The Berglerians

Born in 1899, Dr. Edmund Bergler was a respected psychoanalyst and worked at the Psychoanalytic Freud-Clinic in Austria. He wrote more than 20 books and published scores of articles. But today, his name is mostly forgotten-except among a small, loyal group of followers, including Dr. Melvyn Iscove, who used his methods for more than 40 years. Bergler was notable for many things, including coining the term "writer's block." He was also fascinated with certain sexual orientations, and believed that homosexuality could be "cured." The team discovers archival audio that provides a glimpse into Bergler's views and explores the enduring impact of Bergler's work and its influence on Dr. Iscove.

The Oath examines the case of Dr. Melvyn Iscove, whose medical license was revoked in 2018 for allegedly sexually abusing two patients. When journalist Krysia Collyer first came across Dr. Iscove’s case, it seemed straightforward—until she and her co-producer, Brennan Leffler, began digging. What happened to those two patients was only part of a long, unusual story involving Iscove’s dedication to a largely forgotten 1950s psychoanalyst who believed homosexuality could be cured. The case raises serious questions about Ontario’s medical regulator: Can it be trusted to protect patients, and how does it handle potential cases of so-called “conversion therapy”?

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