- Report: #31858
Complaint Review: Nancy Raphael Mike Aquilino Peter O'Kane - Blue Bell Pennsylvania
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Nancy Raphael Mike Aquilino Peter O'Kane
925 harvest Drive, Suite 250 Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
Phone:
215-540-9998
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The Raphael Group: Nancy Raphael, Mike Aquilino, Peter O'Kane consumer rip-off fraud outrageous fees white-collar cult that victimizes vulnerable job seekers combines metaphysics with job search Blue Bell Pennsylvania
*Consumer Comment: I understand you
*Consumer Suggestion: How do you REALLY feel?
*Consumer Suggestion: How do you REALLY feel?
*Consumer Suggestion: How do you REALLY feel?
*Consumer Suggestion: How do you REALLY feel?
*Consumer Comment: This is priceless!
*Consumer Comment: I agree with you
*Consumer Comment: I agree with you
*Consumer Comment: I agree with you
*Consumer Comment: I agree with you
The Raphael Group is a white-collar cult that advertises itself as a Career Management/ Retail Outplacement Firm. In addition to charging ridiculously expensive fees, they practice "dog-s**t metaphysics" on hapless jobseekers who are experiencing vulnerability, typically due to job loss. It's a classic "milk the insecure" scam.
Getting job search assistance from this group is like asking the Boston Strangler for a neck-massage! Their front-line salespeople are slick and engaging. If you don't look under the surface with these people, you'll make a very bad consumer choice because you might think that they really care about you.
Notice in your meeting with them, you'll get a lot of up-front questions and small talk about your family. The questions are designed to open you up and get you talk about very personal information, most of it not related to job search. Twenty-four hours after your first meeting however they'll ask you for the sale and your credit card information, which is where their primary interest lies.
Their secondary interest is to win another convert for their cult culture, which finds its roots in the teachings of Werner Erhard Est, more lately espoused by The Landmark Forum/a.k.a. Landmark Education. The Principals at the Raphael Group, Nancy Raphael and Mike Aquilino are both "Forum-Heads." I have been told that all of the salespeople there are required to attend training through Landmark in order to imbue their sales pitch with the highly manipulative personality "science" that Landmark teaches.
In short, they are "Con-Forumists," amateur psychologists who combine meta-physics with jobs search in order to conduct EXTRAORDINARY adventures in Master Card and Visa!
Those who do not heed (or have awareness) of this warning will learn a very expensive lesson, as I did. The process that I submitted to required me to fill out a lot of psychology based assessment material (Myers-Briggs, etc.). I thought it was intended to help me find out what jobs I was most suited for, but it was really intended to reveal personality information that was later used to "deconstruct me," break me down emotionally, and make me feel terrible about not having success in my job search.
By diverting the attention away from their failure to provided me with the help that I was contractually promised, they tried to convince me that the real reason that I was not finding a job was because I suffered from low self-esteem due to a bad relationship that I had as a child with my father!
Luckily, I recognized their duplicity and manipulation right away(but not soon enough to get my money back). Other people I am sure have not been so lucky. If you don't want to take my word, do a little research yourself. Go to the link http://www.100megsfree4.com/apostate., and read the stories of people who have gotten sucked into the Landmark cult. There's a lot listed, so if you need to take the short tour, be sure to read the articles: "Mindbreakers," "Out of Control," then scroll way down and read "The Con-Forumists," and "Mind Game Courses." I devoured these articles one after another, because every one of them reflected accurate depictions of my experience with Raphael Group. The Forum and Raphael Group are one and the same. It was frightening.
But let's suppose you are really desperate. Maybe you have already met with them and fell in love with your salesperson, or maybe I have inspired your curiosity so much now that you want to meet with them even more than before. Here's the tip-off. If you listen very carefully to the way they talk to you in your first meeting with them, you'll hear a strange new vocabulary. That's the dead-giveaway that you're in the presence of a Landmark disciple, someone whose only intention is to thwart your job search so they can empty your pockets and your soul. Here are some examples of the Landmark lingo, so listen for the following words and phrases:
Mike, a slick Italian with beautiful cuff-links, is the guy who sold me. In our meeting, I was impressed with his attention toward me and because he was so intent taking copious notes---all for me. He said things like: "I REALLY GOT THAT ABOUT YOU," or "I GET IT." That's because Landmark people are always striving to "GET IT." Translated from Landmark-speak, it means: I understand.
The salespeople there use other words that are indicators of the cult culture: EXTRAORDINARY, POSSIBILITIES, CONNECTED, TRANSFORMATION, BREAKTHROUGH, COMMITTED. They'll tell you that their coaching is designed to help you work on your thinking, or your FILES. They want to talk to you about WHO YOU ARE BEING. Then, after you open your heart and spill your guts, they'll thank you for SHARING.
If you let them go too far in their meeting with you, they'll go to work on the fringes on your emotional barriers. They do this to set up the sale, so if you resist paying their $10,000 fee, they'll tell you that your resistance is the result of your emotional issues or your "files" holding you back. That they are really COMMITTED to you having a BREAKTHROUGH as their client. It's all a bunch of pop-psychology mumbo jumbo. Some of it is really sick stuff, so stay the hell away from these people!
Looking for a job is hard enough work in the current economic climate. These people made it even harder for me. Some days, if you're sitting in front of the internet like I was, it's enough to make you go insane. I can promise you, if you get hooked into this bunch you're risking your mental health and your finances as well as your future. Take care. Be careful and good luck.
Michael
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Getting job search assistance from this group is like asking the Boston Strangler for a neck-massage! Their front-line salespeople are slick and engaging. If you don't look under the surface with these people, you'll make a very bad consumer choice because you might think that they really care about you.
Notice in your meeting with them, you'll get a lot of up-front questions and small talk about your family. The questions are designed to open you up and get you talk about very personal information, most of it not related to job search. Twenty-four hours after your first meeting however they'll ask you for the sale and your credit card information, which is where their primary interest lies.
Their secondary interest is to win another convert for their cult culture, which finds its roots in the teachings of Werner Erhard Est, more lately espoused by The Landmark Forum/a.k.a. Landmark Education. The Principals at the Raphael Group, Nancy Raphael and Mike Aquilino are both "Forum-Heads." I have been told that all of the salespeople there are required to attend training through Landmark in order to imbue their sales pitch with the highly manipulative personality "science" that Landmark teaches.
In short, they are "Con-Forumists," amateur psychologists who combine meta-physics with jobs search in order to conduct EXTRAORDINARY adventures in Master Card and Visa!
Those who do not heed (or have awareness) of this warning will learn a very expensive lesson, as I did. The process that I submitted to required me to fill out a lot of psychology based assessment material (Myers-Briggs, etc.). I thought it was intended to help me find out what jobs I was most suited for, but it was really intended to reveal personality information that was later used to "deconstruct me," break me down emotionally, and make me feel terrible about not having success in my job search.
By diverting the attention away from their failure to provided me with the help that I was contractually promised, they tried to convince me that the real reason that I was not finding a job was because I suffered from low self-esteem due to a bad relationship that I had as a child with my father!
Luckily, I recognized their duplicity and manipulation right away(but not soon enough to get my money back). Other people I am sure have not been so lucky. If you don't want to take my word, do a little research yourself. Go to the link http://www.100megsfree4.com/apostate., and read the stories of people who have gotten sucked into the Landmark cult. There's a lot listed, so if you need to take the short tour, be sure to read the articles: "Mindbreakers," "Out of Control," then scroll way down and read "The Con-Forumists," and "Mind Game Courses." I devoured these articles one after another, because every one of them reflected accurate depictions of my experience with Raphael Group. The Forum and Raphael Group are one and the same. It was frightening.
But let's suppose you are really desperate. Maybe you have already met with them and fell in love with your salesperson, or maybe I have inspired your curiosity so much now that you want to meet with them even more than before. Here's the tip-off. If you listen very carefully to the way they talk to you in your first meeting with them, you'll hear a strange new vocabulary. That's the dead-giveaway that you're in the presence of a Landmark disciple, someone whose only intention is to thwart your job search so they can empty your pockets and your soul. Here are some examples of the Landmark lingo, so listen for the following words and phrases:
Mike, a slick Italian with beautiful cuff-links, is the guy who sold me. In our meeting, I was impressed with his attention toward me and because he was so intent taking copious notes---all for me. He said things like: "I REALLY GOT THAT ABOUT YOU," or "I GET IT." That's because Landmark people are always striving to "GET IT." Translated from Landmark-speak, it means: I understand.
The salespeople there use other words that are indicators of the cult culture: EXTRAORDINARY, POSSIBILITIES, CONNECTED, TRANSFORMATION, BREAKTHROUGH, COMMITTED. They'll tell you that their coaching is designed to help you work on your thinking, or your FILES. They want to talk to you about WHO YOU ARE BEING. Then, after you open your heart and spill your guts, they'll thank you for SHARING.
If you let them go too far in their meeting with you, they'll go to work on the fringes on your emotional barriers. They do this to set up the sale, so if you resist paying their $10,000 fee, they'll tell you that your resistance is the result of your emotional issues or your "files" holding you back. That they are really COMMITTED to you having a BREAKTHROUGH as their client. It's all a bunch of pop-psychology mumbo jumbo. Some of it is really sick stuff, so stay the hell away from these people!
Looking for a job is hard enough work in the current economic climate. These people made it even harder for me. Some days, if you're sitting in front of the internet like I was, it's enough to make you go insane. I can promise you, if you get hooked into this bunch you're risking your mental health and your finances as well as your future. Take care. Be careful and good luck.
Michael
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
10 Updates & Rebuttals
Kathy Pham
Whittier,California,
U.S.A.
I agree with you
#2Consumer Comment
Thu, July 17, 2008
I just finished the Landmark Forum Education and I am so regret that I didn't do research before I took this course. It is such a ripoff and the most stupid thing that happened to me. I love and trust a friend of mine so much that I went into this class and I got that "Human are meaning making machine, life is empty and meaningless........? " what the hell is that? and Richard the coach said that this is worth my $495.00. Oh well...I had to give up my time with my children, money, time at work and time with my husband, drove a long distance and attending 4 days of 14 hours each day to get this. I hate them for doing this to my life and my family.
Kathy Pham
Whittier,California,
U.S.A.
I agree with you
#3Consumer Comment
Thu, July 17, 2008
I just finished the Landmark Forum Education and I am so regret that I didn't do research before I took this course. It is such a ripoff and the most stupid thing that happened to me. I love and trust a friend of mine so much that I went into this class and I got that "Human are meaning making machine, life is empty and meaningless........? " what the hell is that? and Richard the coach said that this is worth my $495.00. Oh well...I had to give up my time with my children, money, time at work and time with my husband, drove a long distance and attending 4 days of 14 hours each day to get this. I hate them for doing this to my life and my family.
Kathy Pham
Whittier,California,
U.S.A.
I agree with you
#4Consumer Comment
Thu, July 17, 2008
I just finished the Landmark Forum Education and I am so regret that I didn't do research before I took this course. It is such a ripoff and the most stupid thing that happened to me. I love and trust a friend of mine so much that I went into this class and I got that "Human are meaning making machine, life is empty and meaningless........? " what the hell is that? and Richard the coach said that this is worth my $495.00. Oh well...I had to give up my time with my children, money, time at work and time with my husband, drove a long distance and attending 4 days of 14 hours each day to get this. I hate them for doing this to my life and my family.
Kathy Pham
Whittier,California,
U.S.A.
I agree with you
#5Consumer Comment
Thu, July 17, 2008
I just finished the Landmark Forum Education and I am so regret that I didn't do research before I took this course. It is such a ripoff and the most stupid thing that happened to me. I love and trust a friend of mine so much that I went into this class and I got that "Human are meaning making machine, life is empty and meaningless........? " what the hell is that? and Richard the coach said that this is worth my $495.00. Oh well...I had to give up my time with my children, money, time at work and time with my husband, drove a long distance and attending 4 days of 14 hours each day to get this. I hate them for doing this to my life and my family.
Anon
Miami,Florida,
U.S.A.
This is priceless!
#6Consumer Comment
Sun, December 29, 2002
This post and the responses made my day. Very funny, although getting sucked in and losing your money isn't funny, the way you describe your experience is great--have you considered writing an article about it and submitting it to magazines? When I was in college, one of my teachers was an EST devotee. My classmate referred to them as "est-holes". That about sums it up!
Mark
Wayne,Pennsylvania,
U.S.A.
How do you REALLY feel?
#7Consumer Suggestion
Sun, December 29, 2002
Michael, First of all, I want to thank you for sharing your story with us. I understand what you are telling us and that it has been an unrewarding experience for you. What would you like it to be? For example, if you were Werner Erhard, would you like to share how you feel about your experience with us? In a manner that ensures we "get" it? Beyond the metaphysical issues, what other matters are you addressing in your life? Do you feel like your colon has beenj properly eliminating? Have you considered aroma therapy? Has Mike been a really good friend of Charlie Timmins? Are you who you want to be? Do you feel like sharing other issues with us? Seeking the rewarding career that validates who you are is certainly a challenging endeavor, particularly in this jobless environment. Despite how you feel about who you would like to be, there are few jobs, a considerable amount of con-artists, and very few souls who have enrobed themselves within a code of professional ethics. This may be particularly true when considering consultants who offer "marketing" programs that are largely unrelated to any anticipated results. If I could offer a suggestion, perhaps you may wish to consider paying by credit card during your next encounter with a higher school of thought. Be sure you write across the contract something to the effect that "Time is of the essence with respect to THEM finding ME a JOB for which I BELIEVE I am QUALIFIED and that COMPENSATES me pursuant to the FEELINGS that I am currently SHARING with the group HEREIN. NOTWITHSTANDING THE FOREGOING, if these JERKS have LIED to me just to get my MONEY, then they and all of their representatives herein have PERSONALLY have AGREED to PAY ME LIQUIDATED DAMAGES in the amount of $1,000,000.00 for their FAILURE to PERFORM pursuant to MY UNDERSTANDING of the gibberish which THEY have asked me to sign, which I did not read, did not consult an attorney, and did not agree to other than the ORAL REPRESENTATION that they PROMISED to find ME the JOB that I previously mentioned HEREIN." These learned individuals who language speak you to a New Heaven always have attorney/whores who may be willing to provide you with the assurances you require in exchange for their monthly retainer. Who exactly was it that said prostitution was the oldest profession? These days, it may have been an attorney or a marketing consultant or someone in the executive consulting or resume writing arena. I am not exactly sure. I wish you good luck in your search. It is my hope that you come to terms with how you feel about the way you were treated by these schmucks who need to be jailed. Actually, a tarring and feathering may be more appropriate. Certaintly, we could put them in their virtual stocks and toss rotten vegetables at their visages. Did I say I was mistreated by a similar firm? I don't believe I did. Thank you for sharing your feelings with us. Until the next learning experience then. Cordially yours, A rejector of EST.
Mark
Wayne,Pennsylvania,
U.S.A.
How do you REALLY feel?
#8Consumer Suggestion
Sun, December 29, 2002
Michael, First of all, I want to thank you for sharing your story with us. I understand what you are telling us and that it has been an unrewarding experience for you. What would you like it to be? For example, if you were Werner Erhard, would you like to share how you feel about your experience with us? In a manner that ensures we "get" it? Beyond the metaphysical issues, what other matters are you addressing in your life? Do you feel like your colon has beenj properly eliminating? Have you considered aroma therapy? Has Mike been a really good friend of Charlie Timmins? Are you who you want to be? Do you feel like sharing other issues with us? Seeking the rewarding career that validates who you are is certainly a challenging endeavor, particularly in this jobless environment. Despite how you feel about who you would like to be, there are few jobs, a considerable amount of con-artists, and very few souls who have enrobed themselves within a code of professional ethics. This may be particularly true when considering consultants who offer "marketing" programs that are largely unrelated to any anticipated results. If I could offer a suggestion, perhaps you may wish to consider paying by credit card during your next encounter with a higher school of thought. Be sure you write across the contract something to the effect that "Time is of the essence with respect to THEM finding ME a JOB for which I BELIEVE I am QUALIFIED and that COMPENSATES me pursuant to the FEELINGS that I am currently SHARING with the group HEREIN. NOTWITHSTANDING THE FOREGOING, if these JERKS have LIED to me just to get my MONEY, then they and all of their representatives herein have PERSONALLY have AGREED to PAY ME LIQUIDATED DAMAGES in the amount of $1,000,000.00 for their FAILURE to PERFORM pursuant to MY UNDERSTANDING of the gibberish which THEY have asked me to sign, which I did not read, did not consult an attorney, and did not agree to other than the ORAL REPRESENTATION that they PROMISED to find ME the JOB that I previously mentioned HEREIN." These learned individuals who language speak you to a New Heaven always have attorney/whores who may be willing to provide you with the assurances you require in exchange for their monthly retainer. Who exactly was it that said prostitution was the oldest profession? These days, it may have been an attorney or a marketing consultant or someone in the executive consulting or resume writing arena. I am not exactly sure. I wish you good luck in your search. It is my hope that you come to terms with how you feel about the way you were treated by these schmucks who need to be jailed. Actually, a tarring and feathering may be more appropriate. Certaintly, we could put them in their virtual stocks and toss rotten vegetables at their visages. Did I say I was mistreated by a similar firm? I don't believe I did. Thank you for sharing your feelings with us. Until the next learning experience then. Cordially yours, A rejector of EST.
Mark
Wayne,Pennsylvania,
U.S.A.
How do you REALLY feel?
#9Consumer Suggestion
Sun, December 29, 2002
Michael, First of all, I want to thank you for sharing your story with us. I understand what you are telling us and that it has been an unrewarding experience for you. What would you like it to be? For example, if you were Werner Erhard, would you like to share how you feel about your experience with us? In a manner that ensures we "get" it? Beyond the metaphysical issues, what other matters are you addressing in your life? Do you feel like your colon has beenj properly eliminating? Have you considered aroma therapy? Has Mike been a really good friend of Charlie Timmins? Are you who you want to be? Do you feel like sharing other issues with us? Seeking the rewarding career that validates who you are is certainly a challenging endeavor, particularly in this jobless environment. Despite how you feel about who you would like to be, there are few jobs, a considerable amount of con-artists, and very few souls who have enrobed themselves within a code of professional ethics. This may be particularly true when considering consultants who offer "marketing" programs that are largely unrelated to any anticipated results. If I could offer a suggestion, perhaps you may wish to consider paying by credit card during your next encounter with a higher school of thought. Be sure you write across the contract something to the effect that "Time is of the essence with respect to THEM finding ME a JOB for which I BELIEVE I am QUALIFIED and that COMPENSATES me pursuant to the FEELINGS that I am currently SHARING with the group HEREIN. NOTWITHSTANDING THE FOREGOING, if these JERKS have LIED to me just to get my MONEY, then they and all of their representatives herein have PERSONALLY have AGREED to PAY ME LIQUIDATED DAMAGES in the amount of $1,000,000.00 for their FAILURE to PERFORM pursuant to MY UNDERSTANDING of the gibberish which THEY have asked me to sign, which I did not read, did not consult an attorney, and did not agree to other than the ORAL REPRESENTATION that they PROMISED to find ME the JOB that I previously mentioned HEREIN." These learned individuals who language speak you to a New Heaven always have attorney/whores who may be willing to provide you with the assurances you require in exchange for their monthly retainer. Who exactly was it that said prostitution was the oldest profession? These days, it may have been an attorney or a marketing consultant or someone in the executive consulting or resume writing arena. I am not exactly sure. I wish you good luck in your search. It is my hope that you come to terms with how you feel about the way you were treated by these schmucks who need to be jailed. Actually, a tarring and feathering may be more appropriate. Certaintly, we could put them in their virtual stocks and toss rotten vegetables at their visages. Did I say I was mistreated by a similar firm? I don't believe I did. Thank you for sharing your feelings with us. Until the next learning experience then. Cordially yours, A rejector of EST.
Mark
Wayne,Pennsylvania,
U.S.A.
How do you REALLY feel?
#10Consumer Suggestion
Sun, December 29, 2002
Michael, First of all, I want to thank you for sharing your story with us. I understand what you are telling us and that it has been an unrewarding experience for you. What would you like it to be? For example, if you were Werner Erhard, would you like to share how you feel about your experience with us? In a manner that ensures we "get" it? Beyond the metaphysical issues, what other matters are you addressing in your life? Do you feel like your colon has beenj properly eliminating? Have you considered aroma therapy? Has Mike been a really good friend of Charlie Timmins? Are you who you want to be? Do you feel like sharing other issues with us? Seeking the rewarding career that validates who you are is certainly a challenging endeavor, particularly in this jobless environment. Despite how you feel about who you would like to be, there are few jobs, a considerable amount of con-artists, and very few souls who have enrobed themselves within a code of professional ethics. This may be particularly true when considering consultants who offer "marketing" programs that are largely unrelated to any anticipated results. If I could offer a suggestion, perhaps you may wish to consider paying by credit card during your next encounter with a higher school of thought. Be sure you write across the contract something to the effect that "Time is of the essence with respect to THEM finding ME a JOB for which I BELIEVE I am QUALIFIED and that COMPENSATES me pursuant to the FEELINGS that I am currently SHARING with the group HEREIN. NOTWITHSTANDING THE FOREGOING, if these JERKS have LIED to me just to get my MONEY, then they and all of their representatives herein have PERSONALLY have AGREED to PAY ME LIQUIDATED DAMAGES in the amount of $1,000,000.00 for their FAILURE to PERFORM pursuant to MY UNDERSTANDING of the gibberish which THEY have asked me to sign, which I did not read, did not consult an attorney, and did not agree to other than the ORAL REPRESENTATION that they PROMISED to find ME the JOB that I previously mentioned HEREIN." These learned individuals who language speak you to a New Heaven always have attorney/whores who may be willing to provide you with the assurances you require in exchange for their monthly retainer. Who exactly was it that said prostitution was the oldest profession? These days, it may have been an attorney or a marketing consultant or someone in the executive consulting or resume writing arena. I am not exactly sure. I wish you good luck in your search. It is my hope that you come to terms with how you feel about the way you were treated by these schmucks who need to be jailed. Actually, a tarring and feathering may be more appropriate. Certaintly, we could put them in their virtual stocks and toss rotten vegetables at their visages. Did I say I was mistreated by a similar firm? I don't believe I did. Thank you for sharing your feelings with us. Until the next learning experience then. Cordially yours, A rejector of EST.
kev
HKY,North Carolina,
I understand you
#11Consumer Comment
Tue, October 08, 2002
I understand you Michael, I have never been through thisbunch of crap but can relate to how low some scum bag scamming people can be. The are crooks, there is no doubt, they are working wih the devil to munipulate people and steal there money. Good luck, Kevin
