Choosing a psychotherapist may be the most important self help step we take in our lives. Private, personal deep work with a psychotherapist, effects not only how we perceive ourselves, but how we perceive the world.

If we appreciate the basics of ethics in psychotherapy we have a more informed base from which to choose a psychotherapist and/or to evaluate an ongoing psychotherapy process.

Creating a better life involves understanding and developing beyond deep beliefs that create perceptions which do not serve us well. Our partner in this undertaking is our psychotherapist. We need to choose this person wisely, often at a time when wisdom is not close at hand.

Professional ethics as they relate to psychotherapist and client make their relationship different from any other. This can lead to confusion and misunderstanding when the client does not understand the distinction.

I remember a client who felt hurt when he saw I was having some construction work done to my outer office. He was disappointed that I had not consulted him or asked his firm to do the job. He did not understand that the psychological work we were doing to develop and strengthen his inner world, to free him of the hauntings of old and destructive teachings, to help him build a better life, was our total focus.

I told him that about ethical boundaries in psychotherapy. If we had any other relationship in addition to the one we had it would weaken or even destroy our work.

I told him that because I valued him, his process, our relationship and our work I kept our association within the structure of doing psychotherapy only.

He brightened considerably when he realized that rather than being discounted he was actually being more valued, but in a way he had not understood.

Regardless of what method or theories different psychotherapists follow, commitment to professional ethics creates a solid base for thinking, decision-making and actions (or inactions) which are in the best interest of the client.

Professional ethics are not cold, strict rules in place merely to protect clients from either conscious or naïve exploitation. There are intimate, sensitive and caring reasons for maintaining professional ethics. With an understanding of ethics in psychotherapy, men and women choosing or in treatment with a psychotherapist can be more effective in deciding with whom to begin or maintain their critical work.

5/28/98

Joanna Poppink, M.F.C.C., licensed by the State of California in 1980, is a Marriage, Family, Child Counselor (License #15563). She has a private practice in Los Angeles where she works with adult individuals and couples. She specializes in working with people with eating disorders and with people who are trying to understand and help a loved on who has an eating disorder. Contact Information: 10573 West Pico Blvd. Suite 20 Los Angeles, CA 90064 (310) 474-4165 phone (310) 474-7248 fax