Karin Blak, a psychosexual and relationship therapist, has voiced significant concern regarding an article by Nicholas Purcell, published on 31 August. Purcell, a relationship psychotherapist, had discussed sometimes advising couples to end their marriages.
Blak stated that her concern stems from Purcell's apparent placement of the decision about a relationship's future in the therapist's hands. She emphasised that her role, as a psychosexual and relationship therapist, is to assist clients in understanding their relationship dynamics, exploring behaviour patterns, recognising abuse, and considering available options and their consequences, rather than making decisions for them.
Blak highlighted that this distinction is crucial due to the considerable power clients invest in therapists, often when they are at their most vulnerable. She warned that if therapists begin to decide which marriages should end, they risk substituting their own judgment for that of their clients.