| Revision as of 15:00, 27 July 2007 editStokerAce (talk | contribs)238 edits remove DPeterson's personal attacks← Previous edit | Revision as of 18:43, 27 July 2007 edit undoRalphLender (talk | contribs)1,054 edits restore factual and sourced materialNext edit → | ||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
| '''Advocates for Children in Therapy''' (ACT) is a ] ] ] which is opposed to "]." The group believes that some of the ] techniques used in Attachment Therapy are potentially harmful to children who undergo the treatment. Their mission is to provide advocacy by "raising general public awareness of the dangers and cruelty" of practices related to Attachment Therapy. According to the group, "ACT works to mobilize parents, professionals, private and governmental regulators, prosecutors, juries, and legislators to end the physical torture and emotional abuse that is Attachment Therapy." | '''Advocates for Children in Therapy''' (ACT) is a ] ] ] which is opposed to "]." The group believes that some of the ] techniques used in Attachment Therapy are potentially harmful to children who undergo the treatment. Their mission is to provide advocacy by "raising general public awareness of the dangers and cruelty" of practices related to Attachment Therapy. According to the group, "ACT works to mobilize parents, professionals, private and governmental regulators, prosecutors, juries, and legislators to end the physical torture and emotional abuse that is Attachment Therapy." | ||
| While ACT seeks to "mobilize" various groups, professional medical and psychiatric organizations such as the ], the ], the ] and the ] have not taken positions on ACT's work, nor is there any evidence that those groups use ACT's materials; although these groups do seek and use input from various other advocacy groups. <ref name="ama1">http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/4134.html</ref> <ref name="apa1">http://www.apa.org/releases/teachersneeds.html</ref> <ref name="apa3">http://www.psych.org/news_room/media_advisories/mediaadvisory.cfm</ref> <ref name="naswdc">http://www.naswdc.org/pace/default.asp</ref> <ref name="ama2">http://www.ama-assn.org/ American Medical Association</ref> <ref name="apa4">http://www.apa.org/ American Psychological Association</ref> <ref name="apa5">http://www.psych.org/ American Psychiatric Association</ref> <ref name="nasw">http://www.socialworkers.org/ National Association of Social Workers</ref> The group is led by Linda Rosa, RN, Executive Director; her spouse Larry Sarner, Administrative Director; and Jean Mercer, Chairman of Professional Board of Advisors, none of whom are licensed mental health providers. ] ] {] ]. | |||
| The group is led by Linda Rosa, RN, Executive Director; her spouse Larry Sarner, Administrative Director; and Jean Mercer, Chairman of Professional Board of Advisors. | |||
| ==Opposition to Attachment Therapy== | ==Opposition to Attachment Therapy== | ||
| Attachment Therapy is an ambiguous term with no precise professional meaning but popularly used to describe controversial, non-mainstream "treatments" for children allegedly suffering from ], in itself an ambiguous term. "Attachment Therapy" is not a term found in the American Medical Association's Physician's Current Procedural Manual, 2006. It is also not found in Bergin and Garfield's Handbook of Psychotherapy and Behavior Change, fifth edition, edited by Michal J. Lambert, NY: John Wiley & Sons, 2004. The term has been applied to a wide array of different therapies by different groups. There are many variants, for example “rebirthing therapy,” “compression holding therapy,” “corrective attachment therapy,” “the Evergreen model,” “holding time,” or “rage-reduction therapy” <ref name=Chaffin 2006" > Chaffin, M. et al (2006) Report of the APSAC Task Force on Attachment Therapy, Reactive Attachment Disorder, and Attachment problems. | Journal= Child Maltreatment 2006;11;76| pages=77 | DOI: 10.1177/1077559505283699 | </ref>. ACT describe attachment therapy" as "the imposition of boundary violations - most often coercive restraint - and verbal abuse on a child, usually for hours at a time...typically, the child is put in a lap hold with the arms pinned down, or alternatively an adult lies on top of a child lying prone on the floor" and as "a growing, underground movement for the 'treatment' of children who pose disciplinary problems to their parents or caregivers." The group further notes that attachment therapy "almost always involves extremely confrontational, often hostile confrontation of a child by a therapist or parent (sometimes both). Restraint of the child by more powerful adult(s) is considered an essential part of the confrontation" and refers to attachment therapy as "the worst ] in our nation today."<ref name="overview"></ref> | Attachment Therapy is an ambiguous term with no precise professional meaning but popularly used to describe controversial, non-mainstream "treatments" for children allegedly suffering from ], in itself an ambiguous term. "Attachment Therapy" is not a term found in the American Medical Association's Physician's Current Procedural Manual, 2006. It is also not found in Bergin and Garfield's Handbook of Psychotherapy and Behavior Change, fifth edition, edited by Michal J. Lambert, NY: John Wiley & Sons, 2004. The term has been applied to a wide array of different therapies by different groups. There are many variants, for example “rebirthing therapy,” “compression holding therapy,” “corrective attachment therapy,” “the Evergreen model,” “holding time,” or “rage-reduction therapy” <ref name=Chaffin 2006" > Chaffin, M. et al (2006) Report of the APSAC Task Force on Attachment Therapy, Reactive Attachment Disorder, and Attachment problems. | Journal= Child Maltreatment 2006;11;76| pages=77 | DOI: 10.1177/1077559505283699 | </ref>. ACT describe attachment therapy" as "the imposition of boundary violations - most often coercive restraint - and verbal abuse on a child, usually for hours at a time...typically, the child is put in a lap hold with the arms pinned down, or alternatively an adult lies on top of a child lying prone on the floor" and as "a growing, underground movement for the 'treatment' of children who pose disciplinary problems to their parents or caregivers." The group further notes that attachment therapy "almost always involves extremely confrontational, often hostile confrontation of a child by a therapist or parent (sometimes both). Restraint of the child by more powerful adult(s) is considered an essential part of the confrontation" and refers to attachment therapy as "the worst ] in our nation today."<ref name="overview"></ref> | ||
Revision as of 18:43, 27 July 2007
Advocates for Children in Therapy (ACT) is a non-profit U.S. advocacy group which is opposed to "Attachment Therapy." The group believes that some of the psychotheraputic techniques used in Attachment Therapy are potentially harmful to children who undergo the treatment. Their mission is to provide advocacy by "raising general public awareness of the dangers and cruelty" of practices related to Attachment Therapy. According to the group, "ACT works to mobilize parents, professionals, private and governmental regulators, prosecutors, juries, and legislators to end the physical torture and emotional abuse that is Attachment Therapy."
While ACT seeks to "mobilize" various groups, professional medical and psychiatric organizations such as the American Medical Association, the American Psychological Association, the American Psychiatric Association and the National Association of Social Workers have not taken positions on ACT's work, nor is there any evidence that those groups use ACT's materials; although these groups do seek and use input from various other advocacy groups. The group is led by Linda Rosa, RN, Executive Director; her spouse Larry Sarner, Administrative Director; and Jean Mercer, Chairman of Professional Board of Advisors, none of whom are licensed mental health providers. ] ] {] ].
Opposition to Attachment Therapy
Attachment Therapy is an ambiguous term with no precise professional meaning but popularly used to describe controversial, non-mainstream "treatments" for children allegedly suffering from attachment disorder, in itself an ambiguous term. "Attachment Therapy" is not a term found in the American Medical Association's Physician's Current Procedural Manual, 2006. It is also not found in Bergin and Garfield's Handbook of Psychotherapy and Behavior Change, fifth edition, edited by Michal J. Lambert, NY: John Wiley & Sons, 2004. The term has been applied to a wide array of different therapies by different groups. There are many variants, for example “rebirthing therapy,” “compression holding therapy,” “corrective attachment therapy,” “the Evergreen model,” “holding time,” or “rage-reduction therapy” . ACT describe attachment therapy" as "the imposition of boundary violations - most often coercive restraint - and verbal abuse on a child, usually for hours at a time...typically, the child is put in a lap hold with the arms pinned down, or alternatively an adult lies on top of a child lying prone on the floor" and as "a growing, underground movement for the 'treatment' of children who pose disciplinary problems to their parents or caregivers." The group further notes that attachment therapy "almost always involves extremely confrontational, often hostile confrontation of a child by a therapist or parent (sometimes both). Restraint of the child by more powerful adult(s) is considered an essential part of the confrontation" and refers to attachment therapy as "the worst quackery in our nation today."
ACT has seven criteria that it gives as the defining characteristics of attachment therapy."
The group has advocated for the elimination of attachment therapy. The group is also critical of the referral of children for government-funded attachment therapy by Courts and state workers, referring to such practices as "state-sponsored torture."
Activities
The group reports that its three leaders were directly involved in prosecution of the Candace Newmaker case. "All three authors assisted the prosecution in the “rebirthing” trial that resulted in historic 16-year sentences for therapists Connell Watkins and Julie Ponder." Both Connell Watkins and Julie Ponder were unlicensed in the state of Colorado(see the Candace Newmaker article for more details. ACT has also entered statements into the record at Congressional hearings on mental health issues.
In 2003 a book called Attachment Therapy on Trial: The Torture and Death of Candace Newmaker, by Larry W. Sarner, Jean Mercer, and Linda Rosa was published. ACT sporadically publishes a newsletter, "AT News." Articles and reports from ACT also often appear on Stephen Barrett's Quackwatch.
See also
References
- http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/4134.html
- http://www.apa.org/releases/teachersneeds.html
- http://www.psych.org/news_room/media_advisories/mediaadvisory.cfm
- http://www.naswdc.org/pace/default.asp
- http://www.ama-assn.org/ American Medical Association
- http://www.apa.org/ American Psychological Association
- http://www.psych.org/ American Psychiatric Association
- http://www.socialworkers.org/ National Association of Social Workers
- Chaffin, M. et al (2006) Report of the APSAC Task Force on Attachment Therapy, Reactive Attachment Disorder, and Attachment problems. | Journal= Child Maltreatment 2006;11;76| pages=77 | DOI: 10.1177/1077559505283699 |
- ACT overview of attachment therapy
- New Book Examines AT
- Siegen, Barry. Seeking Child's Love, a Child's Life is Lost, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 4 Feb 2001, p A1,A22-A24
- Auge, Karen. Alternative therapies not new in Evergreen, Denver Post June 17, 2000
- Statement of Larry W. Sarner and Jean Mercer, Ph.D, Advocates for Children in Therapy, Loveland, Colorado
- Maloney, Shannon-Bridget. "Quackwatch on Attachment Therapy". Quackwatch. Retrieved 2007-02-12.