Thank you so much for all you are doing. Hierophant's point about "mandatory reporting" is extremely valid.

There are times when I want to see a therapist, and I think they could help me, but I don't dare see any mental health professional because they are required to report me to the police. I have done nothing wrong, I have broken no laws, but the psychiatric industry is mandated by law to treat me as a criminal.

This is truly the height of ignorance.

It's impossible for a psychiatrist to help any adult without understanding their sexual orientation. And to pretend certain sexual orientations don't exist is an insult to the profession.

I am a little confused about your response to Hierophant. Either therapists are required by law to report pedophiles to the police, or they are not. You implied there is a choice, but as I understand it, there is no choice under US law. The only choice for a therapist is to report any and all patients with "feelings", or break the law and risk loosing their medical license.

I have heard many stories, right her on GC, about people who have seen therapists. Some reported them to the police and caused all sorts of problems. Other therapists "pretended to not understand" and "played dumb", and acted like they did not understand. The therapists would change the patient's words to mean anything except attraction to minors, and it was clear that they were doing this to avoid legal problems.

I suppose it's better if a therapist "plays dumb" and pretends he/she doesn't understand for liability purposes, but secretly does understand with a wink and a nod, but this is no way for a doctor to treat a patient. And risking a career and 8 years of education is not something any reasonable person would risk to help a patient.

I understand that B4U-ACT's mission is bridge the gap between MAPs and the mental health industry, and to build a knowledge-base of law abiding MAPs, but "mandatory reporting" laws make this nearly impossible. As long as it is a crime for mental health doctors to treat MAPs, very little progress can be made.