It's been glitterbombed, infiltrated by gay men pretending to seek "pray away the gay" reparative therapy and mocked by Jon Stewart and Jerry Seinfeld on the Daily Show. It's been the focus of the Last Word by Lawrence O'Donnell. But the eponymous Bachmann and Associates clinic is no more.
On October 1, 2013, Bachmann and Associates rebranded itself as Counseling Care. Bluestem confirmed the official date of the name change in a phone conversation with a staffer at the Burnsville branch.
Moreover, the political career of the wife of chief counselor Michele Bachmann has disappeared from the site as well, ending a long-standing practice stemming from the days when Congresswoman Bachmann served in the Minnesota House (see the final paragraph of the newspaper clip to the right).
The web site for the Christian counseling centers in Burnsville and Lake Elmo welcomes visitors with a flash show and this text:
Many people find themselves feeling overwhelmed at some point in their lives. We’re here to offer you hope. You can receive healing. Your life can change.
OUR COUNSELORS
The counselors at Counseling Care look forward to serving you in a professional, caring environment. We provide a setting where
- you can be heard.
- you can receive quality counseling.
- you can find help to heal your hurt.
DR. MARCUS BACHMANN
Dr. Marcus Bachmann, president of Counseling Care, has been a clinical therapist in the Twin Cities for more than 20 years. “I believe my call is to minister to the needs of people in a practical, caring and sensitive way.” Marcus and his wife are the parents of five children (shown below) and have been foster parents to more than 20 children. The family lives in the St. Croix Valley.
The photo is nowhere to be seen, and Michele's name pushed back another level to the Meet Dr. Bachmann page. Even there, only her first name and not her political office-holding is mentioned. That's a change from the old text and the lovely family photo (right) is also gone:
Marcus and his wife, Congresswoman Michele Bachmann are the parents of five children and have been foster parents to more than 20 children. The family lives in the St. Croix Valley.
Another Bachmann family member has joined the staff, according to the new Meet Our Counselors page:
Lucas P. Bachmann, MD
Psychiatrist
Works with ages 8 and olderDr. Bachmann believes that understanding the biological, psychological, and social characteristics of a patient and their family is crucial to providing mental healthcare in a safe and therapeutic environment.
The rebranding appears to have been planned for some time. According to records at the Minnesota Secretary of State's office, the new name was registered on February 18, 2013. The new domain name was secured on February 4, 2013.
Photos: Newspaper clip from the Forest Lake Times announcing the open of a new Bachmann and Associates office while Michele Bachmann still served in the Minnesota Senate (above); the Bachmann family portrait from the old Bachmann and Associates website.
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What a good gig. Michele Bachmann makes hateful remarks about gay people, which in turn sends them to their clinic looking for "reparative" therapy to change them from gay to straight. Of course this is not possible, but the Bachmanns will take their money and pretend that it is. If those looking for "ex-gay" therapy can't afford the therapy, no problem. The Bachmanns will accept money from Medicare. Michele RAILED against entitlements and government pork for years, but neither she nor Marcus are so concerned about such things when they're feeding at the trough. Medicare and farm subsidies are fine if they're lining the pockets of Republicans.
Posted by: Gigi Suvari | Dec 06, 2013 at 04:14 PM