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Date: Sun, 18 Jul 1999 19:23:41 -0400 (EDT)
From: Russell Hendel <  rhendel@mcs.drexel.edu>
Subject: Re: Loshon Hara

In Torah Forum Volume 4 Number 77 Reut Abramson says
<  <  In response to the comment about Lashon Horah not allowed during therapy
sessions: The Chofetz Chaim states clearly in his sefer by that name, that
Lashon Horah is permitted when spoken for a "tachlis" (purpose).  He also
states clearly that a form of purpose is if the speaker needs to express
his feelings and emotions - to get it all out", provided that : 1) It truly
be for a purpose i.e. accomplish that purpose by helping the speaker so
he/she will not need to talk to many others too. 2) the listener may not
accept what he is hearing as being actually true.  A therapy session
clearly seems to fit these criteria.  Of course the value of a therapist
who is "shomer Torah U'Mitzvoth" seems obvious for this among many reasons.>  >

But you PAY a therapist to cure you of your personality faults and non
functional approaches to the world. Therefore it is the OBLIGATION of the
therapist when he hears a patient slandering somebody--not to ACCEPT these
feelings--but rather to TRAIN the patient in how to look at the situation
positively--DAN LCAF ZECHUS (where that is possible).

Furthermore it seems to me that if a person spent $100 @ week on therapy
for several months and the therapist never so TRAINED him then this person
would have a lawsuit against the therapist since the therapist never
fulfilled his primary mission of curing the patient.

Russell Jay Hendel; Phd ASA;
RHendel@Juno.Com; http://www.shamash.org/rashi/