Can an ordained minister in PA with an MA in "restorative practices" counsel in "psycotherapy" w/o licensure?
This person has a B.A. from an ivy league school in Molecular Biology and an M.A. in Restorative Practices from IIRP (institite of restorative practices). The program appears to be a 30 credit program and the state requires 60 for licensure. They are an ordained minister from a metaphysical program that taught angel healing, tarot card reading, divinatian, house cleansing, pet healings, reflexology, that sort of thing which they offer.In addition they practice massage therapy, hypnosis and regresions, meditation, shamanic journeying, past life work, raindrop therapy, and use and sell essential oils along with their oracle readings.
They are now advertsing counseling sessions via email blasts and on their website offering "integrative therapy sessions" where they "integrate psycotherapy, energy work, and bodywork" for 0-5 hr, as well as "Consling:Psychotherapy" for 5/session, claiming an M.A. in counseling but the program is called "restorative practices" and I don’t know precisely what that is, I lookedo their website and there is a restorative practices in youth counseling but its cirriculam looks related to teaching students and they are advertsing to adults via a 270+ person email blast.
Is this legal? Is this ethical? Does the integrative work fall under holism or dual relationship? I know it is against PA licensure to misrepresent yourself but that ordained ministers are allowed to counsel… but can they use the term "psychotherapy" and pair it with massage without having proessional somatic-psychotheapeutic training lke the Rosen Method or Hellerwork? Is the public at risk? They also offer phone counseling sessions where a person can pay through paypal without ever meeting face to face, and I believe that the ACA says you need supervision for that sort of thing at first. I am in an ethics class for professional counselors now and thought this real lif encounter would be a great lesson for me to learn from, please post any FACTS that you have with relative citations.
SURE, HERE IS THE INFO>
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Posted in children psychotherapy
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September 27th, 2011 at 7:04 pm
Something sounds amiss.
Go with your gut feeling.
Do you have a link so we can look?
Edit: OK, I went and looked. A pricey person to have work with!
A lot of this is a play on words it looks like, but I did not see any claims that they are a minister, ordained or not.
It does look like they have a fair amount of training, and is not making claims about anything else.
Her ‘about me’ training page, put the link below.
She is a member of a few organizations, and will have their insurance with one of them.
I guess as with all things buyer beware.
If you have concerns send them an email or call and ask them.
Take care,
September 27th, 2011 at 7:04 pm
no … the public is in danger ………………..
September 27th, 2011 at 7:04 pm
ANYONE can provide counseling. Being ordained makes no difference in that regard. The person you describe is not CAPABLE of psychotherapy. This person is NOT ordained by anything resembling a recognized religious group.
September 27th, 2011 at 7:04 pm
It appears he is not doing therapy as such - although the ad is misleading at best. Nor do I see claims of ordination or state licensing in the ad. He may still be afoul the state practice act. State practice acts allow ministers to engage in counseling but usually at no charge - In fact anyone can do counseling that is free - but charging is likely a violation of the state practice act that reserves such services for licensed practitioners. I suggest t you contact your states office of consumer protection or the state attorney generals office for clarification of the scope of practice allowed