Theopolitan Posted August 30, 2015 Group: Junior Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 13 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 87 Content Per Day: 0.01 Reputation: 4 Days Won: 0 Joined: 11/22/2007 Status: Offline Share Posted August 30, 2015 I know a couple who was in family counseling with two of their grown daughters. They and their daughters attend separate churches. It had become evident that the daughters' pastor was interfering with the work of the counselor, and through his interference was instrumental in the girls' decision to abandon counseling after only three sessions. This has left the couple devastated. Both the pastor and the counselor are professional counselors.Is there an ethics violation on the part of the pastor, and is there any recourse for the parents? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmuffet Posted August 30, 2015 Group: Royal Member Followers: 34 Topic Count: 1,993 Topics Per Day: 0.48 Content Count: 48,691 Content Per Day: 11.75 Reputation: 30,343 Days Won: 226 Joined: 01/11/2013 Status: Offline Share Posted August 30, 2015 I know a couple who was in family counseling with two of their grown daughters. They and their daughters attend separate churches. It had become evident that the daughters' pastor was interfering with the work of the counselor, and through his interference was instrumental in the girls' decision to abandon counseling after only three sessions. This has left the couple devastated. Both the pastor and the counselor are professional counselors.Is there an ethics violation on the part of the pastor, and is there any recourse for the parents?It  all depends on the situation.Why did the Pastor intervene? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theopolitan Posted August 30, 2015 Group: Junior Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 13 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 87 Content Per Day: 0.01 Reputation: 4 Days Won: 0 Joined: 11/22/2007 Status: Offline Author Share Posted August 30, 2015 I don't know. I'm told family counseling was his suggestion, and everyone agreed on the counselor. He was biased to start with, and it seems the pastor had been entertaining talk about the sessions and ventured his opinions about their effectiveness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmuffet Posted August 30, 2015 Group: Royal Member Followers: 34 Topic Count: 1,993 Topics Per Day: 0.48 Content Count: 48,691 Content Per Day: 11.75 Reputation: 30,343 Days Won: 226 Joined: 01/11/2013 Status: Offline Share Posted August 30, 2015 I don't know. I'm told family counseling was his suggestion, and everyone agreed on the counselor. He was biased to start with, and it seems the pastor had been entertaining talk about the sessions and ventured his opinions about their effectiveness.I always like to hear two sides of a story before I come to an opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ezra Posted August 31, 2015 Group: Royal Member Followers: 16 Topic Count: 134 Topics Per Day: 0.04 Content Count: 8,142 Content Per Day: 2.34 Reputation: 6,612 Days Won: 20 Joined: 11/02/2014 Status: Offline Share Posted August 31, 2015 Is there an ethics violation on the part of the pastor, and is there any recourse for the parents?It would be impossible to comment about this matter, since no one except the parties involved know the facts. As a general principle, the elders of a church are also the shepherds of the flock, and it is their responsibility to counsel people, not bring in outsiders (who may or may not be in tune with the church and its teachings). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FreeinChrist Posted August 31, 2015 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 192 Topics Per Day: 0.05 Content Count: 1,393 Content Per Day: 0.35 Reputation: 635 Days Won: 4 Joined: 06/29/2013 Status: Offline Share Posted August 31, 2015 Yes from what little I know of this the Pastor seems to have cut off the use of a multitude of counsellors, Proverbs 11:14. Â And no matter how old one is I believe we should always give honor to our parents, for even at my age my folks look out for my best interests, Ephesians 6:4. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theopolitan Posted August 31, 2015 Group: Junior Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 13 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 87 Content Per Day: 0.01 Reputation: 4 Days Won: 0 Joined: 11/22/2007 Status: Offline Author Share Posted August 31, 2015 Knowing what I do about the situation, I would have to say the neutral counselor didn't uncritically accept the daughters' narratives, and it was only three sessions into the process. But though I think I could win you folks over to the parents by divulging certain info, my question isn't about who is right and wrong. My question is, did the pastor, as a professional counselor himself, violate ethics by interfering with the efforts of another? There's no question his actions lack integrity, but I'm wondering if there is a professional counselor here who could tell me if there is a code of ethics that he violated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theopolitan Posted August 31, 2015 Group: Junior Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 13 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 87 Content Per Day: 0.01 Reputation: 4 Days Won: 0 Joined: 11/22/2007 Status: Offline Author Share Posted August 31, 2015 I'm finding that there could be an ethics violation. I have the address of the organization of which he serves as a dean. I will write to them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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