CAMFT Ethics Code

810 Words2 Pages

CAMFT Ethics Code
1.2.2 SEXUAL CONTACT: Sexual intercourse, sexual contact or sexual intimacy with a patient, or a patient’s spouse or partner, or a patient’s immediate family member, during the therapeutic relationship, or during the two years following the termination of the therapeutic relationship, is unethical. Should a marriage and family therapist engage in sexual intimacy with a former patient or a patient’s spouse or partner, or a patient’s immediate family member, following the two years after termination or last professional contact, the therapist shall consider the potential harm to or exploitation of the former patient or to the patient’s family. therapeutic relationship ended still showed it that can caused harm to client. …show more content…

It happened between clinician supervisor and student trainee as well according to Kenneth S. Pope, Hanna Levenson, and Leslie R. Schover. According to Pope, Levenson, and Schover’s research, there are four areas of concerns which the professional psychological must look at: 1) the nature of the sexual contact, 2) the effects on clinical training, 3) ethical implications, and 4) the potential legal liability of supervisors who engage in sexual relationship with trainees. The APA Ethics Code says, in Standard 7.07: "Psychologists do not engage in sexual relationships with students or supervisees who are in their department, agency, or training center or over whom psychologists have or are likely to have evaluative authority." Trainees are to be trained by professionals in the field the correct ethical standards. However, if the student and their supervisor are having sexual relationship, the student learned about the unethical thing to do instead which is completely wrong. Although, both student and supervisor are adults and …show more content…

Marie Hartwell-Walker wrote an article in PsychCentral on “Why your therapist can’t be your friends’’ revealed that therapist and client must agree on a clear boundary of their professional relationship from the very beginning. The clearly defined boundary creates a safety net for both the client and therapist. The structure of the relationship should be consistent, reliable and predictable so the client knows exactly what to expect as a result of the therapy sessions. Dual relationship such as being a therapist and a friend at the same time will cause confusion to the client. Things will become blurry as to when something that were discussed would be kept confidential or not confidential as a friend or as a therapist. The therapist/client relationship built on trust and if client is confused about the dual relationship, then that trust may be broken causing the therapy to be ineffective. With that said, it is important to just maintain a therapeutic relationship for the benefit of the client’s best

Open Document