Marriage and Family Therapy

Alyssa Perez

CPSY 215

5/4/15

Final Reflection Paper

        Within the discussion of ethics in Marriage and Family Therapy, there are many standards that have been written as guidelines and suggestions to avoid malpractice and further harm to a client. The discussion of ethical guidelines are constantly changing within the constructs of the ever-changing experiences of people, being aware of different perspectives multi-culturally, socioeconomically, geographically, and politically. Ethical constructs differ in religious and cultural aspects. However, in the state of California, and in the United States, there are clear guidelines involving the issue surrounding multiple or dual relationships with the clients as well as clear constructs surrounding the therapist and his or her ethical competence projected by their day-to-day lives outside of their work. The ethical issues that I would like to discuss that have left me both perplexed and contemplative are the ethical issues surrounding dual relationships, in particular, relationships that are formed between the therapist and others who are associated to their client, and how the personal relationships and behavioral characteristics of the therapist can then, prose as a problematic dual role and counter transference that the therapist may unconsciously face in the early time of his or her career.

        Creating a dual role or a dual-relationship with your client has several problematic susceptibilities as well as unique, nourishing capabilities for the client. Juxtaposing consequences, it is in the best interest of the client where the therapist needs to make decisions to ensure the privilege of the client is preserved. Dual relationships can also include relationships that the therapist may have with someone associated with their client, and not necessarily their client, but someone associated with them. For school counselors and family therapists, this circumstance can happen often, whether the therapist takes on multiple roles surrounding the client (for example, a educator as well as an emotional supporter in child-school settings), or the therapist is socially or professionally involved with someone within their clients’ social network. Within the codes distinguished by the American Psychological Association and others, issues such as professional-monetary bartering and illicit solicitation of biased services are discussed, but what I initially thought of when reading upon the issues of counter transference and dual relationships with the client was my own personal experience surrounding the issue of marijuana and the population in which I want to work with, children with co-current disorders and drug addictions.

        As an individual who has had personal problems surrounding drug use and marijuana, I think it is interesting to see the growth in my perceptions and outlooks upon entering this program. Not only does major aspects of the counseling program provoke strong counter transference within me, but it also challenges me professionally and academically to not only engage in the therapeutic concepts of rehabilitation, plan of action, and the internal process of ambivalence and change, but provokes me to question my own motives as a potential therapist. My day-to-day personal life; the behaviors in which I ritualistically engage in and the people in which I associate myself with outside of school and other professional networks, are catalysts in my perception and experiences that will be applied in the therapeutic process of other individuals who have similar issues to my own.

        I believe that it is in this skill of evaluating one’s counter transference to their client and being able to separate themselves and their position to their client’s life is necessary when growing as a therapist as well. In order for this step to elevate a therapist’s competence, it is ethically necessary for the therapist to seek consultation and possibly therapy to ensure that their counter transference does not damage the progression and well-being of their client. Within the context of countertransference, a therapist, especially in the early formation of his or her career, can experience a situation where a role that they have in their personal lives may influence the reaction, diagnosis, and delineated plan of action and therapy they create with their client. More specifically, it would be interesting to see how a therapist would handle their own counter transference when they are romantically involved with someone who is just like their client, and although they may not be involved with their client in particular, when they are involved or have an intimate partner involved with the same issues as their client, their relationship with their client can be susceptible to biased opinions, perceptions, diagnosis, and reactions during the therapeutic process.