The obligation to keep client confidence is not absolute. Most code of ethics allow for exceptions to the rule of confidentiality utilizing the following rationale, we may not break confidence except to fulfil another, stronger more overriding duty; either to obey the law or a duty to protect the welfare of the client or the community.
Healthcare providers therefore have a compelling duty to inform public authorities when:
a) The therapist suspects abusive or inappropriate behaviour towards the horse (it is
suggested to consult the attending veterinarian before reporting to the Police or
equivalent society)
b) When disclosure is required by law
DUAL RELATIONSHIPS
The topic of dual relationships has generated a great deal of concern during the past several years. In the eighties, the merging of a professional relationship with a client with a sexual relationship preoccupied the professional literature. In Ontario with the advent of Bill 100 (sexual abuse legislation) and the adoption of the philosophy of zero tolerance, dual relationships with a sexual component were prohibited both by law and by the ethical standards and norms articulated in codes of ethics documents of professional healthcare providers. However, there are a myriad of forms and scenarios of other dual relationships which are not explicitly addressed by either legal or ethical guidelines. In this section we will examine these potentially perilous forms of dual relationships as well as offer two conceptual tools, the dual relationships scale (see next page) and the massage therapists check list to dual relationship decision making, to assist the practitioner in assessing the degree of risk associated with different kinds of relationships.
What is a dual relationship?
According to K.S. Pope (1991) writing on this subject in the discipline of psychology which coined the term,
"A dual relationship in psychotherapy occurs when the therapist is in another, significantly different relationship with one of his or her clients. Most commonly the second role is social, financial or professional."
A dual relationship therefore involves the blending and merging of a professional relationship with a client with another potentially incompatible role. Some of the forms dual relationships can take include:
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