Boundaries of Sex and Intimacy Between Client and Counselor

Posttermination Friendship Between Counselors and Clients

“…Some psychodynamically oriented therapists have argued that healthy resolution of transference issues may be disrupted by a posttermination relationship (Buckley, Karasu, & Charles, 1981;Gelso & Carter, 1985;Hannigan, 1975;Kitchener, 1992;Pfeffer, 1961Pfeffer, , 1963. Problems for the former client may also arise because of the unfair power differential that was established during counseling (Coleman & Schaefer, 1986;Kitchener & Harding, 1990;Pope & Vasquez, 1991). Unreciprocated knowledge of a former client's most sensitive weaknesses and most intimate secrets can render a client particularly vulnerable within a relationship with his or her former counselor.…”

Sexual Contact Between Psychologists and Patients

“…Studies that Natalie Shavit 211 have looked at patient characteristics have shown that the female victims are typically 12 to 16 years younger than their male therapists (Bouhoutsos et al, 1983;D'Addarrio, 1977). These patients have been profiled as lonely, depressed, and having poor self-esteem, with a history of incest or other abusive relationships, leaving them vulnerable to further exploitation (Coleman & Schaefer, 1986). Pope and Bouhoutsos (1986) presented three groups of patients, differing in terms of their level of risk in becoming sexually intimate with their therapists.…”

“…The harm included inability to trust, reluctance to obtain further professional help, serious depressions, hospitalizations, and suicide. Coleman and Schaefer (1986) also listed depression and other affective disorders, adjustment disorders, and substance abuse as adverse effects of therapist-patient sexual contact. Pope (1988) believed that the fact that 10% from Bouhoutsos et al's study (1983) did not report harm is probably due to the delayed onset of the destructive effects.…”

Dual Relationships: A Continuum Ranging From the Destructive to the Therapeutic

“…( ¶ 3.05) Typically, dual relationships are classified as either sexual (occurring with either a current or former client) or nonsexual (with a current client). According to Coleman and Schaefer (1986), sexual dual relationships are abusive and can include either overt forms of sexual contact with clients (e.g., passionate kissing, fondling, sexual intercourse, oral or anal sex, and sexual penetration with objects) and/or other less obvious expressions of sexual behavior (e.g., sexual gazes and seductiveness). There are also numerous kinds of nonsexual and nonromantic dual relationships, including the following: personal or friendship relationships, social interactions and events, business or financial relationships, collegial or professional relationships, supervisory or evaluative relationships, religious affiliation relationships, collegial or professional plus social relationships, and workplace relationships (Anderson & Kitchener, 1996).…”