The News: WILL has filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of Terri Koschnick and Joy Buchman, Wisconsin-licensed counselors, challenging a Wisconsin rule banning consensual, client-driven Christian counseling. The challenge follows an 8-1 Supreme Court ruling that Colorado’s identical law was unconstitutional “viewpoint discrimination,” the “most blatant” kind of First Amendment violation.
The Quotes: WILL Deputy Counsel, Rebecca Furdek, stated, “Wisconsin’s rule is materially indistinguishable from Colorado’s statute held to be viewpoint discrimination by SCOTUS. When we notified the Evers administration of this fact, we were met with a blatant refusal to follow the Supreme Court holding, along with inflammatory, baseless rhetoric accusing WILL of ‘bullying’ children and Wisconsinites. However, Wisconsin counselors have every right to provide Christ-centered talk therapy to the clients who seek them out for that type of counseling.”
WILL Client, Terri Koschnick, stated, “Government officials should not be allowed to police the private conversations I have with my clients who voluntarily seek out my advice as a Christian counselor. They have no right to punish me for saying something they disagree with. That was again confirmed by our nation’s highest court.”
More on Our Clients: Ms. Koschnick, MS, LMFT, is a licensed marriage and family therapist who earned her master’s degree in counseling from the University of Wisconsin (UW)-Whitewater and her bachelor’s degree from UW-Stevens Point. Ms. Buchman, MS, LPC, NCC, is a licensed professional counselor who earned her master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Winona State University, as well as a certificate in mental health counseling from UW-Madison. Both clients only provide talk therapy to clients, integrating their clinical training and experience with their Christian faith in providing faith-based counseling. Ms. Koschnick resides in Oconomowoc and Ms. Buchman resides in La Crosse.
More on The Rule: The Wisconsin regulation, Wis. Admin. Code § MPSW 20.02(25) purports to declare it “unprofessional conduct” for any Board licensee to “Employ[ ] or promot[e] any intervention or method that has the purpose of attempting to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity, including attempting to change behaviors or expressions of self or to reduce sexual or romantic attractions or feelings toward individuals of the same gender.” In effect, the rule prohibits counselors from providing counseling in accordance with a Judeo-Christian sexual ethic, even if the clients share that viewpoint and specifically seek them out for counseling to align with that viewpoint.
The Board’s regulation applies to all professional counselors, marriage and family therapists, and social workers licensed by the Board.
Read More:
- Complaint, May 2026
Rebecca Furdek
Deputy Counsel