Can you tell me a bit more why you are not recommending it? Is this a controversial doctor in Sweden? No rush in answering and if you are not up to it, it's no problem.
Sure, I'm happy to share my personal opionions.
Yes, he's definitely controversial. He was controversial as a public person even long before he took an interest in ME.
I've never met him in person. My opinions are mainly based on what I've read: interviews, articles on his website and elsewhere, comments he has written on other people's blogs etc. I've also read other kinds of less public correspondence, as well as plenty of comments about him written by people with ME who have attended his clinic or have been his patient at some point in time before he started the ME clinic.
He claims to have a very solid knowledge about our disease, but I seriously doubt that (simply because -- in my personal opinion -- it's not reflected in what he says or does). I especially dislike that he keeps presenting his own personal opinions and speculations -- even in media, and other public contexts -- as if they were scientific facts (whether that's intentional or unintentional, I don't know). Regardless, I find it hugely unhelpful and misleading.
He claims to have a biomedical view of ME, but when you read what he actually expresses in interviews etc, the picture is quite different, suggesting that he's actually quite fond of the psychosocial view (which isn't always obvious to the untrained eye at first glance, which is a problem in itself).
He seems to be very keen on doing highly controversial research (invasive, risky, experimental, expensive, and/or not based on the current biomedical understanding of the disease etc). My main issue with that are the completely unnaceptable/unjustified risks of serious harm, and I find it ethically very questionable when you consider informed consent and how risks are disclosed (for example, if they are quickly glossed over or properly explained) etc.
Also, he seems to focus mainly on "stress, tiredness & the brain's sensitivity to pain", which doesn't match my experience nor my understanding of our disease. And he comes across as a "lumper", likes to lump ME together with many other diagnoses that he believes to be "similar" (which definitely rings my MUS/MUPS alarm bells!).
When he talks to others about ME or about people with ME, he often says completely different things than when he talks directly to/with people with ME. That makes me feel very uncomfortable, because it comes across as both manipulative and dishonest, and as showing a lack of respect for pwME.
The experiences of people who have attended his clinic vary greatly, some are happy but many are hugely disappointed and upset (I've heard more than a few horror stories).
I find it hugely problematic that he seems to be actively trying to encourage other Swedish ME researchers to start embracing the psychosocial view.
As a side note: he's kind of a celebrity, used to be on the telly, had a show called Arga Doktorn (The Angry Doctor). Which of course affects how what he says/writes is received by the public.
I could go on and on, but I think this is probably enough for you to get a general sense of why I wouldn't recommend his clinic, wouldn't support his research, wouldn't want him as a spokesperson/advocate for people with ME, wouldn't want him as my doctor etc.
Again, these are only my own personal opinions.
ETA: Changed the wording a bit to make it even clearer that it's just my personal opinions.
It was at the planning stage when I last heard. I'm still passionately hoping that he will come to his senses and cancel all the plans (or that the ethics application will be denied, or that he won't receive funding, etc) -- I've heard rumours suggesting that, but nothing has been confirmed for sure.
