Cat Becomes Licensed Psychotherapist

by Dr. Chris

January 30, 2011 Zoe, a cat has received many diplomas, but her owner, Steve Eichel, PhD, ABPP says he did this to show how easy it is for uneducated hacks to receive degrees from diploma mills.

Dr. Eichel said that diploma mills, in exchange for money, will credential almost any scammer or hack. To see pictures of her diplomas see: Credentialing: It May Not Be the Cat's Meow.

To get started with the scam, Zoe first got some credentials that only required that a fee be paid. After enough paid credentials, more professional organizations like the American Psychotherapy Association were more then happy to also give credentials to Zoe the cat.

The game ended when a reported called and wanted to talk to 'Dr. Zoe D. Katze' for advice on an article childbirth and hypnosis. That is when Steve Eichel spilled the beans. You can read all about it here: Credentialing: It May Not Be the Cat's Meow.

This isn't the first time an animal has received a diploma. Many people have pulled this stunt in the past in order to discredit or mock professional organizations that they disagree with.

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