Jun. 10, 2005 - 20:33 MDT

LAYMAN

History / herstory moves on at a proverbial snails pace. Not much doubt in my mind as to how it will all turn out, due to the direction our administration is taking in general, in the end. But the article in this morning's Rocky Mountain News by Karen Abbott of the same paper continues the saga. In part:

Therapist's supporters rally

"Advocacy groups hope to enlist Colorado's congressional delegation in their effort to change military court rules to protect victims' privacy."

Several groups are to meet Monday to discuss fundraising and other plans to support Colorado Springs therapist Jennifer Bier, who faces arrest because she has refused to give a Texas military judge the treatment records for a patient."

"Colorado's U.S. District Judge Edward Nottingham refused Wednesday to block the arrest. Bier's lawyers said they will appeal his ruling to the 10th U.S. Circuit Court Of Appeals, probably today."

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Of course there is more to the article than that. The groups hope to provide support for Jennifer Bier including assistance for her as she is a single mother when and if she does actually go to jail. Further on it says this, "Bier contends that Colorado law and ethical rules prohibit therapists from disclosing patient records."

There has been quite a bit of discussion that if records like that could be demanded by courts people would quit going to therapists and seeking help. That I do agree with. I was in an institution as an alcoholic and later in one while recovering from a suicide attempt. Although I am open to my family, friends and the cyber world, there are things in my therapist's files that I would fight to the death to keep from being revealed.

I am sure that real law can require some records to be made open to the court, but secrets of the confessional and what transpires between a mental therapist and patient should be private and kept that way.

The patient is a woman and it is my guess that the military wants to use those records against the lady, which I strongly object to.

A psychiatric therapist shouldn't be required to turn over their records to anyone as far as I can see. Of course I am discredited because I am a LAYMAN . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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