Quote:
Originally Posted by Skies
They do indeed have a professional obligation-it's their ethics codes that talk about their responsibility to social causes and public health. It's not a mere inconvenience for some people or a matter of 'finding someone else'-it means they don't have access to services.
I'm not sure who said it was unethical not to offer access to all patients, I never said that it's unethical. But no, it's not like any business where you only do what's best for yourself. You have to take clients in consideration when making business decisions. That social responsibility does not delineate between those in private practice and those not self-employed.
And if you read the social worker ethics, they imply that if you don't live your life in a way that serves others, you have no business being in the profession. It seems like social workers make up the bulk of therapists now. Code of Ethics (English and Spanish) - National Association of Social Workers
My point is that as a profession, therapists themselves say they have social responsbility and should consider the welfare of clients unlike other businesses (not sure why people are saying that's not true when they themselves claim this) and as a profession, should contribute to addressing client access issues.
That means those who can should 'inconvenience' themselves just a little bit to try to offer access to services to clients of various backgrounds. There are some, like my therapist, who work more non-traditional hours than others to make up the slack for all of those therapists who are more self-centered.
It's a free country here; sure, no one HAS to help people. ER doctors and nurses don't get together with their professional organizations and unions and decide they are all going to work 9-5 and have ER techs only staff hospitals after hours. People don't get to work the hours they want when they choose certain professions where people's well-being rather than profit is the focus.
This issue actually degrades the credibility of the profession further. If they want to be like any other business, sure, just don't claim to support ethics codes and social responsiblity-don't join and get the benefits of professional organizations or health insurance. Maybe life coach jobs are more fitting for therapists who don't consider the welfare of the population they serve when they make their business decisions. I have no issue with them operating like a business owner and not a health care professional as long as they don't claim to be something they are not. |
Social responsibility can be practiced in many, many ways that donīt necessarily involve working hours one doesn't want to.For me, this is about having respect for the choice and boundaries of those who won't offer any particular slots, for whatever reason. What if you were told all available slots were taken, rather than "I take weekends off because I choose to"? After all, for potential clients looking for a therapist, I don't see why it should matter the reason and whether a therapist won't see them at 8 o'clock because they already have another client in that spot or because that's the only time they have off with their entire family, for example. The spot is simply not available. Therapists have a responsibility, but that responsibility cannot include accepting all clients at any time. Many actually get burned out trying to do that and those often end up doing unreasonable, unethical things because they couldn't set healthy boundaries for their schedule.
Also, every therapist is not a social worker and there are a lot of different codes of ethics depending on specialization, association, licensing board, state, country, etc. For example, our national code of ethics where I live clearly states that no one has the right to coerce any psychologist (including psychotherapists) into working one way or another. Now of course, if a therapist is employed, s/he will often have set times when they are at work, but that is different from private practice and no one can legally or ethically impose on a therapist to work certain hours (and those who are employed usually have to work during normal business hours).
I understand the frustration when looking for a good therapist is hard enough and then schedule becomes an extra difficulty. But this inconvenience, like any other, is also about how much effort one is willing to put into finding a solution. Therapy is hard work on the part of clients too, not just therapists. If one is determined to enter therapy, I think looking for a professional who works specific hours is just part of the process, just like looking for one who is specialized in a particular issue, for example.
And I still think there's something very important to be said about respecting people's choices and boundaries, including time boundaries. There are options these days such as commuting or doing online therapy if one really can't find therapists with open slots and convenient schedules locally. So I believe that in most cases, people who really want to be in therapy won't have to go without just because of schedules. So then what is the specific social responsibility for therapists to work hours that inconvenience them and their families or other clients, colleagues, etc?
Yes, clients' needs should be considered. But if one is just looking for a new therapist and interviewing them about their approach, including their hours, then they are not a client yet, and "considered" isn't the same as met at any cost.