Recovery Scenarios

The needs of the client come first, and in this scenario the client is the recovering population of divorced people. Joanne and Jeffery's romantic involvement could potentially pose a treat to their ability to effectively lead the groups. There is a valid reason if the informed consent states that people in the group session shall not become emotionally involved with one another as it would distract them from their own recovery. As mentioned in this week video, professional's personal life does not have to be discussed with the client as, depending on the situation, it could affect the client's ability to trust, to have confidence in the professional's expertise, and to have clarity of the rules and boundaries of the therapeutic environment.

"Psychologists need to be more vigilant in their ethical decision making when working in rural areas. They need to examine each relationship in more detail, continuously monitor boundaries and examine their impact on the client and the community" (American Psychological Association, 1992). If a member of the group runs into the two counsellors maybe they would bring it up in the session and use them as scapegoats, or pressure them into give personal information which would ultimately harm the recovery process of all the ones involved. Perhaps Joanna and Jeffery could decide that for the welfare of the client they would wait to get into a relationship until the end of the 10 weeks program. To determine the best plan of action to take in this situation it is important to answer: can the counsellors be objective? Is Joanna's and Jeffery's relationship going to endanger the client? Is their relationship necessary? Is there an alternative plan they could take? Can they maintain