Brazilian psychology association seeks to revoke Christian therapist’s license
by Matthew
Cullinan Hoffman
July 5, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) — Brazilian psychologists
are seeking to revoke the license of a therapist for publicly affirming her
Christian beliefs on her online blog and twitter accounts, an action that the
organization claims violates its code of ethics.
 |
| Marisa Lobo |
The Federal
Council of Psychology (CFP), which has the power to regulate the activities of
psychologists in Brazil, informed Lobo in February through its affiliate in the
state of Paraná that she had 15 days to remove any indication of an association
between her psychology practice and her religious beliefs from her website, or
risk losing her license to practice.
Lobo’s posts and
tweets often conflict with the sexually libertine and left-wing ideology
espoused by the CFP, including denunciations of homosexual adoption, and
support for sexual orientation change therapy. She claims that the process
against her was spurred by complaints from homosexuals, especially regarding
her opposition to the “gay kit,” a set of highly explicit materials which was
to be distributed to children in public schools in 2011 as an “anti-homophobia
measure.” However, the program was suspended due to public outrage.
In its warning
to Lobo, the CFP cited its code of ethics, which “forbids” psychologists to
exert “influence in favor of political, philosophical, moral, ideological, or
religious convictions, those regarding sexual orientation, or any type of
prejudice, when they are engaged in the exercise of their professional
functions” or to “give services or link the title of psychologists to services
of psychological care whose procedures, techniques, and means are not regulated
or recognized by the profession.”
Lobo responded
to the CFP with a letter stating that she has never imposed her views on
clients, and claiming the code is “unconstitutional.”
“I declare to
this council of psychology, that I am not going to comply with this decision. I
am not going to remove from my blog, and/or my twitter, nor from my site,
absolutely anything that links me to psychology and to my faith,” wrote Lobo.
“To the
contrary, I want my patients to have the right to choose me as a therapist
because they know that I, Marisa Lobo, am a psychologist, a professional who
believes in almighty God,” she added.
Lobo defies Council on same-sex attraction therapy
In a subsequent
interview with pro-family activist Julio Severo, Lobo made it clear that she
does, and will continue to do, therapy for those homosexuals who wish to
develop opposite-sex attraction, which appears to be forbidden by the CFP’s
ethical code.
“My oath, my
code of ethics, tells me that I have to treat, to listen to psychic suffering,
and if the fact of being homosexual is causing any kind of suffering, I do
treat them. It’s my obligation, even if it is to change their orientation,
condition, or choice, if that is their absolute desire. I could not deny it to
them. I would be violating the code of ethics, would I not?”
She added,
however, that she “respects” the CFP’s 1999 resolution condemning the treatment
of homosexuality as an illness. However, if a homosexual is “going to therapy
it’s because he’s suffering. And if, I repeat, it is his will, I have to be a
channel, without imposing, something I have never done … I now let my patient
decide. If it’s what he wants, we go there, and in the process, he will
determine and even confirm if that is what he wants.”
Council’s actions “unconstitutional,” says national bar association
Brazil’s
national bar association, known as the Order of Attorneys of Brazil, also
disagrees with the CFP’s actions, calling them an “undoubtedly
unconstitutional” attack on Lobo’s religious freedom in a legal opinion brief
published in response to a request by Lobo.
The CFP’s code
of ethics “clearly shows the prohibition of proselytizing in the exercise of
this profession, however it is not about proselytism in a form of personal
expression of faith, and, therefore, of integrating the essence of religious
liberty in the broad sense,” stated the Order in a declaration on the case.
The attention
drawn to Lobo’s case by media coverage has resulted in recent congressional
hearings on overturning the CFP’s ban on therapy for same-sex attraction, a
practice still recognized by the World Health Organization as a legitimate
response to unwanted homosexuality. Lobo testified at the hearing, where she
was jeered at and
interrupted by homosexuals, who chanted slogans while she sought to
testify. The CFP refused to participate.
The CFP’s recent
attack on Lobo follows a similar action in 2009, in which the organization
publicly censured psychologist Rozangela Justino for conducting reparative
therapy for homosexual clients who wished it, and ordered its Rio de Janeiro
division to enforce the ruling prohibiting the treatment.
Contact
information:
Marisa Lobo - Psychologist (in
Portuguese)
Marisa Lobo on Twitter
Source: LifesSiteNews,
via Julio Severo in English: www.lastdayswatchman.blogspot.com
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