Archetype Home

 

Psychology Ethics: Personal Problems

Psychologists don't let personal problems (ethics outside site) or concerns interfere with professional competence.

If the therapist is dealing with a divorce, for example, and is having strong reactions to a client's problems with his own divorce, the therapist needs to decide whether s/he can really meet the client's needs adequately and objectively.

If something personal interferes, a therapist makes appropriate arrangements to transfer the client to someone who can be objective.

In the movie Prime (IMDb outside site) (2005), Dr. Metzger takes the right approach by seeking advice from another therapist; unfortunately, as she later realizes, it isn't particulary good advice, and she ends up seeing Rafi Gardet (her son's girlfriend) much longer than she should have. This is especially true since psychologists should never see people they know outside the therapy room.