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268: THE MITZVOS OF
HONORI NG PARENTS
AND OF REFRAINING
FROM SLANDER
AS THEY APPLY
WHILE PROVIDING
PSYCHOTHERAPY

ɳ Question

Questions sometimes arise in the Department of Psychological
Services, regarding issues of honoring parents and speaking lashon
hara. I would be very grateful for guidance in regard to the following
questions:

1. Say a child is referred for treatment because of learning and/or
behavioral problems and while working with him the psychologist
discovers information that is not directly related to the presenting
problem, such as a dysfunctional family situation – typically dysfunc-
tion between the parents – but the psychologist can deal with the
specific issue at hand and successfully treat it, with Heaven’s assis-
tance, even without intervening in regard to the couple’s relationship.

Does the psychologist have an obligation to initiate intervention
regarding problems outside the immediate purview of the referral,
by virtue of the mitzvah of “bringing peace between one person and
another and between man and wife”?

Moreover, when a couple are not interested in the psychologist
treating their problems as a couple and only want him to treat their

200 1 Medical-Halachic Responsa of Rav Zilberstein