This Couldn't Happen to Me: Boundary Problems and Sexual Misconduct in the Psychotherapy Relationship

1 CE Hour
321 members have taken this course

This course has been retired. We regularly update our course catalog to ensure relevance.

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About the Course

Drawing on their own consultative experience illustrated by case vignettes and with support from the professional literature, the authors discuss the perennial problematic issue of boundary violations and sexual misconduct, aiming at an audience of both experienced and novice clinicians. The authors review the difference between boundary crossings and boundary violations and stress the therapist’s responsibility to maintain boundaries. Therapist risk factors for violations include the therapist’s own life crises, a tendency to idealize a “special” patient or an inability to set limits, and denial about the possibility of boundary problems. Factors exacerbating patient vulnerability, such as overdependence
on the therapist, seeking therapy to find an intense relationship
or even “true love,” and the acceptance by childhood abuse victims
of an abusive therapy relationship, are discussed. Consultation and education—for students and for clinicians at all levels of experience—and effective supervision are reviewed as approaches to boundary problems. (Psychiatric Services 54:517–522, 2003)

This course is based on the reading online article, This Couldn’t Happen to Me: Boundary Problems and Sexual Misconduct in the Psychotherapy Relationship created by Donna M. Norris, M.D., Thomas G. Gutheil, M.D., Larry H. Strasburger, M.D.

Publication Details

Publication Date: April 2003

Course Material Author

Donna M. Norris, M.D., Thomas G. Gutheil, M.D., Larry H. Strasburger, M.D.

Donna M. Norris, M.D., Thomas G. Gutheil, M.D., Larry H. Strasburger, M.D. authored the material only, and was not involved in creating this CE course. They are identified here for your own evaluation of the relevancy of the material this course is based on.

Course Creator

Maximillian Schwanekamp

Target Audience

This basic-to-intermediate course material is designed for Licensed Professional Counselors, Social Workers, Psychologists, Chemical Dependency Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists, Nurses, and other allied healthcare professionals who are likely to gain professionally from increased knowledge in the areas of ethics and boundary issues.

Learning Objectives

After taking this course, you should be able to:

  1. 1 To assess the difference between boundary crossings and boundary violations and stress the therapist's responsibility to maintain boundaries in a therapeutic relationship. 2. To understand therapist risk factors for such violations. 3. To understand the factors that exacerbate patient vulnerability in a therapeutic setting.
  2. 2 To understand therapist risk factors for such violations.
  3. 3 To understand the factors that exacerbate patient vulnerability in a therapeutic setting

Disclosure to Learners

CE Learning Systems adheres to the ACCME's Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Medical Education. Any individuals in a position to control the content of a CE activity – including faculty, planners, reviewers, or others ― are required to disclose all relevant financial relationships with ineligible entities (formerly known as commercial interests).

The following relevant financial relationships have been disclosed by this activity's planners, faculty, and the reviewer:

Planners and Reviewers

The planners of this activity have reported that they have no relevant financial relationships.

Material Authors

Any relevant financial disclosures for course material authors can be found in the article.

Course Creator

Maximillian Schwanekamp – There are no known relevant financial relationships to disclose.

Commercial support

There is no commercial support for this distance-learning course.

$9

Course Details

1 CE Hour
Reading Online
Course 101770

Availability

This course is retired. It is no longer available.

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