Princess Cheyenne, stripper, ALLEGEDLY practiced as unlicensed psychologist
Anyone remember Princess Cheyenne? If not you might have heard about a South Shore woman has been indicted on charges she has ALLEGEDLY practiced for years as an unlicensed psychologist, state authorities said Thursday. Louise Wightman, 46, of Hull, was indicted by a Suffolk County grand jury on several counts of filing false health care claims, insurance fraud, and larceny over $250, according to Attorney General Thomas Reilly’s office.
Wightman, who also was indicted on one count of practicing psychology without a license, has been summonsed to court for arraignment on Oct. 20.
Lucy Wightman, a former exotic dancer who used the name “Princess Cheyenne,” allegedly saw patients at South Shore Psychology Associates, a business she founded more than five years ago.
Reilly’s office alleged that Wightman has never applied for or received a license to practice as a psychologist in Massachusetts, which requires a doctoral degree in psychology from a state-recognized program.
Wightman, who has a masters degree in counseling psychology, is allowed to practice as a psychotherapist, which does not require a state license, the attorney general’s office said.
State investigators said most of her clients were school-age children and teenage girls with eating disorders.
Wightman’s phone number in Hull is non-published.
Update on the Lucy Wightman case
Lucy was convicted of larceny Friday for posing as a psychologist and treating patients for seven years.
Louise Wightman, 47, of Hull was found guilty on 19 of 25 counts by a Suffolk Superior Court jury after less than two days of deliberations. Each count carries a maximum five-year prison sentence. She was scheduled to be sentenced on May 14.
Let’s all keep Lucy in our hearts as recent tragedies have brought enough sadness in her life.
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Comments
There is so much to this story that has not yet been told.
Well I am only sharing the info not accusing. What else is there that’s not been said in the papers?
I believe most people will read into this to find out how a dancer became a psychologist.
Others will want to know how does someone who councels people with her sexuality switch to wanting to help others using the practice of Psychology.
Care to share?
I do understand that you were not accusing. I like your thoughts on what others may want to know and only wish that it was this neutral curiousity I was dealing with rather than such hostility
I am trying to reach Lucy Wightman for a story we are running this week about the indictment. Since your number is unlisted, Ms. Wightman, please call me at 781 925 9266. Thanks for your time. Susan Ovans, Editor
Sorry, I should have included the name of the paper: It’s The Hull Times. Thanks.
Lucy, I’m sure you’re going to get solicitations from all over. You’re anonymous enough here that you can speak freely about your situation. Please share for the other people who’s curiosity has been piqued. Maybe we can help.
This would NOT have been a blip on the press radar if the “Princess Cheyenne” part of the story was left out.
I agree Ken about being a blip on the radar – what happens if we google Lucy Wightman? Thank you for your posting.
I would like to respond to your first question by sharing the first part of this storyline which is that in November of 2004 I received 3 emails from unknown AOL screen names threatening to go to Fox 25 and expose my past… and to go to the AG’s office since I used a business name with the word “psychology” in it… and to also warn me of leaving the office at night.
Actually, I did find this site, among many others, by using Google for “Louise Wightmanâ€. The “blip†on my hometown paper’s radar screen was not the Princess Cheyenne tagline, but a press statement from the Attorney General’s office that a local resident had been indicted. They do it all the time. In fact, the day before we had been notified by Reilly’s office about a local contractor who had been fined for failing to clean up an environmentally sensitive site. Don’t you think it’s kind of ironic, Ken, that you’re assuring Ms. Wightman that you’re oh-so-sensitive to her situation when, in fact, you’re the one who posted the headline “Princess Cheyenne, stripper, practiced as unlicensed psychologist†and are urging her to “bare all,†so to speak, for your readers? I put out my name and the name of my paper on your blog because I think it’s only fair to use as many sources as I can to give Ms. Wightman an opportunity to make a statement, if she so chooses, particularly since she lives in this small town. Whether she chooses to respond, or not, I can assure her that she needn’t lose any sleep thinking that, come Friday morning, her hometown weekly will have posted such a crass headline.
When I first read about this story it was online and to be honest “stripper turned psychologist” is what attracted me to read more.
I learned that Lucy had a very interesting past with celebrities, media, Playboy, bodybuilding and now as a Psychotherapist.
I just hate how the “extreme” and “shock” news sources want to take a story and bust it all apart and get some credit for doing it. I had Fox25 at my house for an incident this past Christmas Eve and they stayed for hours reporting on how we were driven out of our home due to a storm only to put a spin on some facts we gave them and make it look like Fox25 cares. Anything for Ratings!
I’ve frequented strip clubs and I know how the public has an idea of the personality of the typical dancer. I found it interesting that Lucy Wightman seemed NOT the typical girl who only wants to get naked and party.
To reply to your comment, Susan Ovans, I urge Lucy to get her side out to the public and let the public has its equal share of the story. I think talking to your paper would be a good thing and also I wouldn’t mind helping her out with maybe creating a website for her to document and tell her own side of things.
In Lucy’s own words.
It seems to me, as I read all the comments, that Susan Owens is just trying to get an exclusive story. The way she is going about it is to put down this blogger for being curious and wanting to hear Lucy’s side of the story. She is trying to convince Lucy that she cares about her and how the story comes off when really, just like any other journalist, she would like to get the scoop first for her paper. Susan, you are very transparent. But that’s just my opinion.
If I didn’t care about Ms. Wightman’s right to privacy, I would hop in my car, drive about five minutes, and go knock on her door and ask for a statement. This is a very small town and I’ve been a reporter here since 1979. I know where she lives. Transparency is not a bad thing, Erin. I’m trying to do my job in an ethical way and being fair to the subject of the story in trying to contact her for a comment without sticking my nose [and my camera] in her face. When I saw that she had responded to Ken’s postings, I thought perhaps it would be a way to let her know we were trying to reach her without being too invasive. But I guess that doesn’t fit your stereotype of “just like any other journalist 
that’s all fine and good but you are putting down this website and it’s creator Ken for the tagline that was used. Did he know anything but what had already been written on this story before Lucy started commenting? No, probably not. So do you find it hard to beleive that he could now have compassion for this woman that he has exchanged comments with? He is also just putting it out there that if she wanted to tell her side of the story she is more than welcome to do it here. I don’t know if you’ve noticed but this isn’t some bigtime operation he has running here, it’s just somebody’s blogging site that you happened to find.
I am grateful to any other voices that speak to the many issues raised by recent events. There are layers upon layers of meaning and expressions of the way we exist together here in this world that come about from the components like… politics, objectification, first dibs/scoops, sensationalism, right to privacy, beastly media power, justice, but mostly care and love lost in empty disconnection.
and I wanted to respond to Susan by saying thank you for not showing up for a front door ambush as Channel 7 did (at which point Hull police did a respectful job moving them on and away – thank you, AND at which point a most compassionate and open minded neighbor brought me a scary mask and rainbow clown wig. I will be curious what the HEADLINE will read should you choose to report. I will be watching for it. Along the lines of your sensitivity, Susan, to privacy, what would you think if I told you that hundreds of past and present patients were COLD CALLED by the AG’s office (apparently they weren’t “flooded”)???
WOW the AG did that? How did they get their records and numbers?
Lucy you gotta get your side of the story out to curious minds before this gets too warped.
in my opinion
That’s what I’d like to know. I find it incomprehensible that under the pretense of protecting the public, an institution can violate the public’s right to privacy so flagrantly. The Machiavellian tactics underscore the real intent and over arching agenda of this case. Is the state AG really protecting us or serving their own interests by dredging up yet another cheap morality play to be acted out on the 6 o’clock news and in the daily rags? I feel it’s the latter and once again our tax dollars are being spent to create a smoke screen; it’s a ruse to get politicians elected. Tom Reilly and the state AG certainly do benefit from all this publicity. But the whole story is indeed not being told. On the surface, Ken’s indictment above is so easy to get one’s mind around. It’s all packaged up and delivered to you in easily understandable terms. His assumption that all strippers use their sexuality in whatever they do, past present or future, and, moreover, draw all career and professional goals from that sexuality is precisely the assumption the media wants you to make. Because it sells papers and has the added boon of getting Reilly into another term as the moral defender of “family values.” It’s BS and it’s the only scam I can see being run in this whole damn story. Lucy is the real deal. It’s the taudry relationship politicians and the media have that is the scam. Susan, be a journalist now and not a newspaper reporter and get the *whole* story!
Wow Al you got deep there.
Lucy you gotta come out with a book with your whole story in it. Post some of those bodybuilding pics in there too.
If you tell the whole story then bust it WIDE OPEN.
Al’s concise and pointed summary, while not “in my own words,” per se, is.
Understandably I have to be cautious and as much as “busting it wide open” has been an urgent temptation from the start of all this, right now other’s voices mean more and keep me protected from what I as yet, cannot understand.
I hope that the larger concerns and mysteries continue to spark dialogue here and as I can, while still taking care of myself, I will comment.
Meanwhile it is Talbot’s or Ann Taylor for my day in court.
What is your court date?
The 20th of October at Suffolk Superior
Lucy is the real deal and I am behind her 100%.
All that is happening is for the publicity of the AG’s office to get Reilly elected again…Frankly it makes me sick. Aren’t there “real” fights to fight out in this world that would really make a difference? Too bad the AG’s office doesn’t have a brain or a backbone to fight a real fight.
On a side note, LW…I’d go to Ann Taylor!
thank you C~ and thank you Al for being supportive.
How DID they get all those names and numbers??? The investigator told one woman “from your insurance company” !!!
Hey!!! What happened to HIPAA??!!! All those forms we have to sign saying we read the reams of small print about our PRIVACY??? And the sharing of private information??? So I guess TUFTS must have let their guard down? Or was somebody being dishonest and MISREPRESENTING the TRUTH??
This whole thing has me so FIRED UP!!!! She was a stripper???? Say it isn’t so….
Last time I checked we all have a past. It is very unfortunate that Lucy’s past is being brought up and as a result her name being dragged through the mud. I for one don’t give a rat’s a** about her past. What I know about Lucy Wightman is simply this. She goes above and beyond to help those who want to be helped. She put’s in 110% all day every day. She is kind, caring, and compassionate. She is a real person, who give’s great feedback. She is knowledgeable and witty. She is strong, and a true inspiration to me. She has shown me when the world throws lemons make lemonade. Maybe she should bring some lemonade to her court date and share some with those who are throwing the lemons???? Just a thought. This is a cruel world and it pisses me off that one of the good people in this world is being scrutinized and made out to be bad. I for one don’t get it. I do and will continue to stand by her all the way.
Susan, I left you a message at the number above. The whole story is not being told. Be Tom Wolfe with me for a minute and see what this thread reveals.
I have never submitted a blog entry before, being of the baby boomer generation it is a new concept. However, I feel compelled to weigh in on this discussion. My daughter has been a patient of Lucy’s for the past four years. She is one of the “children” with an eating disorder. In contrast to what the Boston Globe article implies, my daughter has been very much helped by Lucy. She has a clear understanding of who my daughter is and has been and continues to be a great help to her. One of the facts that the articles have conveniently left out is that Lucy completed four years of academic work in psychology at the doctoral level at the Massachuetts School Of Psychology When my husband and I interviewed Lucy, she was honest about what her schooling was and we accepted the fact that she was not licensed nor did she have a doctorate in psychology. There really are so many layers to this story that it is difficult to decide which to write about. There is way more to talk about but this is a start.
Can we get beyond the stripper and shady background of Lucy Wightman? We all have a history and can understand why she would want her past to be private. Let’s move onto the indictment charges. The issue here is fraudulant behavior. Ms. Wightman has been calling herself a doctor when she does not hold a valid phd (in psychology anyhow). She has been treating patients who have been told that she is a psychologistand has signed off on legal and insurance forms as holding a phd. Ms. Wightman purchased her “phd” from a diploma mill. Why is this? Something is not right. If you have all of the required course work and experience, then why not have a legal phd document from an accredited school? What’s the story?
I told Al today that I would post my story on this site as soon as we went to press. So here it is. I also thought that doing so might assuage Ms. Wightman’s worry about what her hometown paper will say.
Local resident charged with posing as a psychologist
By Susan Ovans
A Hull resident was indicted last week by a Suffolk Court grand jury on Attorney General Tom Reilly’s charges that she practiced as an unlicensed psychologist.
Louise Wightman, also known as Lucy Wightman, 46, was charged with six counts each of filing false healthcare claims and insurance fraud, 26 counts of larceny over $250, and a single count of practicing psychology without a license. She will be arraigned on the charges Oct. 20 in Suffolk Superior Court.
Massachusetts law requires that psychologists possess a doctoral degree in the field from a state-recognized program, and that they be licensed with the state Division of Professional Licensure. Wightman has never applied for nor received a license to practice as a psychologist, according to a statement released last Thursday by the AG’s office, although for five years she has owned 99-percent interest in a company called South Shore Psychology Associates, LLC.
The company had offices in Hingham and, later, Norwell, and is currently named South Shore Psychotherapy Associates. Psychotherapists need not be licensed in Massachusetts.
Wightman earned a bachelor’s degree from Emerson College and a master’s in counseling psychology from Lesley University. Although she reportedly completed several years of study toward a PhD at the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology, she didn’t complete the program.
The indictments allege that Wightman paid $1,299 to receive a doctoral degree in psychology from Republic of Dominica-based Concordia College & University, an online institution that is not recognized by the state of Massachusetts.
Wightman and a former classmate formed South Shore Psychology Associates in 1998 and developed a patient base that specialized in children’s issues, particularly eating disorders among young women, but also dealt with adult issues like anger management and marriage counseling.
The indictments allege that Wightman helped some patients obtain reimbursement for her services from six different health insurance providers by fraudulently representing herself as a psychologist and as possessing a psychology degree.
The indictments further allege that Wightman stole money from 26 patients and their families by enlisting them to sign on as patients under the false belief that she was a licensed psychologist.
Wightman’s Hull telephone number is unlisted, and she could not be reached for comment. Hull police, reportedly acting on Wightman’s request, this week removed a Boston TV news crew from her doorstep, according to the police log.
However, a person who represented himself as one of Wightman’s patients called the Times today to dispute the AG’s charges.
“Lucy [Wightman] never misrepresented herself to me as a psychologist,†the male, who asked not to be identified, said. “Any insinuations to the contrary are really sickening.â€
The man said he was angered to have been contacted by the state Attorney General’s office in connection with this case, and alleged his rights to have his medical history remain private had been violated by his insurance carrier.
According to the AG’s statement, the case was referred to Reilly’s office by BlueCross/Blue Shield of Massachusetts.
Questions surrounding Wightman’s credentials first surfaced in a Fox 25 Undercover news report by Mike Beaudet that aired Feb. 20.
In the TV segment, Fox Undercover producer Jonathan Wells used a hidden camera for an interview with Wightman, during which she allegedly told him she was a psychologist.
Beaudet also revealed that Wightman – then Lucy Johnson – in the 1970s had been a celebrated exotic dancer who performed as Princess Cheyenne at various Boston clubs and, later, at The Foxy Lady in Providence; had once been engaged to singer Cat Stevens before the musician converted to Islam; had hosted a radio talk show and appeared in Playboy; and competed as a bodybuilder and won a state title – all before she went back to school to earn her master’s degree and pursue a career in counseling.
It was insight gained from her diverse background, Wightman’s anonymous patient said today, that makes her “a gifted and knowledgeable†therapist.
“She totally transformed herself,†he said. “I think that’s a very noble thing.â€
Susan, Thanks for letting us preview the article. It was fairly written. We will always find someone to be on both sides of the argument. I happened to see the Fox25 interview when Lucy was asked if she were a psychiatrist and she responded that she was a psychologist. I also have paperwork signed by Lucy Wightman, Phd, and Psychologist. This paperwork is for insurance purposes as well as legal purposes. Is this fraud? I also believe that because many of Wightman’s patients were children, she should expect hostile reactions from parents. I can parallel it to seeing a physician for years only to find out they are cpr trained and bought their degree in the Dominican Republic since no one else would honor their course work.
I agree with “Claire” regarding your presentation, Susan and I hope your work is recognized as going above and beyond the yellow journalism game of telephone tag that has been played.
I missed the Fox25 news report. Anyone have it saved on their computer?
you HEARD WHAT on FOX25??? With a hidden camera? Wait.. was this a consenting interview Ms. Wightman gave to the show or a hidden camera???
YEAAA how did they use that video on TV? I assume they didn’t have permission to use it. Is there some funky law that enables them to use it cause they’re the press.
The point is that she lied.
Ken, If you go to http://www.fox25.com and go to the Fox Undercover link on the left you will find the written story (posing as a psychologist) with her interview.
Claire….you state you have “legal and insurance papers” signed from Lucy Wightman, PhD and Psychologist which leads us to believe you (or a family member) saw Lucy Wightman…….so tell us Clarire……..are you one of the 26?
I am not one of the 26.
The point is wiretapping is a FELONY.
Another point is Claire SHIRKED the concern and like most people comes to conclusions without a logical and stepwise analysis of all the facts.
We are all more comfortable once we think we know it all.
Interesting. Maybe Claire went to grad school with me for those 7 years??
How did I SHIRK the concern? So give me the facts. Did she lie or not?
No on the grad school. I only vacation in the Domincan Republic.
And while we are on the subject of SHIRKING, did it occur to legal haven that Ms. Wightman did some shirking of her own? Perhaps shirking the fact that she called herself a doctor?
Clarie….when you have a PhD, (which Ms. Wightman does) you can call yourself a doctor!
Your point is???? I never claimed to be a doctor. A PhD? Wow. Congratulations!! Could you share the source?
Let’s try to say this a bit more elementary then for those who can’t seem to understand or grasp a point…….When an individual earns a PhD, that specific individual now has the honor and privledge of calling themselves Dr.
Thank you, C, for clearing that up. I can now get a grasp on your point. However, the point I cannot seem to grasp is where the supposed PhD came from. Perhaps you could help me to understand, in a more elementary way, that is. And did she have this PhD (I am assuming in psychology?)while she was treating all of her patients?
Can someone clarify the fact that she was turned in by BCBS for credentialing issues. This would mean that they realized that she really doesn’t have a state recongnized license to practice psychology in Massachusetts. Do health insurances pay claims for their patient when they see a psychotherapist as Lucy states she is? Again, I’m just trying to get clarification from someone that knows. If they don’t then I’m not sure how she would defend submitting claims to health insurance companies and receiving money. Does anyone know the answer to that?
I have BCBS insurance and they do not and have never asked me if my therpist is licensed or if she has a PhD. I submit my claim and get paid. They don’t even require the signature of my therapist on the form.
I have submitted claims to insurance that were signed by Lucy Wightman and she was later called to question her licence #. The insurance company (not BCBS) finally did pay some claims but assuming the claims were for a psychologist as they were signed.
I do not know if the insurance would cover a therapist that was not in their group. I will bet that BCBS will change their policy.
A question for “C”: If Lucy Wightman does indeed have her PhD in psychology, then why was she indicted by the grand jury? If her lawyers produced her PhD, she should have been easily cleared. Perhaps she should get a new legal team?
I’m sure she’s not going to spill all the details of her case and situation until after her court appearances. Im sure her lawyer has advised her of that also.