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Define a multiple role relationship and how one might occur in professional psychology. Provide a brief example or scenario of a multiple role relationship. Discuss why your example scenario could be potentially problematic. How can multiple role relationships be either avoided or handled professionally? How might this relationship be permissible?
In response to your peers, discuss the ramifications for the professional and the person affected by the professional’s actions or inaction in the scenario your peer provided.
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Discussion Rubric PDF
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Classmate 1-SS
A multiple-role relationship is one in which two people have two or more facets to their relationship which each have separate roles and dynamics involved. For instance, a therapist and their client might have a preexisting friendship outside of therapy. In this case, should the friendship ever sour it would likely have detrimental effects on the therapy sessions. Even if the friendship did not go bad, what if the client needs to talk to a therapist about their friend/therapist? What if the existing boundaries in the friendship are at odds with what is needed in therapy? There is also a potential conflict of interest if the two have the same wider group of friends, and the client has some issue with a third friend that needs to be discussed.
Inappropriate multiple-role relationships can be avoided by keeping clear self-awareness. It doesn’t help anyone to never take anyone on as a client if you could possible develop a multiple-role relationship with them, but being cognizant and communicative of professional boundaries can mitigate a lot of the risk. The same is true for handling a multiple-role relationship professionally. Sometimes they are unavoidable, like in a small, rural town where often people have to take on multiple roles in the community and with their friends and loved ones. When such cases arise remaining self-aware and keeping firmly established boundaries can help everyone to deal with it.
Classmate 2-MM
A multiple role relationship is when multiple roles exist between a therapist and a client. This happens a lot in the community that I currently live in because it is so small. I have dual relationships with a majority of my staff. I was friends with them when I started working because I was a teach in the classroom, but when I got promoted to their boss it was a struggle. I had to set boundaries and I actually lost friends because of it. In Psychology a multiple relationship can occur the same way. If a Psychologists knows someone professionally and unprofessional that can be a dual relationship and a conflict of interest. There can become problematic because it can cause bias. If a Psychologist was friends with a client and they decided to treat them they may make choices that they normally would not make for other clients. When emotions are involved it cause cause us to think irrationally. In the ethic codes psychologists are refrained from entering multiple relationships when objectivity, competence, or effectiveness in performing their professional functions could become impaired or if a risk of exploitation might result (Koocher & Keith-Spiegel, 2015). If the psychologist has the ability to avoid these multiple role relationships they should do so to protect themselves and their clients. To avoid multiple relationships Psychologist can provide questionnaires to see if the client knows someone they know. If a conflict of interest arises they can refer the client to someone else. Multiple role relationships can be permissible in small communities. I live in a small mountain town where the population is 395 people. We have one Psychologist here and he is able to treat people he knows, but he has to be very careful to keep professional relationships. He is the only Psychologist in our area, so I think that is why he is allowed to.
References
Koocher, G. P., & Keith-Spiegel, P. (2015). Ethics in Psychology and the Mental Health Professions (4th ed.). Oxford University Press Academic US.
https://mbsdirect.vitalsource.com/books/9780199957705
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