About the Coalition's Directors

Alfred (Alf) Garbutt, DC, DACRB, DCBCN

Dr. Garbutt is a semi-retired Doctor of Chiropractic who practiced for over 40 years in the Los Angeles area. He specialized in sports and traumatic brain injuries (TBI), with published articles on the subject, and has lectured on TBI at national and international conferences. He has been used as an expert on TBI in California courts.

In the course of his practice, he found that patients he treated who had undergone electroshock therapy did not quickly or properly respond to physical care and continued to experience episodes of memory deficit. None reported any long-term benefits from ECT.

He personally uncovered ECT abuse in one of India's largest psychiatric facilities, including its unmodified administration without anesthetic and muscle relaxant. This led to a formal complaint being filed with the United Nations. Working with other doctors exposing this, public concern eventually led to a ban on unmodified ECT and its use on children.

Partial List of Professional Achievements

• Diplomate, Board certifications in physical rehabilitation and clinical nutrition
• Fellow, American College of Chiropractic Rehabilitation Science
• Former Fellow, Academy of Forensic & Industrial Chiropractic Consultants
• Prior Diplomate certifications with the American Board of Pain Management and American Board of Disability Analysts
• International Sports Medicine Director for the World Organization of Martial Arts Athletes
• Former Senior Editor for The Journal of the North American Rehab Specialist

Stephen Nedd, DC, DACBSP

Dr. Nedd is a Doctor of Chiropractic, originally in Fort Myers and now Clearwater, Florida. He has been in private practice for over 29 years and has lectured on mental health issues and non-harmful alternative approaches to addressing these.

He has recorded over 100 weekly podcasts covering numerous health topics, including the dangers of ECT, which he sees as antipathetic to safe healthcare. As a chiropractor who has also successfully treated epilepsy to prevent neurological damage, he is opposed to the use of a treatment that induces a grand mal seizure or status epilepticus which may cause brain damage. He is also concerned that, especially in the elderly, ECT may be a greater risk because of degenerative changes in their spine. The fact that ECT causes a grand mal seizure — in spite of an anesthetic and muscle relaxant being administered — and can cause memory loss, an inability to process new information and brain damage, is indicative of a treatment that should not be used for mental health issues.

Partial List of Professional Achievements

• Board certified in acupuncture, physiotherapy and phlebotomy
• Diplomate from the American Chiropractic Board of Sports Physicians (2014)
• Fellow, International Academy of Medical Acupuncture (2012)
• Associate Clinical Instructor for Activator Methods Chiropractic Technique seminars (2006–2017)