Forthcoming Issue - December 2011 (11,4)
Boundaries and Transgressions: Opening the Door on a Therapeutic Taboo
The importance of holding and respecting the therapeutic frame is a core aspect of almost all therapy training. Professional bodies, such as the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), embed this as an integral component of ethical practice and all members are expected to not only work within the ethical requirements of practice, but to develop a critically reflective approach to ethics embedded in all that they do.
Most therapists would acknowledge there are times when ethical parameters are challenged, and the demands made in holding the boundaries intact are particularly difficult. For example, we might all reflect on times when we have liked a client and could imagine that, in any other circumstance, they would be a good friend. However, the imperative to retain and respect the boundaries of the therapeutic relationship remains true, and transgression inevitably leads to potential harm both to client and therapist alike.
Additionally, many therapists might recall instances in their working career when they have experienced a sexual attraction towards a client, or perhaps a client’s attraction towards themselves has been disclosed or implied. The importance of respectfully holding such parameters, while possibly working ethically with sexual attraction as a therapeutic dynamic, again cannot be overstated.
How this is achieved is both complex and under-researched. The December issue of CPR (11,4) includes three articles that consider both the importance of working within ethical boundaries, and the harm of failing to do so. Therapists’ understanding of erotic transference and its relevance to the therapeutic process is discussed, and an analysis of serious professional misconduct allegations made to BACP is outlined. Specifically, the paper by Martin et al., Managing boundaries under pressure: A qualitative study of therapists' experiences of sexual attraction in therapy offers an interesting insight into how therapists understand sexual attraction, how they work with it when it occurs, and what they consider to be the particular pitfalls or challenges to the therapeutic alliance.
All three papers touch on one of the taboos of counselling and psychotherapy – the presence of a sexual dynamic within the therapeutic process – and in doing so provide insight, understanding and good-practice suggestions that might be of enormous benefit to both trainee and qualified therapists alike.
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