Boundaries And Dual Relationships In Counseling

KENYATTA UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL: HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

DEPARTMENT: PSYCHOLOGY

UNIT NAME: PROFESSIONAL ISSUES AND ETHICS

UNIT CODE: APS 424

NAME: FAITH KWAMBOKA ONGERA

REG NO: C77/0521/2009

TASK: ESSAY ON DUAL RELATIONSHIP

LECTURER: MR KAREGA MUCHIRI

DUE DATE: 28th NOVEMBER 2012

Many professionals in the west are not worried by boundaries and dual relationships, for instance in the UK accountants and solicitors often get work from their friends, or friends of friends, hairdressers can go out for a meal with their customers. In the early days in counseling there was no concern about boundaries and dual relationships. Freud came from a small, tight- knit social group of middle class Vienna. He gave patients gifts, financial
Worldwide, the codes of ethics for counselors and psychotherapists have a total ban on sexual activity with a current client. Client’s safety should come first and always paramount. A number of professional associations have a lifetime ban of sexual relationships with clients and ex-clients believing that power differential can never be totally resolved. Practitioners should carefully exercise considerable caution before, entering into personal or business relationship with former clients and should expect to be professional accountable if the relationship becomes detrimental to the client or the standing of the
They found out that there were seven functions in matters concerning gifts; as a symbolic exchange, to bind the therapist, to act out something that cannot be discussed openly, to elicit a response, as a precursor to a boundary violation, as a workable aspect of the transference, as a defense against the transference. It is essential to know the cultural context in which gifts is given, for instance in Japan and many of the far eastern cultures gifts are considered an essential part of good manners. In Japan every hospitable act must be marked with a gift. It would, therefore, be correct to give a present to a therapist who was welcoming and friendly. In western cultures women are more likely to give present than men. If receiving of presents were to be banned, this should be explained to clients, but even with an explanation the denial of something of enormous importance to members of another culture would be insensitive and even result in a breakdown of the counseling relationship. It is noted that a ban on acceptance of gifts would be counterproductive therapeutically because the gift has so many possible functions that can be explored in the therapy and may aid the client understanding of him or her. With every gift there are overt messages but also many hidden massages, which may be part a symbolic exchange and in part an acting out of something that cannot be put in