Kenneth (Ken) Pope
Role: Clinical and Forensic Psychologist
Impact: Spoke out publicly against False Memory Syndrome to the APA, and authored resources for therapists treating victims of abuse experiencing recovered memories.
Bio:
Ken Pope is a licensed psychologist who served as chair of the Ethics Committees of the American Board of Professional Psychology and the American Psychological Association (APA). He worked in 9 divisions at the APA for over 29 years, but resigned after 9-11 due to shifts in the APA’s ethical stance. Afterwards, he worked as an independent clinical and forensic psychologist. He has written numerous articles and books on ethics in psychotherapy.
Pope delivered an important keynote address in 1996 to the APA entitled “Memory, Abuse and Science: Questioning Claims about the False Memory Syndrome Epidemic.” The keynote was published by the APA afterwards, challenging the FMSF's claims about recovered memory.
Ken Pope wrote a detailed overview of the social, scientific, and legal debate surrounding recovered memories in his book: “Recovered memories of abuse: Assessment, therapy, forensics.” Published in 1996, it serves as a practical guide to therapists who encounter patients experiencing recovered memories of abuse.