Question

Providing professional counseling in a church or other nontraditional venue introduces unique challenges. How can risks be minimized when multiple relationships exist among the people involved in a counseling practice?

Answer 1

Professional counseling takes place usually in the therapist's clinic, hospitals, outpatient mental health centers and schools or colleges. Usually, the counselor is not known to the patient beforehand. This helps both the client and therapist as the interaction remains impersonal.

But sometimes the therapists are connected to the clients in some other roles. This is called as dual or multiple relationships, which might cause certain ethical issues. In some churches, the clergy provide professional counseling to the members. But as the clergy is already having a role as the preacher, assuming the role of a therapist and counseling the members might lead to certain complications. Many of the clients have severe mental issues which can be tackled only by professional therapist. If the clergy member is not a qualified counselor, he/she might give wrong advice and the member's symptoms might aggravate. The non-traditional venues do not have privacy and the member might not be able to discuss his/her problems freely. If the therapist knows the member in any other role, it becomes difficult for him/her to think without bias. The multiple relationships among people involved in a counseling practice might lead to breach of confidentiality or taking wrong advantage, which might result in the wronged person suing the counselor.

As all people cannot afford to go to the therapist, availing counseling free of cost at the Church or some other nontraditional venue might seem lucrative for the members with limited financial resources. An individual might also feel more comfortable to divulge his/her problems to a person with whom he/she shares other relationship. The following measures can be taken to minimize the risks in counseling practice when multiple relationships exist among people:

a} The place where counseling takes place should not be secluded and the therapist should not counsel the client at his/her home.

b} Both, the therapist and client should mutually establish a dividing line of professionalism, which both of them should not cross. The other relationships should not come in between them and should not cloud the therapist's judgement.

c} If the therapist feels that the member is having very severe and intense mental issues, he/she should refer the member to another professional expert.

d} The counseling should be for a brief period and if the member seems to not benefit from the counseling, he/she should be informed according and asked to seek counseling elsewhere.

e} If the member wishes to donate something for charity and makes the therapist a witness or the heir, proper documentation of the same must be done to avoid legal complexities in the future.

f} Strict confidentiality must be maintained about the revelations made by the member. The therapist should not take advantage of his multiple role to violate the privacy and dignity of the member. The member should also not take undue advantage of his/her relationship with the therapist.