Sexual Misconduct in Counseling and Ministry

by Peter T Ma Mosgofian, George W Msw Ohlschlager

Overview

Sexual misconduct by ministers and other Christian professionals has reached epidemic proportions. One major church insurer has handled over 1,200 cases in the past eight years, many involving child sexual abuse, often with multiple victims. How should the church respond when Christian counselors cross sexual boundaries? What should be done when the healer wounds? What is the church's responsibility both to misbehaving professionals and to heir victims? Combining their extensive counseling experience and legal expertise, the authors of this volume offer a well-written, practical book loaded with the thorny issues of sexual exploitation by religious professionals. Here is tested wisdom that can help. oA recovery strategy for victims oProactive ways to safeguard against improper sexual behavior oScreening and early intervention strategies oRestoring fallen ministers and church leaders oDealing with homosexual misbehavior, seductive clients, recovered memories, and false allegations oAssessing legal consequences of your policies The wise counsel in this timely book can help us find remedies for a growing problem that threatens the Christian church.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781606085066
Publisher:	Wipf & Stock Publishers
Publication date:	05/01/2009
Series:	Contemporary Christian Counseling
Pages:	366
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Peter Mosgofian, LMFT, serves as Executive Director and senior staff therapist of The Redwood Family Institute, a multidisciplinary professional counseling, training, and resource ministry located in Eureka, California. He is also an ordained pastor with the Association of Vineyard Churches and, with his wife Gale, co-pastors the Arcata Vineyard Christian Community in Arcata, California.

George Ohlschlager, BCCC, serves as Executive Consultant to the American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC), and is Senior Editor and Writer for Christian Counseling Today magazine. He is Adjunct and Visiting faculty in the graduate counseling program at St. Petersburg Theological Seminary in Florida, and in the DMin program in marriage and family therapy at Denver Seminary.

Mosgofian and Ohlschlager together co-authored Law for the Christian Counselor (1992).

Table of Contents

Preface ix

Acknowledgments xii

Part I The Sexual Revolution and the Church

1 Challenging Forbidden Sex 3

2 Love, Sex, and Power: The Dangerous Triangle 12

3 Theological Issues in Preventing Forbidden Sex 29

Part II Forbidden Sex Between Adults

4 The Dynamics of Sexual Misconduct 51

5 Helping Adult Victims of Sexual Misconduct 73

6 Problem Cases in Sexual Misconduct 97

Part III Forbidden Sex Against Children

7 Child Sexual Abuse in Society and the Church 117

8 Who Will Heal the Little Ones? Helping Child Victims Carol Carrell 128

Part IV Policy and Practice in the Church

9 Misconduct Policy and Practice in the Protestant Church 149

10 Priestly Misconduct and the Catholic Church Crisis Canice Connors 164

11 Coincident Abuse and Congregational Healing 181

Part V Law and Ethics in Sexual Misconduct

12 Ethical Issues in Forbidden Sex Prevention 193

13 The Law of Sexual Misconduct 209

Part VI Turning the Tide Against Sexual Misconduct

14 Helping Sexual Violators: Restoration or Removal 237

15 Before the Fall: Prevention Guidelines 261

16 Waging War on Sexual Abuse 282

Appendices 297

Bibliography 337

Index 349

About the Authors 352