R115: Shhh! The Ethical Dilemmas No One Talks About

But in today's far more informal therapeutic climate, the old rules don't seem so straightforward anymore. Where is the line between dogmatic rigidity and careless laxity? This Reading Course explores the "Big Four" of ethical trouble spots: self-disclosure, sexuality, gifts and dual relationships. It discusses contextual issues that create boundary confusion. You'll heighten your awareness of the importance of establishing clear boundary guidelines at the beginning of treatment and reestablishing them when boundary violations seem imminent.

Course Readings

Can We Talk? Let's End Our Conspiracy of Silence about Our Ambiguous Boundaries by Mary Jo Barrett & Katy Butler

To Tell the Truth: Letting Go of Our Inscrutable Façade by Jay Efran

Nightmare in Aisle 6: A Therapist Is Caught in the Act of Being Herself by Linda Stone Fish

The Slippery Slope: Violating the Ultimate Therapeutic Taboo by Susan Rowan

The Crush: Challenging Our Culture of Avoidance by Mary Jo Barrett

Triple Boundary Crossing: From Client to Friend to Client by Arnold A. Lazarus

Everybody's Business: There Are Precious Few Therapeutic Secrets in a Small Town by Jan Michael Sherman

The Necklace: When Does a Rule Become a Straitjacket? by Jenny Newsome

Love, Dr. Lagerfeld: Sometimes It's Okay to Trust Your Instincts by Michael F. Hoyt

The Ethical Eye by Ofer Zur

Dangers and Possibilities: Uses and Misuses of Therapist Self-Disclosure by Janina Fisher

Learning Objectives

1. List 3 changes in how therapy is done that affects ethical guidelines
2. Identify 3 ways that self-revealing by the therapist can benefit clients
3. Discuss the conditions that put therapists at risk for sexual boundary violations
4. Distinguish between boundary violations and boundary crossings in dual relationships