An Examination of Dual and Multiple Role Relationships in Counseling

This essay delves into the critical topic of dual and multiple role relationships within the context of counseling. It begins by defining dual relationships as situations where a therapist assumes multiple roles with a client, potentially blurring boundaries and creating ethical dilemmas. The essay differentiates between dual and multiple relationships, highlighting the boundary crossings inherent in the former. An example of a dual relationship is provided to illustrate these concepts. The author then explores the ramifications of such relationships, emphasizing the potential for a lack of objectivity, unclear boundaries, and difficulties in terminating therapy. The essay underscores the importance of ethical awareness and careful consideration of potential conflicts of interest in maintaining the integrity of the therapeutic relationship. The essay also provides relevant references to support the arguments.

Running head: DUAL RELATIONSHIP AND A MULTIPLE ROLE RELATIONSHIP
DUAL RELATIONSHIP AND A MULTIPLE ROLE
RELATIONSHIP
Name of the Student:
Name of the School:
Author Note:

1DUAL RELATIONSHI AND MULTIPLE ROLE RELATIONSIP
Difference between the dual and the multiple role relationships
Concerning the mental health of an individual, a dual relationship is
a circumstance in which a various number of role tend to exist within
that of a therapist or the practitioner of the mental health and with that of
the client. The dual relationship tends to occur when the professional
and a personal relationship tend to take place concurrently between the
client and that of the psychologist. It also tends to occur when the
psychologist has a bonding or any sort of relationship with a person who
is very much close or in a way connected to the client (Brocious et al.,
2013). Apart from this, it also tends to occur when the psychologist has
the intention of entering into a relationship with the client in the
upcoming future or with somebody else who is in relation or connection
with the client. However, it is to be noted that the dual relationship is
also known as multiple relationships. However, the basic difference that
tends to lie between the dual relationship and the multiple relationships
is that dual relationship tends to involve the crossing of the boundary
(Sugimoto et al., 2015). It is to be noted that the exploitive form of the

2DUAL RELATIONSHI AND MULTIPLE ROLE RELATIONSIP
dual relationships is the violation of the boundary. On the other hand,
the multiple relationships are the situations in which the therapist is
committed in one or more additional form of the relationships with a
client apart from the relationship of the treatment (Phelps, Lempert &
Sokol-Hessner,2014). Examples of the dual relationships are when the
client is the student, employee, and friend of the therapist whereas on the
other hand, the multiple relationships tend to include the social, familial,
economical and business relationships.
Example of the dual relationship
One of the examples of the dual relationship which I am familiar with
is that my mother is taking counselling sessions from a therapist who is
my mother’s friend. Since both of them share a relationship apart from
the therapist and a patient, both of them are said to be in a dual
relationship.
Ramifications of the dual relationship
The ramification between the dual relationships is that it tends to
lack its objectivity. The admiration or the bonding that the therapist

3DUAL RELATIONSHI AND MULTIPLE ROLE RELATIONSIP
have toward the client cannot prevent him or her from having clinical
judgments (Remley & Herlihy, 2014). However, apart from this, it is to
be noted that the boundary between the roles of the client and the
therapist tends to become very much unclear. As my mother and the
therapist are friends in their real life, they tend to discuss the issue
outside the premise of the office as well. Apart from this, one of the
other ramifications of the dual relationship is that the therapist fails to
understand when to end the therapy. It can be said that the client might
feel reluctant in terminating the therapy with that of its close neighbour
in fear of having moments of awkwardness in the upcoming future.

4DUAL RELATIONSHI AND MULTIPLE ROLE RELATIONSIP
References
Brocious, H., Eisenberg, J., York, J., Shepard, H., Clayton, S., & Van
Sickle, B. (2013). The strengths of rural social workers:
Perspectives on managing dual relationships in small Alaskan
communities. Journal of Family Social Work, 16(1), 4-19.
Phelps, E. A., Lempert, K. M., & Sokol-Hessner, P. (2014). Emotion
and decision making: multiple modulatory neural circuits. Annual
review of neuroscience, 37, 263-287.
Remley, T. P., & Herlihy, B. (2014). Ethical, legal, and professional
issues in counseling. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Sugimoto, C., Hank, C., Bowman, T., & Pomerantz, J. (2015). Friend or
faculty: Social networking sites, dual relationships, and context
collapse in higher education. First Monday, 20(3).