Mishmeres HaSholom: Ask the Rav

Q: In a previous magazine, I read about a mother who wasn’t happy with her son’s speech therapist, and wanted to brief the secretary at the clinic about this so that others could avoid this heartache.

I had a similar experience, where the therapist was really not working well for us, and we had to switch to another therapist in the middle of a series of sessions. Now that the nine sessions that were approved by our insurance are over, I want to submit a request for additional sessions, explaining that they are necessary because our son did not progress under the care of the first therapist, who didn’t do her job properly.

Is this halachically correct, or does it constitute lashon hara regarding the therapist?

A: Generally speaking, it seems that you may submit a request for approval for additional sessions, citing the complaint that the sessions with the first therapist were unsuccessful. You must, however, take caution while formulating the reasoning for the request. It is forbidden to write that the therapist is not proficient in her work, or isn’t up to standard. You can write: Due to the fact that my child began progressing when we switched therapists in the middle of a series, it is apparent that the first therapist was not suitable for him, though she may be successful with other children.

The following questions and answers were taken from the Mishmeres Hasholom pamphlet in Israel. For details and inquiries please e-mail us at office@hasholom.org or call 972-2 5379160.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the individual author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Hamodia.