A famous Belarusian psychologist accused of harassment. Now, not only he may face problems because of this
Dmitry Dzyakau, founder of the Belarusian Society for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Doctor of Psychological Sciences, and Professor, has been expelled from the Russian Association. In Belarus, attempts are currently being made to turn a blind eye.
"Nasha Niva" spoke with Belarusian psychologists to find out what is happening.
Sources emphasize that Dmitry Dzyakau has indeed done a lot for the development of CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) in Belarus. About 80% of Belarusian CBT therapists studied under him, and he represented the country in many international communities.
However, they also note: he is quite vengeful, unyielding, and only likes those who fully submit to him.
Unpleasant stories involving him came to light by chance this year.
"Somewhere in mid-July, a case of harassment, in which a Russian man was accused, was discussed in a Russian CBT therapists' chat. A Belarusian woman joined the conversation and wrote that there is also harassment in the Belarusian CBT community. After that, other women began to write that they clearly understood who was being talked about," says a source for "Nasha Niva".
One of the women claimed that Dzyakau made intimate overtures and demanded sex. After being refused, the professor promised that the woman's professional life would be difficult. And indeed, he began to make things difficult: he did not allow her to complete a course she had paid for, and refused supervision.
Following this story, concerned individuals began to collect other examples of Dzyakau's harassment. Sources say that at least six victims confirmed their stories and shared screenshots of correspondence and voice messages from the professor.
"In principle, I can't say that this surprised anyone much," adds the source. "It wasn't like, 'I would never have thought that of him.' Because inappropriate quasi-sexual jokes and hints are very much Dima's style. Those who worked with Dzyakau at Maxim Tank Belarusian State Pedagogical University say 'he's really like that,' referring to his not-so-decent behavior with women."
In Belarus, attempts are being made to hush up the scandal.
However, in Russia, things are not going so well for Dzyakau — a harassment complaint was sent to the Association of Cognitive Behavioral Psychotherapists. On October 12, his case was reviewed at a meeting, and as a result, he was expelled without the possibility of reinstatement (but the professor can try to appeal the decision within 30 days). The vote was unanimous.
The content of the complaints received by the ethics committee is not disclosed to protect the data of the applicants.
Dzyakau now has no right to speak on behalf of the association or to participate in its activities related to teaching or supervision.
Meanwhile, the Belarusian Society for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy has come out in support of Dzyakau. It is reported, for example, that the man has already contacted the Belarusian police and prosecutor's office to deal with those who are spreading information about harassment on his part.
Colleagues from the Russian association are accused of not informing Dzyakau of the details of the accusations, and also of the ethics committee not speaking with the main subject of the story.
But it should also be noted that Dzyakau is the founder and a board member of the Belarusian Society for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy — the psychologist only ceased to lead it this July. This means he theoretically has the ability to influence the organization's position.
As psychologists note, Dmitry himself privately says that these are all intrigues by competitors. The Minsk CBT Center (where Dzyakau is the scientific director) is a fairly successful commercial organization that runs long-term courses.
Due to this scandal, other Belarusian CBT specialists have encountered problems. One of them is that there are not enough accredited CBT psychologists in Belarus to receive supervision for international certification.
Dzyakau is one of the few specialists in Belarus who has the right to officially conduct CBT supervision according to all European standards.
"People who are currently undergoing training will most likely not be able to obtain certification. The documents that Dzyakau will now issue will become worthless. As far as is known, complaints have also been sent to the European Association for CBT — there is no official decision there yet."
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