Therapist makes uninformed judgment

Sue Ann Yasger

Regarding Peggy Haidl’s Dec. 12 Daily Pilot commentary, “‘Disorder’

column unfair and doesn’t ‘fit’,” finally, finally, we read

communication from someone who actually knows Greg Haidl and Don

Haidl personally.

After literally years of reading news commentary and watching

endless media reports regarding Haidl and his father, Don, how

refreshing it is to have someone who actually has knowledge of the

personal lives of the Haidls write something worth reading.

While it is true that Gregory Haidl has been accused of a crime,

he has not been convicted of said crime in any court of law, yet the

media has tried and convicted him over and over. Far more appalling

was the Community Commentary in the Daily Pilot by Maxine Cohen on

Nov. 19, entitled “Signs of personality disorder fit.”

In her missive, Cohen “diagnosed” Greg Haidl without having ever

met him. That a practicing therapist would make such a judgment with

no supporting proof and no sessions with the “patient,” no knowledge

of Haidl or his family other than what she’s read or seen in the news

media, and no access to any of Greg Haidl’s records, is

unprofessional. In fact, Cohen admits she is “pigeon-holing” Greg

Haidl when she hazards a guess as to his “disorder,” something no

serious professional would do without adequate supporting evidence

and examination of the subject. Quite frankly, her comments were

reprehensible.

I have also wondered at the many news reports that speak of Don

Haidl as an “absentee father,” one who throws some of his “millions”

at the problem that is his son. Why should the elder Haidl be faulted

for having money and for spending some of this money in his son’s

defense? Would not any parent do the same if his or her child was in

need, and he or she was able to do so?

In addition, the many, many times I have seen Don Haidl in news

reports, he has always been by his son’s side, often touching him

protectively, with an arm around his shoulders or a hand on his

elbow. He has been unfailingly polite to reporters, who have tried to

bait him and who have hounded him and his family ceaselessly. He

appears to be a concerned parent and a courteous man, and I am

confused as to why those who do not know him try to portray him as

something else entirely, when there is no evidence to support their

claims.

This is why I read Peggy Haidl’s response to Cohen’s diatribe with

a sense of relief. Haidl, an intelligent woman who is well respected

in the community, knows the involved parties personally. It is her

words that should carry the most weight in this matter.

Again, she makes it obvious that Greg Haidl’s family cares a great

deal about him and that his father, Don Haidl, is in no way an

absentee father. It is clear to me that the Haidls do indeed have

great concern for Greg -- certainly more than is shown by unprovoked

attacks by therapists who should know better.

* SUE ANN YASGER is a resident of Anaheim Hills.