Boundary violations happen in two general ways — a momentary bad decision or a long series of bad decisions that leads to a huge error. Here are examples of each. A clinician friend attended a client’s graduation party. She had worked with this client for months as he dealt with
Tag: dual relationships
If clients want to return to counseling, or to transition from a therapeutic relationship to a friendship, the right and responsibility to renew or reinvent the relationship should be theirs alone.
There are lots of “what ifs” that come with being a professional counselor. What if a client invites you to his or her wedding or graduation party? Should you go? What if you’re one of only a few counselors in a rural area, and a client turns out to be
The recent revision of the ACA Code of Ethics significantly changes the ethical guidelines related to dual relationships. Careful review of the specific ethics code language addressing dual relationships is imperative in order to navigate this prevalent ethical issue. Though the 1995 code offered guidance on the topic of dual
Editor’s note : American Counseling Association members received the 2005 ACA Code of Ethics bundled with the December 2005 issue of Counseling Today. Completed over a three-year period, this revision of the ethical code is the first in a decade and includes major updates in areas such as confidentiality, dual