Regarding mental health professionals and the topic of abortion (a thread):
There has been an increasing amount of misleading information floating across my feed regarding what mental health professionals are supposed to think about abortion. It is dangerous and disturbing.
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There has been an increasing amount of misleading information floating across my feed regarding what mental health professionals are supposed to think about abortion. It is dangerous and disturbing.
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Lie #1: Mental Health Professionals are violating codes of ethics of they are prolife.
Truth #1: There is absolutely nothing in any code of ethics or conduct that requires/or could be interpreted to require group think regarding abortion one way or another.
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Truth #1: There is absolutely nothing in any code of ethics or conduct that requires/or could be interpreted to require group think regarding abortion one way or another.
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Lie #2: Prolife opinions cause clients harm.
Truth #2: Professionals in any arena aren't harming anyone by having personal opinions on national topics, even when vocal in public about them. Twitter isn't therapy. Facebook isn't therapy. Media (thank goodness) isn't therapy.
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Truth #2: Professionals in any arena aren't harming anyone by having personal opinions on national topics, even when vocal in public about them. Twitter isn't therapy. Facebook isn't therapy. Media (thank goodness) isn't therapy.
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Lie #4: You can't be prolife and counsel prochoice clients.
Truth #4: If that were true, no prochoice professional should counsel prolife clients. A professional's personal stance on abortion doesn't enter a counseling session
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Truth #4: If that were true, no prochoice professional should counsel prolife clients. A professional's personal stance on abortion doesn't enter a counseling session
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Lie #5: Abortion has no effect on mental health.
Truth #5: Many of my clients would disagree and it surely wouldn't help them if I pointed to terribly flawed research like the Turnaway Study in order to try and convince them their pain, grief, and/or regret isn't real.
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Truth #5: Many of my clients would disagree and it surely wouldn't help them if I pointed to terribly flawed research like the Turnaway Study in order to try and convince them their pain, grief, and/or regret isn't real.
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Lie #6: A lack of regret means abortion doesn't harm mental health.
Truth #6: I have prochoice clients who are seeking healing from the trauma of their abortion they do not regret. Research is terrible at depicting the true complexity of the human mind and heart cont...
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Truth #6: I have prochoice clients who are seeking healing from the trauma of their abortion they do not regret. Research is terrible at depicting the true complexity of the human mind and heart cont...
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Truth #6 cont: The ACA released a list of pre-existing conditions that can increase the risk of mental health complications post-abortion. Many of those conditions are reasons woman seek abortion. Informed consent would demand women are informed of the increased risk.
Lie #7: A prolife therapist is pushing religion on clients.
Truth y: Being prolife doesn't mean anything about religion. Just like personal opinions about abortion, religion doesn't enter a counseling session unless a client brings his/her religion into the session.
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Truth y: Being prolife doesn't mean anything about religion. Just like personal opinions about abortion, religion doesn't enter a counseling session unless a client brings his/her religion into the session.
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Lie #8: You can't be prolife & prowoman as a mental health professional.
Truth #8: Being pro-woman as a counselor means helping a woman explore all her options & pros/cons of those options as well as options for removing barriers to health/success. That's a prolife position.
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Truth #8: Being pro-woman as a counselor means helping a woman explore all her options & pros/cons of those options as well as options for removing barriers to health/success. That's a prolife position.
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Lie #9: You can't want to abolish abortion legally and be unbiased in session.
Truth #9: Abolishing abortion is a human rights issue, not a therapy issue. It isn't discussed in session. In therapy, pros/cons of all options are explored without counselor bias.
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Truth #9: Abolishing abortion is a human rights issue, not a therapy issue. It isn't discussed in session. In therapy, pros/cons of all options are explored without counselor bias.
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Lie #10: Pro-life counselors lie to women or coerce women.
Truth #10: It is not only false, but unnecessary. Women in counseling determine whether or not THEY believe an abortion kills a human. They then determine if it is ethical to have an abortion, cont.
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Truth #10: It is not only false, but unnecessary. Women in counseling determine whether or not THEY believe an abortion kills a human. They then determine if it is ethical to have an abortion, cont.
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Truth #10 cont: It would be unethical to avoid a discussion with a woman regarding what she thinks abortion is/does and how she feels about that. It would be unethical as a counselor to try to convince a woman an abortion doesn't end a human life if she believes it does.
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All of this leads to the heart if the matter.
As counselors, we are restricted from giving input on philosophical issues (personhood) in session.
However, denying abortion ends a human life is what pro-abortionist are demanding. Not a denial of opinion, a denial of truth.
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As counselors, we are restricted from giving input on philosophical issues (personhood) in session.
However, denying abortion ends a human life is what pro-abortionist are demanding. Not a denial of opinion, a denial of truth.
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