Critical Evaluation of Psychological Questions

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Critical Evaluation of Psychological Questions
• A client wishes to pay for her therapy by bartering her homegrown fruits and vegetable
At the beginning and development of a therapeutic relationship, a code of behavior is set, that provides the framework foundation of professional boundaries. One of those boundaries is the use of money as a medium of payment. Bartering cannot be used as a method of settlement, and again the quantification of the item to barter in equivalence to service rendered cannot be measured. The use of fruits and vegetables as a mode of payment is deemed as a gift, as it adds no therapeutic value to the client, rather it is compensation for the service rendered. The fact that they are homegrown initiates a personal relationship rather than a professional relationship. If this mode of payment is accepted, this leads to violation of a proper boundary.
• A counselor admits a client’s “thank you” hug at the termination of therapy
A thank you hug particularly, in the end, therapy is deemed more as emotional attachment to the therapist. This aspect develops into an inherent professional intimacy. It goes beyond healthy boundaries as the therapist has much access to the personal client information.

• A client asks his counselor if they can be Facebook friends after therapy ends.
This scenario depends on the ability of the therapist to maintain professional boundaries between therapeutic relationship and personal relationship in circumstances where declining the offer is unconditional.

The therapist, therefore, needs to be aware of potential conflict of interest and difficulties to maintain professionalism. The good boundary in this case primarily depends on the necessity of the client needs.
• Your neighbor asks if you can see her granddaughter in therapy
For any treatment to function, the patient must be trained in agreement with the nature of his or her need. In this case, the therapeutic relationship starts on the social background instead of a professional background. This aspect automatically leads to healing boundary violation as no professionalism is developed and maintained, rather it as an act of good deed with a short time span.
• The wife of a couple you see calls and asks you not to tell her husband that she is having an affair
The disclosure of this information is too personal to get familiarized to the husband by the therapist. There would be a therapeutic boundary violation if the therapist were to do so as only the wife has a moral obligation to tell the man.