The Break-Up Retreat(8)
And the ones who never came back from Himlafall at all.
“Sure,” I say, smiling back at her. “Of course.”
“Saddened, but relieved”—Doctor Martina Hastings speaks out about recent investigation
by: Greta Ludwigsson
08:24, 04/09–2024
The investigation that was initiated by the SPA’s Ethics Board against the Himlafall Clinic last fall after anonymous accusations were filed alleging patient abuse has found no evidence of wrongdoing. In conversation with Stockholm Daily , founder Doctor Martina Hastings says she is happy but not surprised with the ruling.
The Himlafall Clinic is a privately owned psychological treatment center founded and run by Doctor Martina Hastings, known from her internationally bestselling book Freud’s Ex-Girlfriend and her work as the on-staff psychologist for Good Morning, Stockholm . The Himlafall Clinic opened in June of 2022 and has been operating ever since, treating patients seeking help for problems with romantic relationships.
In October, Doctor Martina spoke out on her Instagram account about the fact that the Swedish Psychologist’s Association’s Ethics Board had opened an investigation into the clinic after a person who wished to remain anonymous had filed a complaint. According to Doctor Martina’s statement, the person had alleged that the clinic was mistreating its patients, providing insufficient support, and neglecting to meet the standard of care set for in-patient treatment centers.
“Basically, they are saying that we are gaslighting and abusing the people who come to us for help, and I have to admit that that hurts my heart,” Doctor Martina said in the video, posted on October 19th. “But I welcome the investigation. I want our current and future patients to feel completely safe in our care, and I am confident that the SPA will find that they are.”
When asked to comment on the conclusion of the investigation, Doctor Martina said that she is happy with how the process has been handled.
“The SPA investigators treated us with the utmost respect, but I have to admit, I’ll be glad to put this behind me. As any kind of caregiver will tell you, when you dedicate your life to helping other people, it’s painful to have your methods and motivations questioned.”
When asked whether they will be changing their procedures following the investigation, Doctor Martina said no.
“Our method has a solid scientific basis, and in the last two years, we have seen truly fantastic results with our patients. I do not believe that a patient of ours was the one to file the complaint. Sadly, many of the women who come through our clinic have been in toxic and sometimes abusive relationships. When I started my work with the Himlafall Clinic, I knew there was a risk of retaliation from jilted ex-lovers. All we can do it keep performing the work, remember the importance of it, and hope that the people who would do something like this will find the strength to seek out the care they need.”
Chapter 5
As the other caretaker, Anna, leads me out of the building, the cold, crisp air jolts me back into myself.
I didn’t realize just how strange I was feeling in that room, with Martina, until now. My knees feel watery, and there is a strange lump in my throat.
I’m not scared , I tell myself as we walk toward the pond. She’s a fraud, not a monster.
It would be more soothing if I could make myself believe it.
The sun has begun its slow journey toward the treetops, the light turning from searing white to a softer yellow, the surface of the pond shimmering in the late afternoon sunshine.
Trying to shake myself from my reverie, I ask Anna:
“Was the pond here when the place was built? Or did Martina have it . . . installed?”
Anna laughs. She’s got a slightly different vibe from Belinda, I notice now; less meditative, more energetic. Or maybe it’s just the fact that she’s taller and has broader shoulders than her colleague.
Armin once told me I was prone to making assumptions about character based on looks, something which deeply offended me, mostly due to the fact that he was completely correct.
“I don’t know,” she responds, sounding genuinely amused. “But putting a pond here because she thought there should be a pond here feels like a very Doctor Martina-like thing to do.”
“Yeah, she seems very . . .” I search for the right word, something to capture the force of her personality without giving away my true feelings.
“. . . determined.”
“That she is,” Anna agrees.
As we pass by the first cabin on the right, I look up at it, taking in the neat red tiles on the pointed roof and the lingonberry bushes crowding the corners.
There is a flash of a shadow behind one of the windows. Someone moving inside.
One of my fellow “patients”? Or a Himlafall employee?
I can’t help but wonder what brings someone to a place like this. Despite the idyllic surroundings, the soft, velvety silence hanging over the surface of the pond, the cool, crisp air, there is a quiet whisper in the recesses of my mind. Like a warning.
Is Anna feeling it, too?
“How long have you been working here?” I ask her.
“Just a few weeks,” Anna says. “Belinda has been here for a couple of months, I think.”
This lines up with what I’ve been told.
“They can’t keep any staff members for longer than a couple of months. People just keep rotating in and out of there. There is no continuity. I think it’s by design.”