Castlewood Treatment Center
By Mike Rush
Ballwin, MO (KSDK) - A woman is suing a St. Louis therapist, claiming he hypnotized her into falsely believing she had been a part of a satanic cult. The woman's lawyer says there are more alleged victims out there.
The woman, Lisa Nasseff, says she entered the Castlewood Treatment Center in Ballwin for treatment of anorexia. She claims she left thinking she had multiple personalities, and had taken part in satanic rituals.
"It seems so outrageous and so unbelievable," said lawyer Ken Vuylsteke.
But Vuylsteke, who represents Nasseff, says the claims in the lawsuit are true.
Nasseff says at the Castlewood Treatment Center in Ballwin, her therapist Mark Schwartz brainwashed her, claiming he used hypnosis to falsely make her believe she'd been raped multiple times, had as many as 20 personalities and had been a member of a satanic cult.
"The therapist said that she said under hypnosis that she had engaged in a satanic ritual where a baby was sacrificed and the flesh was then passed out for all the members of the cult to eat," said Vuylsteke.
Julie O'Connor doesn't know Nasseff, who's from Minnesota, and is not herself suing, but she says she's been treated at Castlewood too for anorexia. And like Nasseff, she claims she too had revelations brought out through hypnosis.
"Stuff of a sexual nature that I don't really want to share with everyone," said O'Connor.
Stuff she later deemed to be false. No satanic cult talk in her case, but she says at least a dozen other people being treated there were also told they had a past with a cult.
"I got to a point where I thought, there is no way all these people have been involved in satanic cults. It's just not possible," said O'Connor.
Newschannel 5 called Schwartz for his side of the story and stopped by his gated facility, but never heard back.
According to a published report, Schwartz denies he uses hypnosis and said he never discussed satanic cults with Nasseff.
Vuylsteke understands there will be skepticism about the claims.
"In fact, the defense will be these memories came out of the lips of these people," he said.
Vuylsteke says there are at least six other women he's been speaking to with similar stories. He expects more lawsuits will come.
It's important to note, this is a civil lawsuit, not a criminal action and no criminal charges are involved in this case.
KSDK
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