Americans United: Iowa SupremeCourtRulingOnMarriageUpholdsReligious Liberty, Says Americans United

[Volokh, Eugene]

            But if a counselor has such personal reservations about a
client's behavior that he would prefer to refer the client to someone
else, then wouldn't it be better for a client to go to that someone
else, and avoid the counselor who has reservations?  And that's true
even if the counselor, when forced to counsel the client, tries to be as
professional as possible.

 

            Of course, an alternative would be to insist that counselors
have no reservations - even unstated ones - about homosexuality or
various kinds of religiosity or whatever else, and expel all counselors
who admit to such reservations (or at least who candidly admit that
because of such reservations they might have a hard time giving the most
effective possible advice to some people).  But if we don't go that far,
then wouldn't the clients be better served when counselors can set the
clients up with colleagues who are most likely to be sympathetic with
the client?

 

            Eugene

 

 

 

From: religionlaw-bounces at lists.ucla.edu
[mailto:religionlaw-bounces at lists.ucla.edu] On Behalf Of Brownstein,
Alan
Sent: Tuesday, April 07, 2009 12:43 PM
To: Law & Religion issues for Law Academics
Subject: RE: Americans United: Iowa
SupremeCourtRulingOnMarriageUpholdsReligious Liberty, Says Americans
United

 

I think cases involving counselors, therapists, and health care
providers may be more difficult in at least some situations than Doug
suggests. In many cases, it is difficult for the person seeking help
about very personal matters to discuss their problems with the counselor
or therapist at the initial meeting. Often a relationship has to develop
over time before the person seeking assistance fully confides in the
counselor. To have the counselor refer the patient to another therapist
at that time imposes serious burdens on the client.  In some cases,
there may be a way for counselors to provide information to prospective
clients so that they can make choices to avoid this predicament. But
that possibility may not always be feasible.

 

Alan Brownstein

 

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