Home / Crime and Justice / Therapist Denies Recommending Pureed Food for Abused Boys
Therapist Denies Recommending Pureed Food for Abused Boys
29 Nov
Summary
- Therapist claims she suggested smoothies, not exclusively pureed food.
- Boys allegedly malnourished and emaciated, one died in care.
- Trial explores therapist's advice on trauma and behavioral regulation.
A child and family therapist, Terra Bovingdon, testified in the first-degree murder trial of Brandy Cooney and Becky Hamber, denying she recommended exclusively pureeing the food for two Indigenous brothers in their care. Bovingdon stated she suggested smoothies and potentially bottle feeding as therapeutic interventions for trauma.
The trial has heard allegations that the women abused and neglected the boys, L.L. and J.L. L.L. died in their care in December 2022, found severely malnourished and emaciated. His death and the treatment of J.L., including alleged confinement and assault, are central to the charges.
Bovingdon described her practice as helping families understand and regulate trauma responses through play and repetition. She recommended rhythmic activities and engaging with children at a younger developmental level, but asserted this did not include ongoing confinement or a diet solely of pureed food, contradicting the defense's claims.
