The Full Story
Advocacy for Resident Physicians
The four years I spent in Psychiatry residency at the University of Utah revealed a training environment with components worthy of praise and others worthy of revision. of deeply flawed culture—one that rewarded favoritism, suppressed individuality, and trivialized harm. My aspirations and innovative ideas were dismissed, and I was denied opportunities routinely offered to my peers. I was excluded from presenting at Grand Rounds, denied an assigned faculty mentor, and told I was not wanted at my own class’s graduation. Faculty inferred I was a disappointment as a woman, and when I sought help to address abuses, my requests were met with accusations that I was manic or delusional.
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Before starting residency, I had completed eight months of additional training, and while every other program offered to credit this time, the University of Utah promised me an additional month of leave to compensate. However, once I started, I was blacklisted and labeled, and every effort I made to succeed was viewed through confirmation bias. I was denied the global mental health track elective, an opportunity given to all my peers, leaving me with one less elective than everyone else. My projects and ambitions were trivialized, forcing me to minimize or hide my work to fit the faculty’s narrative. Instead of the mentorship and support I sought, I faced harassment, defamation, and exclusion at every turn.
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Despite this, I refused to let their treatment define me. I sought mentors outside the program—leaders and experts who saw my potential and encouraged me to forge my own path. With their guidance, I developed an integrative approach to psychiatry that blends trauma-informed care, creative therapies, mindfulness, and advocacy.
These hardships, though unjust, shaped my purpose. Since residency, I have built an internationally recognized platform offering healing interventions, art therapy, trauma-informed resources, global advocacy, and nonviolent activism through initiatives like The Kintsukuroi Project and The Looking Glass Project.
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In 2019, my story also led to change: University of Utah Graduate Medical Education leaders called my treatment “appalling” and implemented a policy granting all residents up to two months of paid leave for mental health, medical, maternity, or paternity needs.
Looking back, I see these experiences for what they were: reflections of a broken system, not of me. They strengthened my resolve to create meaningful work—safe spaces for survivors, innovation, and systemic reform.
To learn more about this journey and the work I’ve built since, read on. This is a story of perseverance, transformation, and the power of turning adversity into a force for good.
Learn More About the Systemic Harms We've Witnessed & Experienced at Univeristy of Utah Training Sites Below!
Nobody should have to endure what I did in training.
If harmed in a University setting, know your rights. Consult an attorney and stay informed. Had I had protection sooner, perhaps the recurrent harms and abuses I experienced from corrupt University faculty could have been avoided.
Recruitment & Initial Agreements
In 2014, I accepted an offer from the University of Utah Psychiatry Residency Program based on an agreement that I would receive additional leave to compensate for the program only crediting 4 of my 12 months of prior Internal Medicine training. Most other programs offered full credit, making this written agreement essential to my choice in choosing the University of Utah Psychiatry Residency Training Program as my training site. Despite this, the program later reneged on the agreement, forcing me to sign a new contract agreeing to work without pay or benefits, placing me at an immediate disadvantage to my peers who went on to receive an additional elective than I despite my agreement upon sign-on.
Early Disclosures and Aspirations
At my first semi-annual review in 2015 with Drs. Benjamin Lewis and Roxanne Bartel, I disclosed:
• My history as a survivor of rape and my goal to advocate for trauma survivors.
• Plans to build a website offering resources for sexual assault survivors.
• Aspirations to pursue certifications in ACT, NLP, and global mental health.
• A vision to serve underserved communities and work with global collaborators including the community in Thailand I became a part of while visiting on academic leave September 2015.
Instead of support, I was met with dismissal and bias:
• Dr. Bartel, known for favoritism, misdiagnosing bipolar disorder in patients, and cruelty toward select residents, labeled my goals as unrealistic and grandiose, refusing to observe my mentors, established career plan, and guides in the areas I endorsed interest.
• Faculty projected unfounded assumptions onto me, comparing me to a former resident who was removed, creating a harmful narrative that I was unstable.
Programmatic and Legal Concerns
• Denying the agreed-upon leave violated fair employment practices and set a precedent of unequal treatment. Disrupting my learning to expose me to further abuse, poor boundaries, overstepping of select faculty, and an abusive climate in which I was forced to sign a contract agreeing to work without pay or benefits in retaliation for my request to have my global mental health track privileges honored.
• Dismissing my disclosures about trauma created a culture of stigma and discrimination, violating Title IX protections.
• These actions highlighted systemic bias, setting the stage for the mistreatment I faced throughout my training.
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Systemic Discrimination & Retaliation in Training
Throughout my residency, I faced systemic discrimination, retaliation, and hostility from faculty and peers. Despite these obstacles, I achieved all the goals the initial directors of the program had judged as unrealistic—and far exceeded them.
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Hostility from Faculty
• Dr. Kelly Lundberg repeatedly targeted me, including calling me a “disappointment as a woman” during a case presentation through a thinly veiled insult regarding the patient I was presenting.
• In 2019, Lundberg attempted to exclude me from my own class’s graduation, claiming I had already been recognized the prior year despite me making it clear I did not want to be recognized. That I simply wanted to be there to honor my peers.
• Drs. Roxanne Bartel, Benjamin Lewis, Paul Carlson, and Douglas Gray treated me with cruelty and dismissal:
• Bartel undermined my goals as unrealistic and projected unsubstantiated claims about my mental health. Despite her judgment, I successfully completed all my goals, including certifications in ACT and NLP, global mental health initiatives, and trauma survivor advocacy.
• Lewis dismissed my stalking reports, spread harmful misinformation, and later publicly rebuked my safety concerns and my work, further fueling hostility.
• Carlson and Gray ignored my reports of unsafe working conditions and retaliated by requiring me to work extra months without pay or benefits as well as my requests for an assigned faculty mentor, something that was supposed to be offered to all resident doctors training within the program.
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Unequal Treatment
• I was only allowed one away rotation in ACT in 2017, while other Global Mental Health track residents received two.
• A second promised global mental health elective was denied under false pretenses, further restricting my professional opportunities.
• After taking my concerns to the Graduate Medical Education Committee, I was not forced to work without pay or benefits to make up the academic leave I had been offered upon sign on. Nor was I forced to work without pay or benefits to make up the the mental health leave I had later been offered to compensate for the abuse and violation of privacy employed by faculty at the time I reported my stalking concerns.
• Despite taking on additional shifts, including a Christmas call, I was falsely accused of not making up time for prior leave, fueling peer resentment.
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Denied Senior Grand Rounds
• I was denied the opportunity to present my senior grand rounds, a standard platform for residents to showcase their work.
• The program canceled all senior grand rounds for my class, further demonstrating discrimination and targeted hostility toward my progress and advocacy efforts.
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University Should Be Safe
Learn more about our to advocate for future students at University of Utah training sites and beyond.
“Human rights education is much more than a lesson in schools or a theme for a day; it is a process to equip people with the tools they need to live lives of security and dignity... let us continue to work together to develop and nurture in future generations a culture of human rights, to promote freedom, security and peace in all nations.”
Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations, Nobel Peace Prize winner
Stalking, Safety Concerns, & Retaliation
In 2016, I began my Psychiatry residency at the University of Utah with a clear vision: to develop innovative projects, pursue advanced training in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), and study global mental health. While I entered excited to learn and grow, I quickly realized the program’s culture rewarded conformity, suppressed individuality, and dismissed those who didn’t fit a narrow mold. My aspirations were trivialized as “unattainable,” and I found myself navigating bias and exclusion while striving to excel.
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During this time, I experienced escalating harassment from a psychiatric technician at what is now the Huntsman Mental Health Institute (HMHI). He followed me into patient rooms, offices, and eventually outside work, trailing me in his car and waiting for me across the street. I initially tried to handle it on my own—aware of the unfair speculation already surrounding me—but when the behavior worsened, I turned to faculty for help.
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When I reported the situation to Dr. Benjamin Lewis, instead of receiving the support and protection I deserved, I was met with dismissal. He claimed I “looked ill,” reinforcing a harmful narrative rooted in bias rather than reality. In a meeting with Drs. Lewis, Roxanne Bartel, and Paul Carlson, my reports of stalking, my projects, and even my ambitions were unfairly reduced to the “ravings of a mad woman.” I was referred for a psychiatric evaluation, while the real issue—my need for safety and support—was ignored.
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The Violations I Faced
• The faculty’s actions represented a profound violation of professional ethics, including the Goldwater Rule, as they made baseless psychiatric judgments without evidence.
• My privacy and dignity were compromised as I was labeled “insane” instead of recognized as a woman in need of help and support from her school and workplace—institutions with a legal obligation to provide a safe learning environment.
• Despite escalating harassment, including the psych tech following me and leaving chocolates on my desk, no protections were put in place. Reports were dismissed as a “cultural misunderstanding,” further trivializing my safety concerns.
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Despite this, I refused to let their treatment define me. I continued to excel in my projects, sought mentorship outside the program, and demonstrated that my ambitions were not “unattainable” but deeply valuable. These experiences, while unjust, became the foundation for what I’ve built today: The Kintsukuroi Project and The Looking Glass Project—internationally recognized platforms offering trauma-informed interventions, art therapy, advocacy, and systemic reform.
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Looking back, I see that the failures I faced were not mine—they were the failures of a system that chose to discredit and exclude rather than support and protect. Instead of breaking me, these experiences strengthened my resolve to create spaces where individuals are seen, heard, and valued.
To learn more about this journey and the work it inspired, read on. This is not just a story of adversity—it’s about resilience, transformation, and turning challenges into a force for meaningful change.
Learn More About Heather's Journey Here
"Late in my third year of residency, after requesting my right to a global mental health track elective, the interim director of the University of Utah Psychiatry Residency Training Program informed me he intended to review my contracts.
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At recruitment, I was promised an additional elective to offset the program’s refusal to credit eight months of prior training, which other programs accepted. After mishandling my stalking reports and violating Title IX in 2016, the program granted me a month of paid leave to recover from their failures.
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During my fourth year, co-residents complained about opportunities I had earned, leading administrators to reduce my electives and delay my registration for a promised global mental health elective until deadlines passed. I was then forced to sign a contract agreeing to work without pay or benefits to “make up” for my leave.
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The interim director compared my situation to his own, sharing that he had once been accused of pedophilia but could not prove his innocence, nor claims of being stalked, which the university refused to address. He said that, similarly, because I could not “prove” my reports of stalking, nothing could be done.
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Forcing me to work without pay violated Title IX protections, which obligated the university to address my harassment reports. Ultimately, the Graduate Medical Education Committee The institution’s failure to enforce these protections highlights systemic issues and neglect of student and faculty rights."
Heather Curtis MD, I THRIVE Creator
Retaliation, Professional Sabotage, & Peer Hostility
During my Psychiatry residency at the University of Utah, I faced escalating retaliation, professional sabotage, and hostility after reporting stalking and raising concerns about faculty mistreatment. Personal details I shared in confidence were weaponized to damage my reputation and limit opportunities.
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Retaliation and Early Harm
• In March 2016, I reported stalking by a psychiatric technician at what is now Huntsman Mental Health Institute (HMHI). Instead of addressing my safety, Dr. Benjamin Lewis dismissed my concerns, claiming I “looked ill.” Truthfully, I was extremely anxious about being stalking in setting of my history of sexual trauma and I suspect that I did appear anxious.
• My reports were further trivialized in a meeting with Drs. Lewis, Roxanne Bartel, and Paul Carlson, where I was referred for a psychiatric evaluation. The evaluation confirmed PTSD but ruled out psychosis or mania. Despite this, my projects and aspirations were discredited, and my concerns were ignored.
• Chiefs and peers spread false claims that I hadn’t made up call shifts. The resident scheduler, believing these rumors, unfairly assigned me extra shifts and Christmas call.
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Escalating Retaliation
• In April 2018, Dr. Douglas Gray retroactively required me to work an additional month without pay or benefits, despite having it in writing that no make-up time was required. The University of Utah Graduate Medical Education Committee corrected this, though I was still disadvantaged by one less global mental health elective than my peers.
• Dr. Kelly Lundberg implied I was a “disappointment as a woman” and discouraged me from attending my own graduation in 2019.
• I was denied a second global mental health elective, granted to all my peers, based on false claims about prior leave.
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2019 Reports and Aftermath
• After reporting mistreatment to the University of Utah OEO and UALD in 2019, the VA training chief provided false negative feedback, undermining my career prospects at other training sites.
• Faculty and peers continued coordinated efforts to sabotage my reputation and isolate me.
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Continued Harm
• In June 2021, Dr. Benjamin Lewis escalated this pattern in a hazing episode, perpetuating ongoing professional harm and humiliation.
• In October 2024, the University of Utah attempted to criminally cite me.
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Systemic Failures and Moving Forward
Throughout training, the program failed to meet its ethical and legal obligations to provide a safe and supportive learning environment. Faculty violated professional standards, including the Goldwater Rule, using unfounded psychiatric speculation to dismiss and discredit me.
Despite these challenges, I refused to let their actions define me. I sought mentors outside the program, excelled in my projects, and pursued opportunities to grow. My work with global communities gave me invaluable training and personal healing, deepening my understanding of trauma-informed care and resilience.
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Out of these challenges, I created The Kintsukuroi Project and The Looking Glass Project—platforms offering trauma-informed healing, art therapy, and tools for advocacy and systemic reform.
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These experiences strengthened my resolve to create spaces where others feel seen, supported, and empowered to thrive. To learn more about this journey and the work it inspired, read on.
Emotional & Psychological Impact
The chronic abuse, retaliation, and systemic discrimination I endured during my Psychiatry residency at the University of Utah caused profound emotional and psychological harm, exacerbating my PTSD and creating long-term personal and professional consequences. Yet, through this trauma and adversity, I held onto a vision: a future where survivors are seen, believed, supported, and protected, and where students can safely pursue their education without fear of harm. I sought to create a better environment not only for survivors but for future students and trainees at the University of Utah and its affiliated training sites.
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Chronic Stress and PTSD
• The persistent hostility, public humiliation, and undermining of my goals created an environment of ongoing emotional trauma, eroding my trust in those meant to support me.
• Retaliatory actions—such as unfounded accusations of psychosis and paranoia—amplified my PTSD symptoms, leading to heightened anxiety, hypervigilance, and emotional exhaustion.
• The program’s repeated failure to address stalking and workplace harassment left me feeling unsafe, unsupported, and constantly on edge.
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Isolation and Alienation
• Faculty weaponized my trauma history and family mental health background to discredit me, twisting my vulnerability into a tool for their own narrative.
• Peers spread false claims about my work and mental health, leading to ostracism and further isolation. Despite excelling in rotations where my history was unknown, the biased narrative constructed by key faculty overshadowed my accomplishments.
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Later Trauma and Continued Negligence
• In June 2020, I experienced further trauma when I was raped in retaliation by Stamatios Dentino, MD—an event that compounded my PTSD and deepened my distrust of systems that should have protected me.
• In 2021, I received a chilling threat from Parth Gandhi’s former business partner, who warned me that my efforts to expose harms in Utah could harm the psychedelic medicine movement and that I could be harmed or murdered as a result. Peers at the University of Utah were negligent in reporting this serious threat to the appropriate boards, as they were required to do.
• Because the University continued to deny their past abuses, I felt I lacked the credibility to come forward and feared additional harm or retaliation if I did.
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Coping Through Advocacy and Vision
• To endure, I turned to trauma-focused therapies, yoga therapy, and professional support to reclaim my mental and emotional well-being.
• These experiences became the foundation for my advocacy work, where I transformed my pain into a mission: building safe spaces for survivors, developing trauma-informed resources, and driving systemic change.
• I committed to creating a better, safer environment for future students and trainees at the University of Utah and its training sites, ensuring no one else would endure what I faced.
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Legal and Ethical Violations
• The program’s failure to address harassment and provide a safe workplace violated employment laws and Title IX protections.
• Faculty and peer actions—including breaches of confidentiality, defamation, and retaliation—demonstrated a systemic disregard for mental health, safety, and basic human rights.
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Through the chronic abuse, systemic failures, and later trauma I endured, I refused to let their actions define me. I built The Kintsukuroi Project and The Looking Glass Project—platforms dedicated to healing, advocacy, and systemic reform. These experiences, while painful, strengthened my resolve to ensure survivors are seen, believed, and protected, and that students have the safe, supportive environments they deserve.
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To learn more about this journey and the work it inspired, read on.
Recommendations for Reform
During my residency at the University of Utah Psychiatry Program, I faced systemic abuse, discrimination, and retaliation, highlighting the need for institutional reform. To address these issues, I propose:
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1. Accountability for Faculty
• Leadership changes: Remove faculty with histories of favoritism, cruelty, or retaliation from positions of authority.
• Independent oversight: Establish third-party committees to investigate claims of misconduct.
2. Protecting Resident Rights
• Confidential reporting: Implement safe mechanisms for reporting harassment and retaliation, ensuring timely action.
• Anti-retaliation policies: Prohibit punitive actions against residents who raise concerns.
• Workplace safety protocols: Develop clear procedures to address stalking and harassment promptly.
3. Equity and Fair Treatment
• Objective evaluations: Assess residents based on performance, free from personal biases.
• Equal opportunities: Ensure all residents have access to comparable rotations and academic platforms.
4. Cultural and Structural Reforms
• Trauma-informed training: Require faculty to complete training to foster a supportive environment.
• Inclusivity and respect: Cultivate a culture where residents can advocate for themselves without fear.
• Boundary training: Educate faculty on maintaining professional boundaries and avoiding misuse of mental health diagnoses.
5. Legal and Ethical Compliance
• Title IX protections: Ensure adherence to laws against gender discrimination and harassment.
• Whistleblower safeguards: Protect residents from retaliation when reporting misconduct.
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Conclusion
Implementing these reforms is essential to create a safe and equitable training environment, protecting residents and enhancing program culture.
After graduation, I faced further retaliation for advocating change, including threats to my safety. These challenges inspired me to expand my mission, leading to initiatives such as:
• The Kintsukuroi Project: Transforming trauma into resilience through healing and advocacy.
• The Looking Glass Project: A platform for nonviolent resistance and systemic accountability.
• Regulatory Framework for Psychedelic Medicine Practitioners: Developing a prototype regulatory body to ensure safety and ethical practice in psychedelic medicine, shared with the Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing (DOPL) and leaders in the field.
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These initiatives reflect our commitment to creating supportive spaces where harm is met with accountability, and healing is prioritized. Read on to learn more about our results and the impact of this work. Together, we can build systems that honor safety, justice, and compassion for all.
Our Results
Through years of dedicated advocacy, I have achieved meaningful reforms to protect survivors and ensure that no student, resident physician, or community member has to endure what I went through. At the University of Utah, my efforts led to the Graduate Medical Education Committee implementing a 2019 leave policy, providing residents with up to two months of paid leave for medical, mental health, maternity, or paternity needs, including paid make-up time. This reform created a lasting impact, ensuring trainees could prioritize their well-being without financial or professional setbacks. I have also submitted comprehensive reform proposals to the University’s Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO) and contributed to systemic improvements within the Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing (DOPL) and the Utah Antidiscrimination and Labor Division (UALD), advocating for survivor protections at institutional and state levels.
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Beyond local reforms, my work has expanded into the evolving psychedelic science community, where I champion trauma-informed practices and safeguards for survivors in these emerging therapeutic spaces. Currently, I am developing a proposal for the United Nations Human Rights Council to establish global standards for protecting survivors of trauma within the psychedelic sciences. Through The Kintsukuroi Project, we transform adversity into opportunities for meaningful change, addressing systemic failures and building a foundation where safety, equity, and healing are prioritized. Survivors deserve to be heard, supported, and empowered—and that is the future I am determined to help create.
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Thank you for being a part of the I THRIVE family. We invite you to explore our site, resources, offerings, and interventions on our social media page @The_Kintsukuroi_Project to learn more about our work and how we are fostering healing, advocacy, and transformation.
“I’ve come to a frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom. It’s my personal approach that creates the climate. It’s my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power to make a child’s life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated and a child humanized or dehumanized.”
Our Next Steps
It's been a long road and we are excited to see real change enacted from our efforts. Here's where we are headed next!
Ensuring Long-Term Institutional Change
To solidify the reforms we’ve achieved at the University of Utah, we will collaborate with leadership to embed trauma-informed policies into the institution’s culture. This includes ongoing faculty training in boundaries, Title IX compliance, and trauma-sensitive care, as well as monitoring the implementation of the new leave policy to ensure it continues to support residents effectively. By institutionalizing these changes, we aim to create a safer and more equitable environment for future students and resident physicians.
Advocating for State, National, & Global Reforms
Building on our local successes, we will expand advocacy efforts to state and national levels through collaboration with organizations like DOPL, UALD, and national graduate medical education bodies. These efforts will promote safety protocols, whistleblower protections, and anti-retaliation policies across medical training programs. Internationally, we are developing a proposal for the United Nations Human Rights Council to establish global standards for protecting trauma survivors and ensuring equity in training and therapeutic environments, creating a blueprint for systemic change worldwide.
Advancing Trauma-Informed Practices in Emerging Therapies
In the growing field of psychedelic science, we will continue to champion ethical standards and trauma-informed care. This includes developing safety guidelines, advocating for survivor protections in research and clinical settings, and collaborating with global stakeholders to ensure these therapies are both effective and safe. By leading these efforts, we aim to ensure that the principles of equity and safety extend to all emerging therapeutic practices.
Take Our Pledge for Peace & Safety!
Our Students Are Our Future. They Are Our Most Precious Resource.
Let's Keep Our Campuses, Communities, & Psychedelic Spaces Safe!
