Are Interns Bound By The 2 Year Rule?

Does anyone know if intern psychotherapists are bound by the same two-year rule as a licensed therapist would be in regards to dating a client? I have looked all over and can't get an answer on this one.

You could ask the person concerned directly. I am sure he or she will be able to advise.

I am sure the therapist would not want an out of office relationship with me at this time, and vice-versa. Let me explain more about my situation and perhaps someone can advise me on how to proceed amidst all this confusion...

I am extremely committed to self-improvement, so when we are doing the therapy, I am working hard on myself, but it is in those little moments before, after, and sometimes during our sessions when the therapy is turned off for a time and our personalities come out, that I feel an intense attraction toward the therapist. We are close in age, and very similar in our interests and views. In a few more years, I will be a therapist myself.

Of course, I understand the ease in which attraction for a therapist can occur. The ally positioning of the therapist, the empathy, understanding, and acceptance all factor into this, I am aware. It is for this reason that IF I were to see the therapist in the future outside of therapy, I would want to establish a friendship first and maintain that for some time prior to any kind of romance. At the very least, I am confident we would make good friends. Or who knows? Perhaps upon getting to know the therapist personally outside the office, I will find I am not interested in having a relationship with them. It's hard to say until I actually go there.

The therapist was well aware of my attraction prior to my admitting it, but since it was verbalized on my part, the dynamic between us during therapy has shifted dramatically. I sense the therapist and I are both uncomfortable now during session and we have spoken about this. I am not so sure I can continue to see the therapist for much longer because of this, and also because I feel I have achieved a vast majority of the goals we set initially set out some time ago.

So, I am considering finding a new therapist to finish off what's left of the goals I want to accomplish, and asking the current therapist to meet sometime as friends. I do not know though if the therapist (who is an intern) is bound by the same strict guidelines as a licensed therapist, and if this would factor into their decision.

Regardless of whether the therapist would see me outside of therapy or not, I do not believe we can make much more progress together given the new dynamic inside the office. I really wish we would have met outside in the real world. It's too bad. That, or I wish I never would have verbalized my attraction since it has changed the dynamic between us.

I know some people who say ethics are in place for a reason, and as an aspiring professional in the field I can understand that, but also, I am yet to talk to someone about this who can empathize and understand the other side of this all - that we are human, and that perhaps this would be a relationship worth exploring...but it's hard to know for sure until the first step is actually taken. I am willing to do it responsibly.

Not all professional organizations have the same 2 year rule. Some have a 5 year rule. Some have a never rule. And some don't have a set time limit but instead are asked to use their judgment. So you would need to know what organization this T follows the guidelines for. Also, my understanding of the 2 year rule is that it is not just dating, but there is to be no contact during the 2 years before the former T and client can begin dating. So you can't be friends for 2 years and then start dating and be in compliance with that particular rule.

My guess is an intern would want to follow the guidelines of the profession he is aspiring to. So if he will be a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, he would go by the guidelines of the AAMFT. If he will be a licensed Psychologist, he would go by the APA guidelines. If he will be a licensed mental health counselor, he would go by the AMHCA guidelines. Etc. State guidelines can also play a role.

ETA: I looked in the AMHCA guidelines and it says:
"Students and supervisees have the same ethical obligations to clients as those required of Mental Health Counselors."

as an aspiring professional, you could take this as an opportunity to learn about "the other side" so that in the future, when a client is attracted to you, you can have more empathy towards them. i'm concerned that you would think it's ok for this intern to have a relationship with you (even just as friends) -- does that mean as an intern in the future you would also be ok with being friends with a client? with "exploring" a romantic relationship with a client?

if you would be prepared to stand by the code of ethics (as you would have to, should you enter the profession) then i'm confused about why it would be ok for you to want this intern to bend the rules also. there isn't any real "responsible" that comes into breaking ethical codes.

I have actually been thinking a lot about that and how I might do things differently than my therapist has done since the onset of our therapy to avoid leading the client on (ie: I believe she is attracted to me), and also if transference and/or countertransference occurs, how to be prepared so I can respond to it. I still have a lot to learn about this, but I see your point and how I could benefit from this experience.

Definitely not (if the roles were reversed)!

Unfortunately, in this case I view myself as a 'special client' who is an exception to the rule, because I'm so similar to the therapist in age, interests, and especially career aspirations. Because I am the one in the client position, I know that on an emotional level I could handle seeing the therapist outside the office. If I were the therapist though, I don't think I could feel okay with the situation given the potential harmful effects it could incur on a client.

Perhaps I'm just being self-absorbed here and need to work on this, but I do feel a connection to the therapist as a person...and enough to the point where I think it's worth exploring. Of course, I would like for some time to pass between now and any potential formation of a friendship.

I highly doubt we will ever see each other in another context though. The therapist is very professional and committed to their career field, and if they were to break ethics and see me, I think on some level, I would lose a little respect for them for not respecting the field we are both committed to. Even if we did obey the two year rule, so much can happen between now and then.

The way I see it, if it's meant to be, somehow it will happen on its own and in the distant future. I'm simply going to give this whole issue up now and seek a new therapist, so at the very least I can finish off the goals I set out without any interference or distractions due to the transference.

Thank you everyone for your input.

They have to follow the same ethical guidlines as a licensed proffesional.

Even if someone isn't licensed, they can still get in a WHOLE lot of trouble if they dated a client (even a former client) because it's still a therapeutic relationship and still is bound by ethical guidelines. They may get into slightly less trouble, but as far as I know they're still bound by the same obligations since they're seeking to become a licensed psychotherapist.

(I'm trying to become a licensed Social Service Worker, which is different but we've been taught that you cannot date a client period, even when we start our internships next month. Doing that is a breach of guidelines)

sounds like the responsible way to do it even tho it's difficult.

Well, I did it. It was tough, but I felt I was only coming to therapy at this point to see the therapist and that I could handle the remainder of my goals on my own.

It was an emotional goodbye for me. Not knowing who the therapist really is outside of that office is difficult, and it means all of my projections onto them are just idealizations, but still, I wish I knew who that person was. The not knowing and never being able to know about who they are and how they felt toward me sucks.

I'm glad I had this experience though I learned a lot about myself and feel like I'm more on my path now than ever. The therapist helped me out a great deal during our time together and I will always have fond memories of our sessions, but I will always wonder...

I don't think it is any rule that binds a relationship; I'm reminded of the office I worked in, a huge 75' x 50' room with six or eight people working in it and all around the edges at sitting level were little post-it notes but, if you think about it, people who need the rules, the post-it notes, don't read them. Rules have never made people do what is right.

I find it an odd question you ask. A client could ask a therapist out all day long; a conscientious therapist isn't going to do anything with that and who wants a different kind of therapist? The only other part of the equation is wishing the therapist wanted to ask you out and doesn't only because of the rule but might if the rule weren't there?

I think many of us feel like "special clients" because of the unconditional postive regard and empathy we receive from our T's. I have often thought the same things as far as wanting to know him as a person and wanting to be friends outside of therapy. The one thing that always grounds me, though is the fact that if he were to bend the rules it would not be good for him, and I have enough respect for him that I would not want to be the cause of a struggle for him about ethics. (Not that he would do it, anyway, because he is very professional). Hope everything works out good for you.