Is is possible for therapist to fall in love with their clients?

Answer 1

It can and probably does happen. However, there are usually codes of ethic prohibiting this. If the client finds another therapist, I guess it's o.k. But it's not o.k. as long as they still share a client/ therapist relationship also. The therapist has a type of power over the client. That's why it's not ethical.

Answer 2

No, it's not, because love is reciprocol, and if you're in a therapist/client "relationship," it's very one-sided; i.e., the client is doing most of the talking and the therapist is doing most of the listening.

Lust or attaction is a different issue. But it's unethical, and if a therapist breaks that confidentiality, crosses that line and gets caught, said therapist will lose his/her license.

Some DAs will even prosecute for rape because there is no way to say difinitively that that "relationship" wasn't based on some sort of psycological force in the first place.

Rebecca

Answer 3

as counsellors are humans and their clients are human it is entirely possible for the counsellor to fall in love with the client.

however that said. It is the counsellors responsibility to ensure the relationship remains ethical. Any good counsellor who develops feelings beyond normal client-therapist feelings should seek guidance as soon as possible from their consulting therapist and also arrange for the client to be transferred to another counsellor.

But clients should not take advantage of the situation and use this situation for their own benefit. If you are a client and you feel your counsellor has strong feelings for you then the best thing you can do is change counsellors now, the second best thing to do is to ask a friend to accompany you on your next appointment and then confront the counsellor with your suspicions.

Answer 4

Yes.

Transference is when the patient falls for the therapist, and not the reverse.

Because there have been issues with this type of things in the past, it is considered professionally unethical for a therapist to become involved with a patient.

If this should happen, the therapist should have the patient seek another therapist, and not pursue the relationship.

Answer 5

I think there can be a human connection and a love, but a romantic love or in love? I don't know... I think falling in love requires mutual sharing.... in a client therapist relationship the sharing goes mostly one way.
I wouldn't trust a therapist who fell for a patient, what happens when the next client comes along?
Attraction is different from 'in love'.

Answer 6

Anything is possible. It's more probable the other way around, but ti does happen. It would be completely unethical to continue the relationship unless the client found another therapist and pursued their love interest from there.

Answer 7

Yes it's possible. Transference, the attraction between client and counsellor can work both ways. The ethical counsellor will discontinue a professional relationship before pursuing a more personal one. In some areas, the relationship must be completely discontinued for a set period of time before the counsellor can have a personal relationship with the client, without fear of legal consequences.

Answer 8

I'm sure it's possible, but if the therapist acts on his feelings with a patient during the therapist/patient relationship it is against the law and the therapist can be sued by the patient. First, the professional relationship must end. Then, if both parties are willing, a personal relationship can begin.

Answer 9

never heard of that but I know a client falling in love with a therapist is possible..they have a name for it...transference

Answer 10

It's possible for anyone to fall in love with anyone! Only if the feeling is mutual should the therapist persue, though.