Wondering how often sexual misconduct happens in therapist-client relationships

Based on the week’s readings (see attached), comment on an aspect of the topic that was interesting or important to you. Be as reflective as possible in your remark, from both a scholarly and personal perspective. Include your own personal reactions in addition to an academically based (bio-, psycho- and/or social) perspective.

In addition to your comment on the reading, provide a reference and brief discussion of either:

A current news story related to sexuality (reproduction, gender, sexual orientation, sexual politics etc.)—because this topic is based on the week’s news, it does not have to be directly relevant to the class topic for the week …or…

A resource (website, article, book, film, video, etc.) that IS related to something in this week’s topic/readings, with brief discussion that is clinically useful/relevant.

Please respond to two peers:

1. This week’s Buehler chapters had me wondering how often sexual misconduct happens in therapist-client relationships. Furthermore, it brought me back into revisiting my stance on physical contact in-session with clients. People have different preferences with regards to physical touch, and I understand all therapists take extra caution and consent around physical touch with their clients, but it still makes me wonder when it is ever 100% okay to hug a client, or offer a touch on their shoulder, etc. Maybe it’s the effect of my Law & Ethics class, but now I’m paranoid how misinterpreted these acts can be and how they can be turned around to harm the therapist – makes me never want to pass hugs around! As for self-disclosure of sexual attraction to clients, I personally think that’s never really necessary (and open to hear opposing opinions!); in every other profession, I believe we can/should maintain professional boundaries and avoid indulging in our attraction to our clients, especially whilst our professional relationships are ongoing, and this is especially true/valid in the context of therapy. Lastly, despite my current lack of serious interest in labeling myself as a sex therapist and dealing particularly with sexual issues, I very much want to dive into learning more on the topic because I want to leave no topic untouched with my clients. Buehler (2019) follows a similar stance on the issue: “It is my belief that every therapist needs to be able to treat sexual problems, and that only the clients with the most complicated issues see a specialist” (p. 318).

2. Chapter 20 in Buehler’s book was about ethics. Although I have not started seeing clients yet, something that I always think about and worry about is self-disclosure. I’ve heard that self-disclosure is good and sometimes necessary if it seems beneficial for the client. On the other hand, I’ve also heard that it can damage a client. In the text the author mentions how self-disclosure can be therapeutic (Buehler, ). However, in terms of sexual topics we must be careful that it may not come across as harassment. One concern that comes to mind is if a client makes sexual comments to the therapist. Honestly, I am not sure how I would react or what I’d do. I think that I would panic, and it will be hard for me to explore those feelings with the client. In Buehler’s book he mentions that we have different choices to choose from. The therapist can reflect on those feelings and the meaning of it, seek supervision, or consult with a colleague. My fear would be that I may say something that reinforces their behavior or if they misinterpret what I am saying.

Learning about alternative sex practices throughout this book and in class has definitely been educational and helpful. There are a lot of things that I learned about that will help me once I start seeing clients. Although I do not want to be a sex therapist, I think this information will still come in handy. You just never know what a client will bring up in session so learning about all this makes me feel more at ease.

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