Dual Relationships In Counseling

This is one of the more difficult questions I have encountered in my entire academic career due to the fact that is like trying to prove a negative. After reading my textbooks, other ethics books, codes of ethics, and an extensive literature review I found little documentation about the acceptability of dual relationships in counseling. Mostly, you must take the information provided that advises against dual relationships and infer the opposite. Likewise, relationships with colleagues, supervisors/supervisees, students, and employees are governed in regards for what to do and not to do. My example of an acceptable dual relationship in counseling is a therapist who lives in a rural area, experiences a vehicular breakdown and the only mechanic feasibly close enough to fix his truck is also his client. This situation, while unforeseeable to a certain extent (i.e., vehicle repairs are an inevitable cost of operating one), must be handled professionally, responsibly, and appropriately. According to the American Counseling Association (ACA) 2014 code of ethics counseling boundaries may be extended so long as “counselors take appropriate professional precautions such as informed consent, consultation, supervision, and documentation to ensure that judgment is
However, since the possibility exists for the therapists needing a mechanical intervention this should be discussed thoroughly with the client during the initial intake process. Remember: “It is easier to prevent an ethics complaint than it is to defend one” (Doverspike, 2015, p. 3). While a therapist in this scenario would neither know when nor where his vehicle may breakdown he would know that if it did and he was in proximity of his client/mechanic that a dual relationship would be