I catch your drift, but (not previous poster) I disagree. I think it's wonderful that we have an outside resource for these things that: * is not in a positio

I catch your drift, but (not previous poster) I disagree. I think it's wonderful that we have an outside resource for these things that: * is not in a position of power (like community leaders and elders) * is not compromised by pressures of friendship dynamics * is bound to confidentiality and rules of ethical conduct. People in positions of power and friends will still try and help, but the nature of the relationship makes it more difficult. Often, in the past, clergy would also be in the role of helping and were pseudo-professionalized... but again, this service was generally hardly "free" and the religious perspective had its own confounds.