During the AzPA Conference in Tucson in Ocotber 2005, I observed Dr. Miki Paul carefully as a lot of other psychologists did. Why? She was a member of the Arizona Board of Psychologist Examiners and had power over each and every one of us. Moreover, as a sponsor making major fiscal contributions to Arizona Psychological Association (AzPA) and that AzPA Conference in particular, Dr. Paul had a prestigious role and was often front & center involved in the ceremonies or introducing her favorite psychologist expert on the subject matter most dear to her heart.
How do I know that Domestic Violence aka Partner Abuse is the most important subject in the entire vast literature of psychology to Miki Paul? Quite simply, Dr. Paul announced it publically to all in attendance.
Dr. Paul told us she was a “victim of domestic violence.” She emphasized to all of us how important this matter was to her “heart.”
All of us were in attendence because Dr. Paul was one of those psychologists who pushed for four (4) credit hours of Domestic Violence training as a requirement for renewal of licensure as a psychologist in Arizona. Actually, I suspect, Dr. Paul was one of those who staunchly advocated for far more credit hours in Domestic Violence. I recall the figure was 24 hours of bi-annual training in this one specific area.
Apparently, it was felt we needed this “training” so we could regurgitate the catechism taught regardless of how false we thought it was or ineffectual we considered the feminists’ approach in regards to our clients and our cases. According to these self-acclaimed experts, we were to make certain that such couple divorced. We were to “help” them realize they had no marriage at all. It was our duty to make our clients divorce—that is, until Leonora Walker came along during that conference and told us that the approach proffered earlier by Feminist Psychology had been wrong and it was now OK for us to allow a couple to remain married!
Later, I had lunch with another Psychologist in northern Phoenix who had been the brunt of incessant harassment from his wife in which the Board made the entire matter public causing him much pain and grief. He had been the subject of many, many complaints before the Board and the Board treated him terribly.
As we sat across the table in a Chinese Restaurant near his practice, he confided in me that he planned upon filing a complaint with the Board against Miki Paul because of her obvious bias and lack of competency. Specifically, he recalled a case he had worked on in which there was no Domestic Violence between the couple that he could detect. Nonetheless, when Dr. Paul became involved, she “examined” the female, and she found Domestic Violence that heretofore had not been there!
When people are victims and hold themselves out as victims, they are admitting their bias. Moreover, an objective psychologist who was competent would recognize a “hot” area for him or her and would refrain from working professionally in that area. Certainly, they would refrain from offering professional opinions and written reports to the courts in serious matters such as child custody battles. At the least, they would not do so unless they were under supervision and/or sought consultation with another psychologist who was recognized to be more objective and/or with greater expertise in the subject matter area.
Dr. Paul availed herself of none of that! As a Board member, she practiced completely independently. Even though she tainted the waters of many divorces and custody battles with her own vitriol (for her formerly alleged abusive husband), she wrote many biased reports finding “domestic violence” where there was none and always finding for the side of the female(s)!
I believe Psychologist Miki Paul claimed she never worked for any males; she only worked with women. Therefore, she could not be objective. She was neither professional nor objective. She always held for the sides of females regardless of the idiosyncrasies of the case(s).
To think that she was allowed to practice independently as a psychologist and to bring such damage upon unsuspecting citizens of Arizona appalls me! But, this is the privilege of status—being a “liberal” and being appointed by the Governor of Arizona to the Board.
I don’t know that my professional acquaintance ever filed his complaint. My colleague feared Dr. Paul and the Board so much, he was going to wait until he retired to file his complaint over this particular case in which Dr. Paul interjected her personal bias in a fashion most damaging to the individuals involved and to the public at large.
Dr. Paul—If I have written anything in error, please correct me. Indeed, I have made some assumptions but those seem very reasonable and quite logical. Nonetheless, should you find need to correct me, please do at your earliest possible convenience and I shall post your response and act appropriately.