Write a 7 page essay on Drawing the Line Beteen the Professional and the Personal in Therapy.It will also emphasize the importance of reflective practice in therapy. In therapy, the therapist and the

Write a 7 page essay on Drawing the Line Beteen the Professional and the Personal in Therapy.

It will also emphasize the importance of reflective practice in therapy. In therapy, the therapist and the client share a close relationship that may transcend the professional link because the client is made vulnerable to the influence of the therapist. However, one rule in therapy is for a therapist to be objective even as he tries to extract personal information from the client (Pervin, Cervone & John, 2005). I believe that when a therapist is successful in making the client open up, he has made a breakthrough that will be crucial in the healing process. However, since the trust of the client is gained, it is possible that the client may develop certain emotional attachments to the therapist and yearn for more than what the professional relationship offers. Jorgenson, Hirsch & Wahl (1997) explain that the importance of maintaining boundaries stems from the nature of the relationship wherein the professional possesses the special expertise or knowledge that the client needs. The fact that the possession of knowledge or skill of the professional, coupled with the client’s vulnerability creates an imbalance of power in the relationship. In order for the professional relationship to progress, its integrity must be maintained at all times. Behaviours should be regulated to be appropriate under any circumstance. However, variations in the approaches to therapy, treatment modalities, ideologies, goals and theoretical or moral perspectives can lead to a wide spectrum of views on the appropriateness or inappropriateness of behaviours. Consequently boundaries may still be mapped to prevent any inappropriateness. One is the professional’s personal moral code for his or her own definition of acceptable boundaries which he could tactfully share with the client. Boundaries may be adjusted according to the client’s age or health or therapy employed (Jorgenson et al, 1997). For example, an aging client with a heart condition may be in need of a more nurturing therapist who can extend his or her sessions to accommodate the client’s airing of personal gripes. Another boundary-setting body is the code of conduct or rules and regulations provided by the organization of which the professional is a member and must abide by (Jorgenson et al., 1997). The British Acupuncture Council Code of Professional Conduct (2004) sets ethical boundaries in therapist-client relationships. Inappropriate relationships that are of a romantic or sexual nature or those that involve business opportunities or financial issues are firmly discouraged. If the therapist is aware that the professional relationship is put at risk with certain inappropriate advances by the client then the therapist