this is a very important point.
I dont think the erring professional could lose his or her license. But they'd very likely be warned by whatever organization they're answerable to,and something might go in thier record. This can be a useful way to alert the regulatory agencies to what appears to be an unexamined bias in the profession.
If you write a letter, point out that the therapist is recommending a program run by non-professionals, a program that is for-profit and that uses powerful methods. Tell the authorities that this is a problem of 'dual relations', and that there's a desperate need to bring this matter up in mandatory continuing education courses for therapists. Give a list of the references cited in the psychotherapy cults thread.
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board.culteducation.com]
**Note: someone may try to distract you by saying 'Well lots of therapists belong to and encourage their clients to go to 12 step meetings. Whats the difference between that and recommending an LGAT?'
The two situations look similar but are quite different.
AA & other 12 step groups are non-professional but operate in a non-hierarchical manner. They also have an explicit code of ethics (12 traditions followed by everyone. Above all, 12 STep groups do not operate for profit, and its meetings run at most 1.5 to two hours.)
Usually a therapist is accountable to at least two entities: the organization that governs the ethics of their profession (eg county medical society if the person is a psychiatrist, American Psychological Association if they are a clinical psychologist, the National Association of Social Workers if the person is an LCSW, MSW, CSW) and then the consumer affairs board of the state they practice in, because thats the one that governs licensing.
Problems arise (or risks for problems) arise if therapists who are members of human potential groups or spiritual groups do not undertsand dual relationships and see no harm referring/recruiting clients into such groups.
Problem is, this kind of referral creates what is called a [b:52d7eba986]dual relationship[/b:52d7eba986]--a set up in which the professional 'prime directive' to put client welfare first is muddied by a competing loyalty to guru or group. Professional ethics for therapists requires making every effort to AVOID creating dual relationships.
(Its different when a client independantly joins a human potential group, not knowing his or her therapist is already a member and then finds out they're both in that group. If this happens, the therapist is obligated to safeguard the boundaries, which means discussing this matter with colleagues ((who ideally should NOT be also members of that same group!)) and to keep ongoing documentation. THe therapist should also have a session in which he or she spells out the boundaries and would tell the patient
'I am obligated to put your welfare ahead of the welfare of any other person, including this group or its leader. If you have any concerns, if someone says or does anything that troubles you, or tells you to keep anything a secret, please come and tell me.'
And it's a boundary violation to work as a therapist with friends and relatives when there are other therapists these friends and relatives can be referred to.
I advise that you write letters to the relevant agencies the therapist is answerable to and express your concerns. It will at least start a paper trail.
What we really need is for this problem to be addressed both in clinical programs but in mandatory continuing education coursework--for someone to say 'You cannot function as a therapist and advertise/recruit for your clients to join the same spiritual or growth groups you're involved with, no matter how much you're convinced you have benefitted.'
When you're somebody's therapist, that automatically (or should automatically!) preclude certain other kinds of relationships.