Therapist Defends Herself in 'Rebirthing' Trial
April 17 -- A therapist accused of contributing to the death of a 10-year-old during a controversial technique called "rebirthing," says she was just trying to release the girl's repressed rage.
Therapist Connell Watkins testified Monday that the rebirthing technique was designed to bring out rage within the patient, in this case a troubled child with a history of destructive outbursts. The girl, Candace Newmaker, had been diagnosed with attachment disorder, which can make children resist forming loving relationships.
Candace suffocated last April during a 70 minute rebirthing session that was supposed to help the girl bond with her mother. Jefferson County District Judge Jane Tidball is hearing the case.
Watkins and her fellow psychotherapist, Julie Ponder are charged with reckless child abuse leading to the girl's death.
Watkins has told jurors she believed the 10-year-old would have had to be taken from her adoptive mother, Jeane Newmaker of Durham, N.C., unless the controversial therapy worked because the child was difficult to cope with.
Caught on Tape
A videotape of the rebirthing session, which took place in Watkins' home office, is being used as a key piece of evidence in the case, being heard in Golden, Colo.
In the videotape of the session, played last week in court, the girl can be heard screaming that she couldn't breathe, had vomited and defecated and wanted to die.
It shows her wrapped in a blue flannel sheet, covered by large pillows and four adults weighing a total of 673 pounds. They were pressing on the girl in an effort to simulate birth contractions.
'I'm going to die now'
Just 10 minutes into the taped session the little girl begins pleading with the group to get off of her. "It's not helping," Candace said. "Please quit pushing on me. I can't do it."
Two minutes later she told the group she thought she was dying. "I'm going to die now," she said "no, I don't want to, but I'm about to."
The therapists responded: "That's the way the baby feels," they said. "You want to die? OK, then die. Go ahead, die right now."
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