The loss of Dr. Kathryn Faughey, Ph.D.
February 14th, 2008 | Email this to your FriendsThe GoodTherapy.org team sends our deepest condolences to the family of Dr. Kathryn Faughey, who was fatally stabbed Tuesday night in her New York City office. All of us here at GoodTherapy.org feel the terribly painful loss and the horror of this awful incident.
We hope that the many therapists and counselor of the world, who dedicate their lives to helping and caring for the well being of others, and who are likely deeply affected by this incident, will work through any secondary trauma and take very good care of themselves. The profession of psychotherapy requires effective counselors to keep their hearts open to those who seek their help and guidance. Incidents such as these in which a client directly and severely harms their therapist challenges the ability of other therapists to stay centered, calm, compassionate, and confident. May we all do what is necessary to both take care of ourselves and to remain helpful to those we serve.
February 15th, 2008 at 4:34 am
Oh, how horrible! I hadn’t heard this shocking news. Yes, Noah, you are right. We must continue in our fight to help those who are unable to help themselves out of a world of pain. For those who respond well to numbers, the chance of this happening to you are slim to none. Keep up the good fight!
February 15th, 2008 at 4:34 am
Kathryn was certainly one of the great ones. We will truly miss her…
February 15th, 2008 at 4:36 am
This horrible tragedy does serve as an important reminder-we are working with patients who are mentally ill. By its very nature, mental illness is unpredictable. I don’t know the circumstances behind this patient’s case, but I do know that we must always be on guard. Don’t ever assume that a patient or client won’t harm you. Just always have a plan in place.
February 15th, 2008 at 4:37 am
Eitel, I guess you are right. I love my patients dearly and I do often let my guard down. I guess I need to remember why they come to me in the first place. But, I also agree that the likelihood of one of my patients going to this extreme is very low. I love my job and wouldn’t trade it for anything, not even this.