After a very long thread here and a very long thread at XGW – both of which you spent a great time in comments – this is the first we hear that you disapprove of this method. And though it was quite difficult getting you to that point, thank you for finally getting there.

We can agree that the methods described in Alan’s leter are inappropriate, at best.

So now we must agree that either Alan is lying about Cohen, or that Cohen was behaving inappropriately.

In summary, I do not support lying on top of clients. I have never personally heard Cohen teach counselors to lay on top of clients. As far a people laying with people, the only thing I ever heard from him was that when he was trained by Martha Welsh she taught family bonding and attachment methods and one included family lying together. The specifics of this he referred to in her workshops, books, and video tapes, of which I confess I have not fully reviewed. While holding is discussed in his book, COS, it is not referenced in terms of laying on clients. In the book, it refers to holding without gential touching and the information seems to be provided under mentoring wich is not precribed to the role of the counselor himself. If you want more information about this you should confer with him personally. Thanks, Jim.

But, as best I can tell, the answer is:

A. Yes, Jim Phelan supports Richard Cohen’s methods

B. including those of lying on top of a client

C. even if it involves one of the parties becoming sexually aroused

D. and thus he will not criticize Cohen

If I didn’t get that right, Jim, please let me know which of those points were incorrect.

LOL, theraurus program that replaces….., besides the one in my head, no, if I had one I wouldn’t know how to use it anyway. I’ll look into one though, maybe it will help.

Back to matters — no, I am not suggesting Alan is lying (as I undersatand it, he wrote the letter and presented, as he himself, saw it).
No, to answer your question; I do not know if he (Cohen) recommends/ed NWT to his clients (or if he participates/ed along with them). Thanks for asking the source directly though; best answered in that manner. -Jim

Speaking of odd wording, Jim P says:

Rather, they take a hard swing at the alleged other’s perpetuation.

Are you suggesting Alan is lying? Alleged other’s perpetration? I do not know why Exodus continued to sell Cohen’s books. You should ask them.

You get the daily blog prize for this one: “Then, the brightened, perhaps an over accentuation of the forgone principle, hence the letter?”

Are you using one of those thesaurus programs which replace words with bigger words?

Anyway, you are dodging the question about whether you would recommend this? And whether, given your knowledge of his trainings, he recommends New Warriors Trainings to his clients and does he participate along with them? And for the record, I have written Richard to ask the same question.

This “presentation” I attended is linked here:

http://www.gaytostraight.org/healseminars.htm#Counselor’s_Training_Program_

As for Warriors, I don’t recall discussing that as part of training.

I already discussed my views on warrior in your other threads on the topic.

-Jim

I made this point also at XGW: the question that may come to some minds is the unusual essence in which Exodus takes no liability to hosting the venue to begin with. Rather, they take a hard swing at the alleged other’s perpetuation. Not once was it said, we (Exodus) take full responsible for, what obviously, in their minds, an oversight. The burden of responsibility is in screening, and knowing the content of presenters. At best, this lack of ownership could be judged to show a willingness to pelt responsibility and expose a slovenly approach to conferencing. This coincides with other possible interrogations, such as if behaviors of this presenter were so uncouth, why then did the organization, continue to endorse through sales, the presenters very own book product, until Mr. Chambers intervened? Then, the brightened, perhaps an over accentuation of the forgone principle, hence the letter?

Since you have first hand knowledge, can you tell me if he referred his clients to New Warriors training programs which he also attended and participated in? Would you do this?

Do you approve of this means of therapist to client contact?