Quote:
Originally Posted by Mastodon
This. All of this.
I can think of several ways that a client would be at the mercy of an unethical T in a group practice, where they would not have suffered in the same way in a private/solitary practice. There was an example of that discussed on these boards recently, and there have been some recent articles in the papers here about the lack of respect for patients' integrity in hospitals or group practices, which has led to pretty bad violations of ethical codes. I still don't think that most Ts who are in group practices are unethical, but when they are, their patients have the exact same protection or lack thereof as do patients of licenced therapists in solo practices.
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There are all kinds of other ethical violations that can and probably do take place in any practice. I was really referring more to ethics as they apply to boundaries. I think it's fair to say that most Ts in solo practice don't have loose or poor boundaries and usually choose this route for convenience and economics. And your right I think in saying that colleagues will stand behind each other when professional integrity is in question- for certain things. When it relates to something sexual however, that can change. I do think sometimes there is a divide regarding what your co workers will stand behind you for. It all depends on the politics of the office and who is being accused. A director of a clinic or group practice will get away with more than a staff therapist. Still, solo practice makes it easier for the unethical T to get away with something. Especially repeat offenders- that's just more unlikely these days with the threat of lawsuits everywhere. For example, my pdoc has pretty tight boundaries, but one session we got deepn into conversation and he kept me for an extra 30 minutes. I had my T appt shortly after (They are in the same practice). When I got to her office and told her I just got out of his session she said "are you serious?!?". She and he office staff all just looked at me surprised because as I found out in her session, most people complain that he doesn't keep them long enough and he never goes over. There were no accusations and it honestly meant nothing. Still, she didn't know him well and I could tell that she made a mental note of it. When I told her about being on he same dating site as him, she was shocked again and asked if he contacted me. Neither of these things can happen in solo practice. So of course nothing is wrong with Ts or doctors in solo practice as a whole, it is just an environment that provides opportunity. And predators tend to be opportunists.