Personal Relationship Flashcards
(4 cards)
Personal Relationship - Exploitation
Even after therapy ends, it wouldn’t be ethically appropriate for me to have personal contact, including friendship or anything else outside of therapy.
Why: As your therapist, I’ve held a position of trust and influence, and even after therapy ends, there’s still a power imbalance that could make any kind of personal relationship feel unequal or confusing. That dynamic could unintentionally cause harm or lead to you feeling unsupported or misled.
Personal Relationship - Multiple Relationships
Psychologists aren’t allowed to enter into any kind of personal relationship with a client, even in the future.
Why: Once we’ve had a therapeutic relationship, that bond carries a level of emotional vulnerability that doesn’t simply go away. Entering into another kind of relationship, like friendship, crosses ethical lines and could harm your wellbeing or undermine the trust people place in psychologists.
Personal Relationship - Boundaries
It’s my responsibility to make sure our relationship stays within safe and professional limits, even after therapy finishes.
Why: Boundaries are essential in helping people feel secure in therapy, and breaking them—even with good intentions—can damage the integrity of the work we’ve done and the safety of future therapeutic spaces.
Personal Relationship - Continuity of Care
If we were to cross that boundary, I wouldn’t be able to work with you again as your psychologist.
Why: My ethical responsibility is to ensure I remain available to provide appropriate care when it’s needed. Entering into a personal relationship would permanently prevent me from working with you again in any therapeutic capacity, which could deny you support when you might need it most.
