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Advocates for Children in Therapy (ACT) is a non-profit U.S. advocacy group which is opposed to Attachment Therapy.
Aims
Although the definition of Attachment Therapy has no commonly agreed upon definition,[1] ACT uses seven criteria to distinguish Attachment Therapy from other forms of psychotherapy.[2] ACT argues that therapy satsifying these guidlines is abusive[2]. They further state that the evidence basis for these techniques is the result of researcher bias.[3] As such, the stated mission of ACT is to advocate against these techniques by raising public and institutional awareness of ACT's stance on them, opposing government support and subsidation of such practices, alerting the appropriate authorities to the allegedly abusive nature of these techniques, and taking legal actions in the case that such abuse arises.[4]
Activities
ACT was involved with the prosecution of the Candace Newmaker case.[5] In 2003, they published Attachment therapy on trial: The torture and death of Candace Newmaker, which details their perspective on Candace Newmaker's case history and death. ACT has also entered statements into the record at Congressional hearings on mental health issues.[6]
In 2005, Jean Mercer, chairman of the ACT's board of Professional Advisors published Understanding Attachment: Parenting, Child Care, and Emotional Development. Other publications by ACT include a sporadically posted electronic newsletter titled AT News[7] and frequent articles in Stephen Barrett's Quackwatch.[8]