Hi keira...
You provide few specifics or clarifications of context, however,
having been
in the field of mental health for 20+ years, I can tell you that the
consensus
on this issue is that there is never an advantage when it comes to
'personal'
involvement with a counseling client. Such relationships are always
based
on the client's perception of the counselor as an authority figure, a
parent,
a savior, or some other projection of what they are not, and therefore
become
attached to in you (whether the perception is accurate, or not).
Another
possibility is that the client becomes emotionally reactive to the
counselor
in a negative way, say, based on their hatred for their father/mother
or other
authority figure.
This is called 'transference', and its counterpart,
'counter-transference',
explains the phenomena of when this dynamic becomes reversed, and a
counselor
becomes enamored of, or otherwise emotionally reactive to, a client.
While it is extrememly unlikely that a personal relationship based on
these
dynamics can ever evolve into a relationship between equals, which is
the
ideal, there are certainly advantages to its occurrence within the
structure
of the therapeutic relationship, or alliance.
Many excellent therapists hold that effective therapy depends on the
dynamic
of transference, and has not even begun to progress until it occurs.
Of course,
it is equally important that the counselor recognize both transference
and
counter-transference when they arise, and know how to strategize
accordingly,
but only for the clients progress towards health, and never for the
advantage
of the therapist, in any way.
"Counter-Transference. Therapists and other health care professionals
can also have transference reactions while treating a patient. It’s a
two way street. Counter-transference is basically a therapist’s
"emotional time warp" around their patient’s transference. In other
words, counter-transference is a therapist’s counter- reaction. That’s
why some therapists think they are falling in love with their
patients. That’s also why older guys become obsessed with younger
female employees they barely know.
Ethics And The Law. A therapist, counselor and even a physician could
possibly lose their license for seducing or sleeping with a patient
they are treating. Trying to seduce an employee on the job may result
in a successful lawsuit. You can also sue a licensed mental health
professional for sleeping with you if you are their patient. And
employers must follow the law. On the other hand, unlicensed therapist
can do almost whatever they want and there may be nothing anyone can
do about it. It’s hard to sue an employer and win. Unlicensed
therapists do not have a "duty" to act within a standard of practice.
Employers may not know the law."
This qoute, by Michael G. Conner, Psy.D, published in The Source, came
from the
following page, one of over 4000 arrived at by a search for 'counter-
transference', which provides a good discussion to start with, and I'm
confident
you will find other sites from the search results page which will
satisfy
your interest.
http://www.crisiscounseling.com/Articles/Transference.htm
Searches, via Google: counter-transference
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=counter-transference
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