Advocates for Children in Therapy

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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, although these groups do seek and use input from various other advocacy groups. ^[1] ^[2] ^[3] ^[4] ^[5] ^[6] ^[7] ^[8] 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.

1 Opposition to Attachment Therapy
2 Activities
3 Membership
4 See also
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Opposition to Attachment Therapy

The definition of "Attachment Therapy" is disputed and there is no generally recognized definition. For example, it 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. The ACT defines "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." The group describes Attachment Therapy 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." The organization refers to Attachment Therapy as "the worst quackery in our nation today."^[9]

ACT has seven criteria that it states as the defining characteristics of "Attachment Therapy."

The group has advocated for the elimination of "Attachment Therapy or holding therapy and rebirthing therapy, and other invasive and coercive methods, none of which are generally considered acceptable practice by licensed mental health providers. The group is also critical of the practice of judges and other state workers referring children for government-funded attachment therapy, referring to such practices as "state-sponsored torture."

[edit] 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."^[10] ACT has also entered statements into the record at Congressional hearings on mental health issues.^[11]

In 2003 ACT published Attachment Therapy on Trial: The Torture and Death of Candice Newmaker, by Larry W. Sarner, Jean Mercer, and Linda Rosa. ACT sporadically publishes a newsletter, "AT News." Articles and reports from ACT also often appear on Stephen Barrett's Quackwatch.^[12]