> Secular therapists often don't advertise that they are humanist or atheist because that might alienate the churches and ministers who frequently make referrals to them, as well as potentially driving away religious clients.
I'm not sure I totally buy it, but at least that's their rationale, and it sounds fairly reasonable to a certain degree. Therapists might not want to advertise that they take a secular approach if they believe it might drive away potential customers. Though I'm not exactly sure why it would drive away potential customers -- isn't the point that they get recommended to by ministries because they are good therapists regardless of their faith? If they do not push spirituality onto their customers, and ministries still recommend them, would those ministries stop recommending them if they found out that they advertise that they don't push spirituality (i.e. the actual approach they take with patients)?
I have to say though that some parts of this feel a bit strange. The registration page has an (optional) question asking "What, if any, is your former religion?". Like, wouldn't it be reasonable for a currently religious person to seek out a secular therapist? Sure, this doesn't exclude religious people in any shape or form, but at the very least it feels a bit leading as a question, almost as if being an atheist is expected of the patient. Full disclosure, I consider myself to be vaguely religious, so I might be looking at this from a tinted lens, but I would also prefer a secular therapist to one that matches my beliefs.
I'm a minister, in New Zealand (not the US!). I'd always recommend a Christian counsellor to a parishioner who needed counselling, and I'd always go to one myself. If I'm going to unburden myself on a professional I'd rather have a counsellor who was on the same wavelength about God stuff, and I'd really really rather not have one who thought my beliefs were wrong/stupid/etc.
Looking at the Secular Therapists project they clearly fall into the "think my beliefs are wrong/stupid/etc" category. The about us page talks about religion "infecting minds!"
I'm not sure I totally buy it, but at least that's their rationale, and it sounds fairly reasonable to a certain degree. Therapists might not want to advertise that they take a secular approach if they believe it might drive away potential customers. Though I'm not exactly sure why it would drive away potential customers -- isn't the point that they get recommended to by ministries because they are good therapists regardless of their faith? If they do not push spirituality onto their customers, and ministries still recommend them, would those ministries stop recommending them if they found out that they advertise that they don't push spirituality (i.e. the actual approach they take with patients)?
I have to say though that some parts of this feel a bit strange. The registration page has an (optional) question asking "What, if any, is your former religion?". Like, wouldn't it be reasonable for a currently religious person to seek out a secular therapist? Sure, this doesn't exclude religious people in any shape or form, but at the very least it feels a bit leading as a question, almost as if being an atheist is expected of the patient. Full disclosure, I consider myself to be vaguely religious, so I might be looking at this from a tinted lens, but I would also prefer a secular therapist to one that matches my beliefs.