Sexual and nonsexual boundary violations involving psychologists, clients, supervisees, and students: Implications for professional practice.

What is available to psychologists to assist them in identifying or minimizing the damage that can result from inappropriate professional boundary crossings? Frequency data of both sexual and nonsexual boundary violations by psychologists are provided as they occurred with clients, supervisees, and students. The impact of engaging in such relationships on subsequent professional practice is also reported. Data on 18 nonsexual boundary crossings are described, and guidelines for making decisions about crossing accepted professional boundaries are provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Preventing Role Slippage During Work in the Community: Guidelines for New Psychologists and Supervisees.

Psychologists are increasingly delivering or supervising services in their clients' homes or community. However, because of the looser emotional and temporal boundaries associated with these settings, they may enter problematic roles that place them at risk of boundary crossings or boundary violations. Supervisees and inexperienced psychologists may be unprepared for these opportunities and challenges. The author reviews problematic roles that are somewhat unique to these settings (guest, parent, and buddy-friend) and makes recommendations to ensure the quality of psychological services delivered there. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A physicist's perspectives on the complementary roles of the physical and behavioral sciences.

Discusses issues faced by scientists and by science and technology and ways in which psychologists and other social scientists can aid the process of resolving these issues. One such area is the need for greater attention to education in mathematics and sciences, by both teachers and students; psychologists must work with educators and administrators in the implementation of programs designed to meet the demands posed by a world increasingly dependent on technology. In the same way, psychologists can address a number of socially oriented scientific issues, such as increasing minority and female participation in scientific professions, and in developing socially acceptable and viable approaches to problems in energy use, environmental preservation, and other areas. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ethical Dilemmas in Sport Psychology: Discussion and Recommendations for Practice.

The practice demands required of sport psychologists often complicate the direct and specific fulfillment of several ethical regulations. Many practitioners face specific issues of confidentiality and the appropriate use of informed consent, challenges to practicing within areas of competence, issues regarding termination, and challenges that arise from multiorganizational demands and the formation of multiple relationships. Although ethical guidelines established by the American Psychological Association direct practice in order to protect both the client and the practitioner from difficult and dangerous situations, these guidelines typically pertain directly to traditional practice efforts. Within sport psychology, although ethical practice requires consideration of established guidelines, the specific demands of the population and setting complicate traditional adherence to such parameters. Sport psychologists must be flexible in their practice and carefully consider how the Ethics Code can both benefit athlete-clients and minimize inherent practice difficulties. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Multiple relationships: Does the new ethics code answer the right questions?

The new "Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct" (American Psychological Association, 1992) presented expanded attempts to clarify the ethical issues regarding multiple relationships and to provide useful guidance for psychologists. This article proposes that the new code fails to address adequately 2 basic questions necessary to provide psychologists with clear guidance: (1) What are multiple relationships? and (2) When do multiple relationships constitute unethical conduct? The article offers a definition of multiple relationships and identifies several dynamics operating within a professional relationship that are likely to be adversely affected by the imposition of a secondary relationship. Unethical multiple relationships are defined. Finally, the article suggests additions to the new code that would enhance its utility for psychologists. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

National survey of ethical practices across rural and urban communities.

This study examines ethical dilemmas and problems that are encountered by psychologists across rural and urban communities. A survey instrument was created on the basis of previous surveys of ethical practices. A national sample of 1,000 psychologists stratified into urban and nonurban practitioners was surveyed; 447 usable surveys were returned. Data analysis revealed significant differences between small town/rural and urban/suburban groups for several ethical categories. Notably, small town/rural psychologists are more likely to encounter several types of multiple relationships than their urban counterparts. Small town/rural practitioners are also more likely to be highly visible, or well-known, in their communities. Qualitatively, respondents described their struggles with dual relationships, and several offered suggestions to cope with boundary issues. These findings suggest the need to study the practice of psychology in rural communities in more depth, to study the impact of rural characteristics on clients and practitioners, and to create a conceptual model of best practices for rural practitioners. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Professional Boundaries in Nontraditional Settings.

Psychologists are increasingly delivering or supervising services in the homes or residences of their clients. However, the very process of delivering home-based services creates challenges to the psychologist-patient relationship and an opportunity for clients to challenge the boundaries in ways that would not ordinarily occur in office-based services. Supervisees or inexperienced psychologists may be unprepared for the boundary challenges that could occur. This article reviews those challenges to professional boundaries and makes recommendations to ensure the quality of psychological services delivered in those settings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Consulting in the midst of differences and similarities: Related tensions and complexities.

As a context for exploring the evolution of his work in the diversity arena, the author briefly describes community and academic milieus that have shaped his personal development and also his professional approach to diversity. He also shares some of the challenges he has encountered going about his consulting endeavors and managing client-consultant relationships. The author reviews what his responses to these challenges have been, and how the milieus that influenced his development have informed his strategies for managing client-consultant interactions. He concludes by recommending that consultants view relationship challenges with their clients as diversity issues and advocates that consultants practice "what they preach" about diversity to address these challenges--that is, that they should apply their diversity models to these difficulties. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Workplace diversity and public policy: Challenges and opportunities for psychology.

This article outlines both challenges and opportunities for psychology of issues related to diversity in education and work. For the purposes of this discussion, "diverse" populations include four groups currently marginalized and disadvantaged in the U.S. workplace: women, people of color, sexual minorities, and people with disabilities. An overview of employment participation patterns for these groups is presented, workplace barriers arising from marginalized status are highlighted, and the article concludes with a discussion of work-related legislative and public policy fronts that can be informed and influenced by the contributions of psychologists. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The relationship context of human behavior and development.

The influence of social relationships on human development and behavior is receiving increased attention from psychologists, who are central contributors to the rapidly developing multidisciplinary field of relationship science. In this article, the authors selectively review some of the significant strides that have been made toward understanding the effects of relationships on development and behavior and the processes by which relationships exert their influence on these, with the purpose of highlighting important questions that remain to be answered, controversial issues that need to be resolved, and potentially profitable paths for future inquiry. The authors' thesis is that important advances in psychological knowledge will be achieved from concerted investigation of the relationship context in which most important human behaviors are developed and displayed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Multiple relationships encountered by lesbian and bisexual psychotherapists: How close is too close?

There is consensus that sexual relationships with clients are unethical; however, there is ongoing debate regarding nonsexual multiple relationships. Rural psychologists report especially high incidences of multiple relationships, and several authors have suggested that lesbian and bisexual psychologists may be faced with similarly frequent and complicated multiple relationships due to the small size of those communities. Fifty-two lesbian and bisexual psychotherapists (45 of them psychologists) described 109 critical incidents involving either multiple relationships or decisions involving potential relationships. From these responses, we documented multiple relationships encountered by lesbian and bisexual women psychotherapists, considerations these clinicians used in deciding whether to take on multiple roles, and strategies they used to either prevent or cope with nonsexual multiple relationships. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Children's understanding of adoption: Developmental and clinical implications.

Because adopted children are overrepresented in mental health settings, their parents often consult psychologists to help them understand and manage some of the unique developmental and childrearing challenges they commonly face. One of the most frequent issues raised by these parents is talking with their children about adoption. This article provides a developmental framework for helping psychologists understand the way children comprehend adoption and the implications of their adoption knowledge for psychological adjustment. It also provides psychologists with useful guidelines for supporting parents to meet the challenges of discussing adoption with their children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ethics and multiculturalism: Advancing cultural and clinical responsiveness.

The provision of ethical and responsive treatment to clients of diverse cultural backgrounds is expected of all practicing psychologists. While this is mandated by the American Psychological Association’s ethics code and is widely agreed upon as a laudable goal, achieving this mandate is often more challenging than it may seem. Integrating culturally responsive practices with more traditional models of psychotherapy into every practitioner’s repertoire is of paramount importance when considering the rapidly diversifying population we serve. Psychologists are challenged to reconsider their conceptualizations of culture and of culturally responsive practice, to grapple with inherent conflicts in traditional training models that may promote treatments that are not culturally responsive, and to consider the ethical implications of their current practices. Invited expert commentaries address how conflicts may arise between efforts to meet ethical standards and being culturally responsive, how the application of outdated theoretical constructs may result in harm to diverse clients, and how we must develop more culturally responsive views of client needs, of boundaries and multiple relationships, and of treatment interventions. This article provides additional considerations for practicing psychologists as they attempt to navigate dimensions of culture and culturally responsive practice in psychology, while negotiating the ethical challenges presented in practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The role of positive ethics and virtues in the context of sport and performance psychology service delivery.

Ethical principles developed for clinical/counseling psychologists are a useful, but incomplete, guide for sport and performance psychology (SPP) practitioners. Positive and virtue ethics are introduced to the SPP ethical literature as an additional resource. Positive ethics focus on practitioners' reaching their fullest potential rather than avoiding risk (Knapp & VanDeCreek, 2006). Virtue ethics emphasize the character of the professional rather than situational variables (Newman, Robinson-Kurpius, & Fuqua, 2002). The context in which SPP practice occurs is described and commonly resulting ethical dilemmas are identified. The aspects of SPP context explored are: the domain of performance, SPP settings, SPP interventions, and expectations. The ethical issues discussed are: multiple relationships (including boundaries and dual agency), confidentiality, and self-regulation. Drawing from positive and virtue ethics as well as small community and military psychology, advice for managing the issues is provided. The inclusion of character and fitness requirements in training programs is explored to address the self-governance necessitated by the professional isolation of SPP practitioners. Suggestions for future professional practice and research are offered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ethics: Virtue and politics in the science and practice of psychology.

Discusses the thesis that the discipline of psychology needs to re-discover and reclaim virtue and moral values as its base for ethical behavior, thinking, and being. Psychology has a short history in formalizing codes of ethics and codes of conduct. Current and historical events, and concepts and values, including those based on philosophy and religion, have influenced the development of psychology's scientific and professional codes. The ethical behavior of psychologists may be inspired by values, regulated by rules, determined by external pressures, or any combination of these. Emerging issues and challenges in today's changing and turbulent society require an incorporation of moral principles in finding acceptable strategies to achieve acceptable goals. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Informed consent: Too much of a good thing or not enough?

Informed consent is an essential aspect of the establishment of every professional relationship in which psychologists participate. When done effectively, it helps promote other individuals' autonomy, engages them in a collaborative process, and helps to reduce the likelihood of exploitation or harm, among a number of potential benefits. Yet, a number of challenges and dilemmas relevant to informed consent exist for psychologists. Three invited experts provide commentaries on issues raised, questions asked, and dilemmas posed that will, the authors hope, fully stimulate further consideration and discussion of these important issues. The commentaries also broaden the discussion of informed consent in all roles in which psychologists serve. Specific recommendations are made for practicing psychologists for the ethical and effective application of informed consent in their work. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychologists in medical schools: Medical staff status and clinical privileges.

It is argued that professional autonomy for psychologists in medical settings requires that psychologists exercise self-governance responsibilities. Inclusion of psychologists on the hospital medical staff is critical because of the self-governance responsibilities afforded to the hospital medical staff by the governing body of the hospital. Central among these responsibilities are the delineation of clinical privileges and the monitoring of quality of patient care. The challenges to psychology inherent in these issues are discussed in terms of the continuing need for political activism and professional "maturity." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ethical Perspectives on Qualitative Research in Applied Psychology.

The present article explores ethical issues that emerge in qualitative research conducted by applied psychologists. The utility and relevance of the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (American Psychological Association, 2002) for qualitative research are examined. The importance of psychology's fiduciary relationship with research participants is presented as the basis for an ethical stance of "trustworthiness." A scientist-practitioner perspective on research ethics is advanced, based on the argument that psychology's social role carries obligations that differ from those of other social science disciplines that conduct qualitative research. Dilemmas that are likely to emerge in qualitative research are discussed, with particular attention to competence, multiple relationships, confidentiality, and informed consent. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

No hay rosas sin espinas: Conceptualizing Latina-Latina supervision from a multicultural developmental supervisory model.

Latina mental health professionals encounter many opportunities and challenges in professional settings. As Latinas increasingly enter the profession, we are now having our first opportunity to supervise another Latina. This opportunity is often greeted with great excitement and anticipation; however, it also presents unique professional challenges. These challenges often include, but are not limited to, the potential to blur boundaries in an unhealthy manner, idealization and then unmet expectations, overidentification, and cultural misunderstandings based on ethnic differences. Little has been written about Latina?Latina supervisory dyad relationships. Few Latina psychologists have had formal training in providing supervision to other Latinas and yet the future promises to increase these types of experiences. The authors developed a Multicultural Developmental Supervisory Model (MDSM) that integrates specific Latina/o multicultural counseling competencies and Latina/o ethnic identity theory, with developmental theories of supervision. The MDSM is designed to identify the complex processes that influence the supervision dyad in an effort to provide guidance and support to the supervisor and the supervisee as well as the institutions in which supervision takes place. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)