{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"It\u2019s the Lack of Thought That Counts: Ethical Decision Making in Dual Relationships","description":"It\u2019s the Lack of Thought That Counts: Ethical Decision Making in Dual Relationships Curt and Katie chat about dual relationships. We talk about the types of dual relationships, how often therapists get in trouble for these types of relationships, how to manage dual relationships, and the ethical decision making process to go through to decide whether to engage in a dual relationship. This is a law and ethics continuing education podcourse. Transcripts for this episode will be available at mtsgpodcast.com! In this podcast episode we talk about ethical decision making to navigate dual relationships We take a deeper dive into the complex relationships that we can have with our clients, our supervisors and our supervisees. What are dual relationships? Therapists know a lot about a very specific dual relationship: having sex with your clients, which is not acceptable There are many different types of potential dual relationships (we talk about the definitions of each type) The different hats we may wear with clients and colleagues How do you manage a dual relationship? Open conversations Outside neutral party facilitating the transition in the relationship The assessment of benefit or harm, whether there is coercion Exploring how culture interacts with these types of relationships How often are therapists getting in trouble for dual relationships? About 1\/3 of complaints are due to sexual relationships with clients Other types of complaints include conflict of interest, non-sexual, or not described Concerns in rural areas are actually less dual relationships than incompetence Most complaints happen after the relationships have ended Why do therapists engage in harmful dual relationships? \u201cOftentimes [in predatory dual relationships] there is a conspiratorial element of it \u2013 if the client knows (hey, we're stepping across the line) or there is a very manipulative element if the therapist is framing it as this is good for you. And so, once there's a rupture or an end to the relationship and you start talking about, oh, my therapist did this and people are like "what?!?!", I think it's that element of [realizing] I've been wronged by my therapist, and let me go and tell the world that they did this thing.\u201d \u2013 Katie Vernoy, LMFT Boundary slips Manipulation, intellectualization Not a thoughtful process Not an examination of bias Therapists going through an intuitive process versus a formal decision-making process What is a strong formal process for ethical decision making? \u201cOne of the calls to action, as far as any other ethics professors: really reinforcing the importance of an ethical decision-making model, because that is what the licensing boards and the ethics committees want you to do. If you go through a good model, and even if you end up with slightly the wrong answer, if you've put good thought into it, it at least formalizes the process and gives people an insight into how you're thinking about things.\u201d \u2013 Curt Widhalm, LMFT Pope and Vasquez have a 17 Step Process for ethical decision making Deeply examining the question, the impact, and exploring any bias Identifying and understanding relevant laws and ethics Consultation, documentation, and evaluation We walk through a specific dual relationship question: what happens if your client refers a friend and colleague to you? How do you decide whether to take the client or not?   Our Generous Sponsor for this episode of the Modern Therapist\u2019s Survival Guide: Thrizer Thrizer is a new modern billing platform for therapists that was built on the belief that therapy should be accessible AND clinicians should earn what they are worth. Their platform automatically gets clients reimbursed by their insurance after every session. Just by billing your clients through Thrizer, you can potentially save them hundreds every month, with no extra work on your end. Every time you bill a client through Thrizer, an insurance claim is automatically generated and sent directly to the client's insurance. From there, Thrizer provides concierge support to ensure clients get their reimbursement quickly, directly into their bank account. By eliminating reimbursement by check, confusion around benefits, and obscurity with reimbursement status, they allow your clients to focus on what actually matters rather than worrying about their money. It is very quick to get set up and it works great in completement with EHR systems. Their team is super helpful and responsive, and the founder is actually a long-time therapy client who grew frustrated with his reimbursement times The best part is you don't need to give up your rate. They charge a standard 3% payment processing fee! Thrizer lets you become more accessible while remaining in complete control of your practice. A better experience for your clients during therapy means higher retention. Money won't be the reason they quit on therapy. Sign up using bit.ly\/moderntherapists if you want to test Thrizer completely risk free! Sign up for Thrizer with code 'moderntherapists' for 1 month of no credit card fees or payment processing fees! That\u2019s right - you will get one month of no payment processing fees, meaning you earn 100% of your cash rate during that time.   Receive Continuing Education for this Episode of the Modern Therapist\u2019s Survival Guide Hey modern therapists, we\u2019re so excited to offer the opportunity for 1 unit of continuing education for this podcast episode \u2013 Therapy Reimagined is bringing you the Modern Therapist Learning Community!  Once you\u2019ve listened to this episode, to get CE credit you just need to go to moderntherapistcommunity.com\/podcourse, register for your free profile, purchase this course, pass the post-test, and complete the evaluation! Once that\u2019s all completed - you\u2019ll get a CE certificate in your profile or you can download it for your records. For our current list of CE approvals, check out moderntherapistcommunity.com. You can find this full course (including handouts and resources) here: https:\/\/moderntherapistcommunity.com\/podcourse\/ Continuing Education Approvals: When we are airing this podcast episode, we have the following CE approval. Please check back as we add other approval bodies: Continuing Education Information CAMFT CEPA: Therapy Reimagined is approved by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists to sponsor continuing education for LMFTs, LPCCs, LCSWs, and LEPs (CAMFT CEPA provider #132270). Therapy Reimagined maintains responsibility for this program and its content. Courses meet the qualifications for the listed hours of continuing education credit for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and\/or LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. We are working on additional provider approvals, but solely are able to provide CAMFT CEs at this time. Please check with your licensing body to ensure that they will accept this as an equivalent learning credit. Resources for Modern Therapists mentioned in this Podcast Episode: We\u2019ve pulled together resources mentioned in this episode and put together some handy-dandy links. Please note that some of the links below may be affiliate links, so if you purchase after clicking below, we may get a little bit of cash in our pockets. We thank you in advance! Pope: Steps in Ethical Decision Making California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT) Code of Ethics   References mentioned in this continuing education podcast: Boland-Prom, K. Johnson, J. & Gunaganti, G. S. (2015) Sanctioning Patterns of Social Work Licensing Boards, 2000\u20132009, Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 25:2, 126-136, DOI: 10.1080\/10911359.2014.947464 Brownlee, K., LeBlanc, H., Halverson, G., Pich\u00e9, T., & Brazeau, J. (2019). Exploring self-reflection in dual relationship decision-making. Journal of Social Work, 19(5), 629\u2013641. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/1468017318766423 Pearson, B., & Piazza, N. (1997). Classification of dual relationships in the helping professions. Counselor Education and Supervision, 37(2), 89-99. Pope, K. S., Vasquez, M. J. T., Chavez-Due\u00f1as, N. Y., & Adames, H. Y. (2021). Ethics in Psychotherapy and Counseling: A Practical Guide (6th ed.). Wiley. Wilkinson, Tyler, Dannielle Smith, and Ramona Wimberly. "Trends in ethical complaints leading to professional counseling licensing boards disciplinary actions." Journal of Counseling & Development 97.1 (2019): 98-104. *The full reference list can be found in the course on our learning platform.   Relevant Episodes of MTSG Podcast: Dual Relationships: Pros and Cons Negotiating Sliding Scale Therapists Are Not Robots: How we can show humanity in the room Therapy as a Political Act: An interview with Dr. Travis Heath What You Should Know About Walk and Talk and Other Non-Traditional Counseling Settings Part 1 and Part 2 Therapy with an Audience: An interview with Doug Friedman, LCSW Small Town Sex Therapist: An interview with Jeanette Tolson, LCSW, CASAC Whole Person Therapist Episodes Therapy for Executives and Emerging Leaders Who we are: Curt Widhalm, LMFT Curt Widhalm is in private practice in the Los Angeles area. He is the cofounder of the Therapy Reimagined conference, an Adjunct Professor at Pepperdine University and CSUN, a former Subject Matter Expert for the California Board of Behavioral Sciences, former CFO of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, and a loving husband and father. He is 1\/2 great person, 1\/2 provocateur, and 1\/2 geek, in that order. He dabbles in the dark art of making "dad jokes" and usually has a half-empty cup of coffee somewhere nearby. Learn more at: www.curtwidhalm.com Katie Vernoy, LMFT Katie Vernoy is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, coach, and consultant supporting leaders, visionaries, executives, and helping professionals to create sustainable careers. Katie, with Curt, has developed workshops and a conference, Therapy Reimagined, to support therapists navigating through the modern challenges of this profession. Katie is also a former President of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists. In her spare time, Katie is secretly siphoning off Curt's youthful energy, so that she can take over the world. Learn more at: www.katievernoy.com A Quick Note: Our opinions are our own. We are only speaking for ourselves \u2013 except when we speak for each other, or over each other. We\u2019re working on it. Our guests are also only speaking for themselves and have their own opinions. We aren\u2019t trying to take their voice, and no one speaks for us either. Mostly because they don\u2019t want to, but hey. Stay in Touch with Curt, Katie, and the whole Therapy Reimagined #TherapyMovement: Patreon Buy Me A Coffee Podcast Homepage Therapy Reimagined Homepage Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube   Consultation services with Curt Widhalm or Katie Vernoy: The Fifty-Minute Hour Connect with the Modern Therapist Community: Our Facebook Group \u2013 The Modern Therapists Group Modern Therapist\u2019s Survival Guide Creative Credits: Voice Over by DW McCann https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/McCannDW\/ Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano https:\/\/groomsymusic.com\/ ","author_name":"The Modern Therapist's Survival Guide with Curt Widhalm and Katie Vernoy","author_url":"https:\/\/therapyreimagined.com\/podcast\/","html":"