Therapist Says She Didn’t Know Girl Was in Danger During ‘Rebirthing’

A psychotherapist told jurors Tuesday that she had no idea a 10-year-old was in danger during a fatal “rebirthing” session until another therapist unwrapped a sheet covering the girl and found she wasn’t breathing.

In her second day on the stand, psychotherapist Connell Watkins gave a step-by-step account of how Candace Newmaker was wrapped in the flannel sheet to simulate a womb while adults pushed against her with pillows for 70 minutes. Candace died of asphyxiation during last year’s session.

Watkins, 54, and the other therapist, Julie Ponder, 40, are charged with reckless child abuse resulting in Candace’s death. If convicted, they each could face 16 to 48 years in prison.

Watkins said Ponder was in charge of the session and was the one checking on Candace’s welfare.

Questioned about a gesture she made on the tape, Watkins said: “I wanted Julie to unwrap her and check on her. I thought she [Candace] fell asleep. Julie said, ‘Oh, she’s fine. She’s a little sweaty but she’s fine.’ ”

Prosecutor Steve Jensen asked Watkins if she had considered Candace’s wishes.

“Everything Candace said, you assumed she was lying about it. Isn’t that the problem?” he said. “In the April 18 rebirthing session, you weren’t interested in listening to Candace Newmaker, were you?”

While Watkins testified, jurors watched a videotape of the therapy session for the second time.

Tuesday in Denver, Gov. Bill Owens signed a bill banning rebirthing therapy in Colorado.

The therapy session was intended to allow Candace to emerge reborn and bond with her adoptive mother, Jeane Newmaker of Durham, N.C.

Watkins was treating Candace for attachment disorder, which makes children resist loving relationships and can make them violent and unmanageable.

The day before the rebirthing session, Watkins said, Candace had a minor breakthrough. When Jeane Newmaker left the room at Watkins’ request, Candace broke into tears.

“It was like a hole through her armor,” she said.

Watkins decided to follow up the next day with the therapy session.

Watkins said she learned the technique in 1999 and had participated in four other sessions. She said she believed it was safe and had never seen problems with it.

About halfway into the session, the tape shows, Candace was asked if she wanted to be reborn.

“She says very clearly, ‘No,’ which tells us she’s fine,” Watkins said. “We had no reason right then to be concerned.”