35: The Ethical Issues with "Sons of Helaman:" When Therapists Pathologize "Sin"

There is a long standing history of therapists making the mistake of pathologizing human behavior through the lens of their own religious bias. Maurice Harker, founder of Sons of Helaman: Eternal Warriors, is such an example. He has created programs and written books mostly focused on “sexual self-mastery” which align with his beliefs as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (aka the Mormon Church). Braxton and Natasha discuss the ethical and problematic issues for the public to be aware of in this episode of the Natasha Helfer Podcast. Research shows repeatedly that folks from conservative and high demand religions are more vulnerable to these types of unethical services, and are more apt to internalize the shame of identifying as “diseased” for sexual practices or orientations that are considered normal and even healthy in the clinical sexological field. It does not escape us that therapists like this are also often in the public eye for much more egregious behavior, which is the current case with Maurice Harker who is being investigated for serious clinical abuses.  Braxton Dutson, LCSW, CST graduated with his masters of Social Work degree and is an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist in Salt Lake City Utah. He is the creator of Birds and Bees Podcast (iTunes and Stitcher), a popular sexual/relationship health podcast for couples and parents, and works for The Healing Group. He works with couples, individuals and teens largely in the intersection of sexuality and mental health.  birdsandbeespodcast.com Intro ("Fisher's Hornpipe") and outro by Otter Creek Podcast edited by: Ashley Pacini