Ethical Vignette
Managing Boundaries and Multiple Relationships September 19th 2013
Abstract
This paper examines the ethical boundaries Professional counselors have to deal with face their clients during therapeutic relationships. The paper furthermore addresses multiple relationships, how Counselors and Client boundaries are poorly managed, ethical issues, sexual attraction, and also this paper will be looking into the state code of conduct in reference to boundary relationship between Counselors and Clients and finally intervention strategies will also be discussed as to how to maintain healthy and professional relationships between Counselors and Clients.
It is not surprising that, in the Counseling and therapy field there is bond to exist dual or multiple relations between the Professional Counselor and their Clients. Corey, Schneider, and Callanan (2011) define a dual relationship, while quoting from APA ethics codes, “as a situation where a Counselor is in a two way relationship with a Client professional” (p. 268) These double dealing kind of relationships, could emerge as a sole business like kind of relationships and turn into sexual attractions between Counselors and Clients. Furthermore the most part, the Counselors are entangled in between roles. As the Maryland, ‘BOARD’ states, in it’s regulation COMAR 10.58.03.04; Counselors Competence, Counselors are bond to carry out their duty efficiently the best way possible but after viewing Stephen Feldman’s video “Legal and Ethical Issues for Mental Health Professionals” and as Corey et al. (2011) mentions that some Counselors are un aware of their behaviors as being unethical and not professional, thus they are blind to the signs of evident dangers lurking in their midst, which might cause un structured boundaries between them and their potential Clients. In addition, Stacy (2003) states for more professional boundary relationship, a
Abstract
This paper examines the ethical boundaries Professional counselors have to deal with face their clients during therapeutic relationships. The paper furthermore addresses multiple relationships, how Counselors and Client boundaries are poorly managed, ethical issues, sexual attraction, and also this paper will be looking into the state code of conduct in reference to boundary relationship between Counselors and Clients and finally intervention strategies will also be discussed as to how to maintain healthy and professional relationships between Counselors and Clients.
It is not surprising that, in the Counseling and therapy field there is bond to exist dual or multiple relations between the Professional Counselor and their Clients. Corey, Schneider, and Callanan (2011) define a dual relationship, while quoting from APA ethics codes, “as a situation where a Counselor is in a two way relationship with a Client professional” (p. 268) These double dealing kind of relationships, could emerge as a sole business like kind of relationships and turn into sexual attractions between Counselors and Clients. Furthermore the most part, the Counselors are entangled in between roles. As the Maryland, ‘BOARD’ states, in it’s regulation COMAR 10.58.03.04; Counselors Competence, Counselors are bond to carry out their duty efficiently the best way possible but after viewing Stephen Feldman’s video “Legal and Ethical Issues for Mental Health Professionals” and as Corey et al. (2011) mentions that some Counselors are un aware of their behaviors as being unethical and not professional, thus they are blind to the signs of evident dangers lurking in their midst, which might cause un structured boundaries between them and their potential Clients. In addition, Stacy (2003) states for more professional boundary relationship, a