This 4 page paper examines a case study in ethics regarding a psychologist. Sexual misconduct is a part of the paradigm, but the case becomes quite complex when a psychologist has an affair with an ex-patient's wife. Bibliography lists 6 sources.
Name of Research Paper File: RT13_SA442APA.rtf
Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
some benefit from treatment, the psychologist meets the clients wife. He then has an affair with the ex-patients wife, and when the ex-patient finds out, he is livid. One
cannot blame him for being angry at a man who is having an affair with his wife, but it seems that the ethics go beyond that of the ordinary affair.
Boundary issues enter the picture. Is sexual exploitation part of the problem? If the psychologist went to the licensing board, what should happen to the psychologist? The example is
rather difficult as for example there are clear rules and guidelines regarding sexual intimacy with clients as well as ex-patients, but there are few true "rules" that concern an ex-patients
spouse. Still, there is enough in the literature to come up with some semblance of an answer. Gabbard (2002) for example explains that there is in fact a rationale
for the prohibition of all sexual contact between former patients and their therapists. This is because a therapist has the potential to harm a former patient (2002). Even in
the best of circumstances, a psychologist or psychiatrist knows the patients shortcomings and certainly, the therapists has an advantage. The fact that any love relationship can be hurtful enters the
picture. With this rationale, one can see that to have an affair with an ex-patients spouse would certainly be unethical because it clearly harms the patient. In this case, the
patient is upset and this is understandable. Clearly, there is a violation of ethical boundaries. Others may argue that a therapist has every right to date anyone he or she
likes, as long as it is not a former patient. Further, the APA guidelines are only that a therapist cannot date a former patient if in fact he treated her,