesting to see where they go from here/not interested at all and immediately unsubscribed.
Do you mind forwarding it to me? davidfarrier@protonmail.com - I am very curious!
Chiropractors are NOT MEDICAL DOCTORS. It is a pseudoscience that is more focused on selling shady supplements than actually helping their patients. Stay as far away from them as possible.
Hey Bentia - and thanks Paul for - as usual - having great insight and sharing it.
From what I can tell, Craig is an NSA chiro - Network Spinal Analysis. The founder Donny Epstein sounds like a knob. That is my expert analysis!
Yes, Craig is clearly in the NSA chiropractic tradition.
As I suspected, by using the term Dr without qualification (which he does extensively on his Orenda website in the blog section and on LinkedIn), he is indeed breaching both the Code of Ethics (section 1.8) and the Advertising Policy (clause 2g) of the Chiropractic Board of NZ.
The Chiropractic Board is the responsible regulatory authority for chiropractors under the HPCA Act in NZ - see here: https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/regulation-health-and-disability-system/health-practitioners-competence-assurance-act/responsible-authorities-under-act
Their code of ethics and advertising policy are available here: https://www.chiropracticboard.org.nz/publications-forms/
Craig Reynolds is a currently registered chiropractor answerable to this board - you can search for him here: https://www.chiropracticboard.org.nz/search-register/
Section 2.1.1.10 of the Code of Ethics also states "A chiropractor will not at any time misrepresent their professional qualification/s."
Claiming to have completed a Masters in ‘the dynamics of energy and the quantum energy field’ sounds like a possible breach of that section to me. That's in his bio here: https://good.net.nz/ti-ora-tea-talks/
There is a complaints process - see here:
https://www.chiropracticboard.org.nz/what-to-expect/raising-a-complaint/
A member of the public complaining to the chiropractor and/or the board might not get much action since the board notes that "practitioner privacy rights may limit the information the Board is able to provide to the complainant on outcomes".
However, an investigative journalist who planned to report on their experience of the complaints process might have more success in both spurring them to action and reporting the outcome :-)
Boards are responsible under the HPCA Act to the Health Practitioners Disputes Tribunal https://www.hpdt.org.nz/ to be seen to effectively regulate their members.
Hrmm.. And using Dr isn't the only problematic issue with Craig's advertising.
If you listen to this podcast with Anna Squelch https://annasquelch.com/thefullcirclepodcast/episodes/32 Craig making claims that 'new models' (he is speaking about NSA) is superior to both mainstream medicine (i.e. he says medications produce a lower level of functioning) and to other forms of chiropractic and only on the fringe and being suppressed because they are a threat to the financial profits of others.
That sounds like a breach of Section 2.1.7.1 of the Chiropractic Code of Ethics "A chiropractor should not unduly criticise another health professional." as well as clause 2a (ii) of their Advertising Policy referring to breaching the Fair Trading Act which prohibits material that "claims or implies that any particular chiropractor is superior to any other chiropractor or other health professional or compares the chiropractor’s practice with that of any other chiropractor".
One would assume (or hope?) that the Chiropractic Board would take a dim view of all this from one of their members.
And finally, on Craig's LinkedIn profile he has a pair of recommendations. I believe the way LinkedIn works, you have to request recommendations and then you can accept them to show on your profile.
However, clause 2f of the Advertising Policy of the Chiropractic Board states that advertisements are not permitted if it "uses testimonials whether from patients or any other person (see section on Medicines Act)"
The section on the Medicines Act notes that per Section 58(1)(c) "that it is an offence to imply, claim, indicate or suggest that a medicine, treatment or device is a panacea or infallible for any condition or is recommended by an appropriately qualified person or had beneficially affected the health of a particular person or class of persons, whether real or fictitious".
So Craig should not be soliciting and showing recommendations containing such testimonials which the two recommendations definitely do.
It would appear he might have commited an offence under 58(1)(c) of the Medicines Act in doing so and the truth of the claims is not recognised as defence for such 'testmonial' style offences.
Their Advertising Policy then continues:
"In addition to the sanctions under the Medicines Act and the Advertising Standards Codes for breaches of their provisions, the Chiropractic Board would regard a breach of the relevant provisions of the Act and/or the Codes as having the potential to attract disciplinary proceedings under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003"
So this sounds like they would take it very seriously.
Actually, I think you have a more specific point here. Craig Reynolds also calls himself Dr Craig Reynolds (such as on his LinkedIn profile and this podcast https://good.net.nz/ti-ora-tea-talks/ ) without qualifying that he’s not a medical doctor.
The issue of chiropractors calling themselves doctors has been a point of contention with the medical profession - see http://www.dcscience.net/nzmj-Roughan-reply.pdf The Health Practitioners Competence Act states that practitioners should not use titles that mislead the public. Hence if you hold a non-medical doctorate, you should qualify your use of them term - see https://janeglover.co.nz/2019/06/13/who-can-call-themselves-a-doctor-in-new-zealand/
In fact, I’m not sure what Craig claims to hold a doctorate in or from what institution. His LinkedIn profile lists bachelors degrees in chiropractic and psychology and that podcast bio says he has recently completed a masters in ‘the dynamics of energy and the quantum energy field’, which doesn’t sound like any legitimate academic discipline I’m familiar with.
I've yet to see a chiropractor who does not refer to themselves as Dr. despite not having an actual MD.
Very true. Given the international audience here on webworm, I'm not sure what the rules are where you live but possibly NZ is more strict about this.
In fact the NZ Chiropractors Association https://www.chiropractic.org.nz/why-choose-an-nzca-chiropractor/ states that "Our member chiropractors are entitled to use the title Dr; however, it needs to be qualified by including chiropractor so as not to confuse with other Drs of various sorts".
I'm not sure if Craig is (or was ever) a member of the NZCA, but he doesn't appear to be abiding by their rules to avoid breaching the NZ HPCA act.
Admittedly, he doesn't use the title of Dr on his current Orenda website and that podcast is from last year so maybe he has stopped claiming the title. He might want to update his LinkedIn profile then.
Interestingly, that site also says that his services are 'non-medical and non-therapeutic' which given the nature of the mental and physical health claims he then proceeds to make seems largely like an attempt to avoid liability under the Health and Disability Commissioners act.
As I mentioned earlier, any service offered by someone in NZ that claims a therapeutic or health benefit falls under the HDC code, whether the counsellor, facilitator or chiropractor (or whatever they call themselves) thinks they do or not.
There are two ‘schools’ of practice within chiropractic, ‘straights’ and ‘mixers’ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiropractic
The straights tend to stay close to chiropractic roots in folk medicine, bonesetting and vitalism (innate energy/wisdom etc.) and make spiritually based health claims that are very pseudoscientific as they essentially reject the scientific method.
The mixers focus more on musculoskeletal health like osteopaths and physiotherapists and are more grounded in science and do seem to provide actual benefits to their clients.
Orenda is an Iroquois word referring to a form of spiritual energy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiropractic so that tells you what ‘school’ of chiropractic that we’re likely talking about here. Straight chiropractic is in the minority these days, partly due to past scandals, but it still exists on the fringes of chiropractic with practitioners making unsupported mental health claims.
I feel sick to my stomach at the very suggestion Jacinda may have been involved in the Christchurch terror attacks... Lunacy in its highest form. I had to stop reading after that 😢😱😰
To clarify slightly, the insinuation is that she "faked" the terror attacks. Which is still disgusting.
Really enjoyed this! Have missed a few articles thanks to a really bloody stressful week so I’ve had a little catch up and you never disappoint! Also enjoyed your podcast with Armchair Experts, again this was a nice little way to de stress, so I hope you have an amazing week! Keep being you 💖
Thanks Lauren and I hope things settle down. I know that feeling very well. Webworm isn't going anywhere, and will always await your return if absent!