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From: Dick Mallard
Date: 10/14/02
Time: 11:03:48 PM
Remote Name: 147.26.252.86
Paul, my sincere apologies for just now getting back to you. I just found your message of all things! Thanks for writing these stimulating comments.
Your comments seem to focus on several themes and I shall address each one. First, you mention several times about "Scriptural interpretation." I try not to interpret scripture. When I read the Bible, I believe what it says without adding my thoughts and ideas to what is written. God does not need my interpretations to get His message across. What is needed is for me be believe what is said, as it says it, where it says it, and to whom it is said. Interpretations lead to denominations and you do not find such divisions in the Bible.
Second, you mention the word "imposing." I agree with you 100% that imposing one's personal beliefs on someone is totally inapppropriate. In fact, I am not sure how one could impose a belief on someone else. A belief, to me, is what a person chooses to accept, not what one imposes on another. I see nothing wrong with discussion and I am sure you would agree that discussing issues is a far cry from imposing beliefs.
Third, you comment about people not coming to speech therapy "... for a lesson on comparative theology or for a theological discussion." Certainly you did not take from my paper that that was my intention. Maybe this was an interpretation of what you thought I meant!
Fourth, you make repeated warnings to a person's religious beliefs or thinking as having no place in therapy. What is it in my paper that would be offensive to another Christian when working on stuttering? Now I understand why you would not appreciate me approaching you from a Christian perspective and I would not do that unless it was appropriate. However, knowing that you are Jewish I would not hesitate to enter into a discussion with you about what faith has to do with dealing with problems. Perhaps your Jewish beliefs and practices will have a direct bearing on working on your stuttering and those can be used as we move through the therapy process. So, we can agree to disagree on this one. I believe a person's belief system effects all aspects of one's life both in and out of the therapy room.
By the way, do you find concepts in Jewish doctrine that can be used in therapy? If so, I would like to know about them.
Finally, Paul, I must comment on your last sentence. Do you honestly believe that what I have written means that I am attempting to mold a client's mode of religious thinking to more closely resemble mine? Surely not. I hope you don't have such a strong bias against a clinician sharing personal beliefs with a client that your objectivity is clouded. When you decide on a particular therapy program to use with a client you are sharing a personal belief that will translate to how you treat that person. A client comes to you for various reasons. What you know and what you believe about treating the problem will be two determining factors in whether the client decides to stay with you or not. I encourage you to not automatically exclude your religious background and knowledge as you design treatment programs for people who stutter.
Thanks again, Paul, for your article. I look forward to your response. AND, I'll be more prompt in responding--I promise!