Can Clients and Therapists Be Friends?

Participating in multiple relationships with a client never crossed my mind. Yes, I recognized that working as a female with adolescent males with boundary issues put me in a position to potentially experience encounters and attempts of an inappropriate nature. However, the reciprocation of their feelings toward me was never in the cards. Although I was well educated on the theories, reasons, and understanding of the ethical considerations regarding intimate relationships with clients, I was unprepared to face the ethical decisions I was going to have to make when a client of mine sexually assaulted me. Sexual intimacies between mental health professionals and their clients are considered one of the most immoral acts within the profession. They not only violate the law, but also the principles of beneficence, nonmaleficence, and autonomy in the American Psychological Association Ethical Principles and Code of Conduct APA, , as well as multiple ethical standards within the Code.