Hi Neutrino

No, therapists are not required to report an MAP for thoughts and feelings alone.

There's a few I've talked to at B4U-ACT workshops and e-mail correspondences who I know would not report an MAP just for their sexual orientation. I might be able to share their names over private e-mail with you if you're interested enough. But one is Andrew Extein who posted here for a brief period. There is also one offering online therapy. His website is http://www.mapdoc.net/ He wouldn't report anyone based on just being an MAP.

I also did an experiment where I e-mailed over 200 therapists throughout three States pretending to be an MAP seeking mental health services and asked them various questions including about confidentiality and reporting laws.

One could claim that they were lying over e-mail, but out of the sixty something responses I received not one of them said they'd have to break confidentiality unless certain laws were broken.

Now even though they all said that, some of the responses weren't perfect, I'll admit. A few (but not all) said they might have to break confidentiality if they "thought someone was at risked of being harmed"

I know those kinds of answers are troubling because that's entirely left up to interpretation of when someone is "at risk" of being harmed. Basically what I'm considering doing is repeating the experiment but mention in my fake letter that I have care or custody over children and see if they change their tune.

But yeah anyway, that was the only major problem I saw with their answers and something to work on and talk about with therapists.

Also somewhat reassuring, over e-mail and at workshops I've casually mentioned that I see kids in the retail setting I work at and sometimes spend time with my little cousin and none of them really reacted negatively to those kinds of statements, but then again I wasn't seeing them as a patient, but more of a consultant about what our population faces. But still it felt hopeful.

Also, and I hesitate to mention these two, because I know so many don't like them, and I don't think everything they say is all good either, but for the sake of this topic, from what I've heard James Cantor and Fred Berlin would definitely not report an MAP either. I've talked extensively with people from Fred Berlin's office about that too. But anyway, I don't want to give the impression that I'm saying we should all run to Cantor and everything will be ok.

Anyway, if you'd like to read my essay about the therapists responses I received let me know and I can send it to you. My address is mhutton@b4uact.org Or I might be able to send you every single one of their actual answers if you're interested enough.

So overall I think the majority of therapists would not report someone for being an MAP, but there's still plenty of reason to be cautious and use discretion.