Psychologist Faces Sex Misconduct, Satanic Charges

State medical regulators took action this week to revoke the license of a Laguna Beach psychologist, accusing her of being mentally ill, guilty of sexual misconduct and using satanic rituals to treat a patient.

A complaint filed by the Medical Board of California alleges that Dr. Clara Mae Etheridge told a female patient who was diagnosed as having a multiple personality disorder that “dark forces” and “evil spirits” were tracking her through her jewelry. The psychologist prescribed rituals, including “the use of lemon juice after showers,” and advised her patient to burn “her mother’s Bible, all pictures and letters,” the complaint contends.

“In my 15 years of handling cases for the Medical Board, this is the most bizarre behavior I’ve seen,” said Deputy Atty. Gen. Barry D. Ladendorf, who is representing the state regulators. “This mixture of witchcraft and satanic cults with psychotherapy creates serious questions about her practice. ‘Bizarre’ is the only word to describe it.”

When contacted Friday, Etheridge told The Times, “This is the first I’ve heard about this. I don’t know anything about it. Thanks for telling me, I certainly have to check it out.”

Pam Kuehn-Thatcher, a Newport Beach attorney representing the psychologist, later said that Etheridge denies all the allegations. Kuehn-Thatcher declined further comment, saying she had not seen a copy of the complaint.

The case against Etheridge was turned over to the attorney general after a yearlong investigation by the Santa Ana office of the Medical Board.

Kathleen Schmidt, a senior special investigator, said the inquiry was launched after officials received a complaint from a psychologist who subsequently treated Etheridge’s former patient, identified in the complaint only as “E.G.”

Schmidt said Etheridge--who has been practicing for 17 years--was confronted with the charges several weeks ago and denied them. But investigators have obtained statements from a medical doctor and two other psychologists that tend to corroborate the alleged victim’s claims, Schmidt said.

“It is common for these accusations to be a case of ‘my word against yours,’ ” the investigator said. “But not so here. The entire case is fairly unique. I’ve been with board for 18 years and I have never seen a case in which mention of the occult is so heavily involved.”

The complaint charges that Etheridge is also known as Clara Mae Riley, and that she treated E.G. from Feb. 3 to April 5, 1988.

During one therapy session, Etheridge allegedly held her female patient for two hours while lying on the floor, and “during this time (Etheridge) kissed E.G.’s cheek and forehead, caressed her hair and placed E.G.’s hand on her (Etheridge’s) genital area.”

The complaint contends that Etheridge “used occult, satanic rituals and concepts intermingled with psychotherapy,” and discouraged hospitalization for her patient by warning that E.G. “would be programmed to kill herself” if she was admitted to a hospital.”

Etheridge allegedly told her patient that all psychiatric hospitals in Orange County were unsafe because they were infiltrated by the occult. And she once placed E.G.’s earrings and jewelry in salt, the complaint alleges, so “dark forces could not track her.”