REVEALED: COPS CLOSE IN THERAPIST CRAIG PRICE

Therapist Craig Price with ITV This Morning host Holly Willoughby

Therapist Craig Price with ITV This Morning host Holly Willoughby

EXCLSUSIVE: THE net is tightening on a disciple of healing TV guru couple The Speakmans who is at the centre of an assault probe on a former RUC officer.

Belfast Daily can reveal that police in England are to launch a fraud probe into therapist Craig Price who claims he can cure people of post traumatic distress and other mental health conditions.

Staffordshire Police and the local trading standards department between them have up to TEN complaints of fraud against Price.

We can reveal that Staffordshire Police this week met with local trading standards officers who agreed to launch a fraud investigation against the therapist who learned his craft under world famous Nik and Eva Speakman.

The Speakman are regular guest on the ITV’s This Morning show presented by Philip Schofield and Holly Willoughby.

The police investigation will focus on claims he made to patients that he cure them of a range of mental health issues.

Part of that investigation will focus on an interview Price gave to the Shropshire Star newspaper in 2010.

The article states that Price is “one of only 12 people in the world” practising Visual Coding Displacement Therapy (VCDT) which is a new treatment created by life coaches Nik and Eva Speakman.

It is a theory based on the idea that the human mind is similar to a computer.

Craig Price told the newspaper: “The human mind learns behaviour just in the same way that programs are installed onto a computer. If you have installed a programme into your computer you can uninstall it and replace it with something that’s better.

“A good example is people who have a phobia of spiders. Unless you have ever been bitten by a spider you know that even though they scare you there is no rational thinking behind your fear.

“The fear will stem from something when you were a child; maybe you saw your mum jump once when a spider ran across the floor, over time that feeling will get deeper and deeper until you have a phobia.

“VCDT gives me the keys to unlock the door to these emotions that have been buried away for so long. And once the door has been opened these feelings can be replaced with other positive emotions.”

Those that have undergone VCDT claim it relieves many psychological and physical conditions, including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, general stress, addictions, fears, panic attacks, obsessive compulsive disorders and phobias.

It even has celebrity backing with stars such as Kerry Katona and Kym Marsh swearing by the process.

Asked if it was so successful why it wasn’t available on the National Health Service, Cragi replied: “That is the million dollar question.”

“VCDT was developed by Nik and Eva Speakman; they’ve spent over 10 years developing the therapy but it is not that well known.

TV gurus Nik and Eva Speakman certified Craig Price

TV gurus Nik and Eva Speakman certified Craig Price

“Things are changing though as it has helped stars such as Kerry Katona and Kym Marsh to remove their panic attacks.

“The NHS can’t know about it- if they did it would save millions and help millions of people who are suffering all because they simply don’t know anywhere else to go to obtain help.”

Belfast Daily this week contacted the Speakmans through its public relation firm to comment on the allegations of assault and fraud being levelled agains their disciple Craig Price.

The company refused to answer any of our questions.

Instead, it replied by saying: “Further to the below I have sent this onto the police as you have made some serious allegations and it is now in the hands of the police department.”

Belfast Daily replied stating that Staffordshire Police were already investigating and we were offering the Speakmans a second opportunity to reply to our listed questions.

Therapist Craig Price, who learned his craft under celebrity ITV This Morning life coaches Nik and Eva Speakman, was interviewed under caution in May by officers from Staffordshire police.

The 43-year-old was questioned for half an hour on Monday, May 20, after voluntarily attending a police in Shropshire.

He was interviewed about claims that he assaulted the former RUC officer with a pointed ‘tournament arrow’ during a session to help cure his post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

And Mr Price was also quizzed about claims he defrauded the ex-policeman out of £1,000 after promising he could cure him of his condition.

Now following those revelations in Belfast Daily, other people in England have contacted police to claim they believe Craig Price defrauded them out of money for treatment which never worked.

One of victims, Janine Needs, from Yorkshire, said she “felt worse” after her treatment for anxiety than before she went in.

After reading the story in Belfast Daily, she contacted Staffordshire Police who have asked her to make statement at her local police station.

Janine told Belfast Daily: “I had an appointment with Craig Price at which he talked basic text book psychology for three of the four hour appointment.

“He humiliated me and made me feel foolish. His behaviour towards me was totally unprofessional and not at all sympathetic to my anxiety problems.

“At the end of the mind numbing experience, he told me I was “cured” and to “go and enjoy the new you!”

“I was totally deflated and wretched and drove back to Yorkshire feeling conned and very depressed.

“I believe this man makes false claims and is a serious danger to people suffering with mental issues.

“He should be thoroughly investigated. I don’t believe he has any formal qualifications to treat the very serious mental conditions he cites on his website.

“I am at present in communication with Staffordshire Police to try to have him investigated.

“The investigating officer, PC Tom Davies, has asked me to make a statement at my local police station so it can be forwarded onto him.”

Janine decided to speak out after reading online in the Belfast Daily the story of an ex-RUC officer.

The former RUC officer (left) pushes arrow into throat as Craig Price looks on

The former RUC officer (left) pushes arrow into throat as Craig Price looks on

He told Belfast Daily how he had two sessions with Craig Price, one in May and the other in July last year.

“During the summer of 2012, I made two expensive trips to England to be treated by one of the Speakman’s ‘elite’ practitioners, Craig Price,” said the ex-policeman.

“Before I left, I spoke to him on the phone and he said he had a 90 per cent success rate with VCDT (visual coding displacement therapy) and ten per cent got between 70 to 80 per cent success rate. Others got 100 per cent success rate.

“His therapy included persuading me to break a wooden tournament arrow at a wall by pressing my throat against it.

“I did it and afterwards he clapped and hugged me.

“It was only after the session and I got into a hired car, my wife said to me: ‘Goodness, what happened to your throat?’.

“I pulled the visor down and checked in the vanity mirror and discovered that the point of the arrow had acutely pierced my skin and cause the wound to bleed.

“The result of this treatment was that when I came home, instead of it making me better it had in fact made my PTSD and other fear-related issues worse.

“It has put my recovery back many years.

“The two sessions cost £1,000 pounds – £500 per session – and during these he spent about ten minutes on VCDT and rest of the time he talked.

“I believe he has committed an act of fraud because he promised he could cure me and he couldn’t.

“Staffordshire police tried to tell me my fraud complaint was a Trading Standards matter.

“But when I contacted Tradings Standards they said it was a police matter.”

His wife has given a statement to the PSNI in Belfast regarding the injury to his throat caused by the arrow which is now in the hands of Staffordshire Police.

“PC Davies told me that the arrows Craig Price brought to the interview were either blunted or rounded.

“But I told him in the presence of witnesses that the arrow Craig Price used on me was pointed and very sharp.”

Craig Price was certified to practice as a pyschotherapist and life coach after training under Nik and Eva Speakman.

However, Price, who address in Companies House is listed as The Stables, Sidway Hall Farm, Market Drayton, Shropshire, is not registered with the British Psychotherapists Society.

Added the former RUC officer: “I asked to go on the ITV This Morning programme to see if the Speakmans would put their money where their mouth is.

“And guess what? ITV have refused to take up the challenge. As yet the people behind the programme have failed to give a valid reason as to why.

Therapist Craig Price with ITV2 Celebrity Juice host Keith Lemon

Therapist Craig Price with ITV2 Celebrity Juice host Keith Lemon

“Perhaps the don’t want to put their guests to the test for fear of failure, something which could damage both the reputation of the Speakmans and the reputation of the programme makers.

“Surely this should be seen as an opportunity to test the authenticity of the Speakmans’ methods and techniques on live TV. Clearly, however, the programme makers lack the courage of their convictions.”

Staffordshire police have confirmed to Belfast Daily that it is currently investigating a number of allegations.

“Earlier last month (May), an allegation of assault was made against an individual who lives in Staffordshire.

“The allegation was made to our colleagues at the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and passed on to Staffordshire Police to progress.

“It relates to an alleged incident last summer at the individual’s home in Staffordshire.

“Inquiries into the allegation are ongoing. A man has been voluntarily interviewed and we can confirm no arrests have been made.

“The man was was questioned about an allegation of fraud.”

PC Tom Davies told the complainant that during the course of the interviews he personally tried out the tournament arrow.

“It left a mark on my throat and it was bit painful aftewards,” PC Davies told the complainant.

“The arrows he brought in were rounded at the top. Two were broken but I have retained one of them which is unbroken.”

Belfast Daily has tried to contact Craig Price for a number of weeks now without success.

We have left a number of voicemails on his phone but none of the calls have been returned.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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