Sophia Eppolito
June 08, 2021 - 9:14 PM
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) â Sex therapist Lisa Butterworth has long been willing to delve into sensitive sexuality questions with clients who belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They seek her out to have open and frank conversations about the faithâs strict rules.
But after seeing another prominent sex therapist she considers a close friend and colleague recently kicked out of the church, Butterworth is worried fewer church members will seek help in fear of being reprimanded.
Butterworth, a church member living in Idaho, is among a contingent of mental health professionals who fear Natasha Helfer's ouster will further embolden a culture of shame. She wrote a letter condemning the decision thatâs been signed by over 800 mental health professionals.