Dual Relationship Theories

After moving to a small, rural community in Pennsylvania from Philadelphia, I was shocked to see the limited amount of 12 step recovery meetings in this area. Since moving here, I have already run into several of my drug and alcohol clients at AA meetings, and the ethical issue of boundaries has needed to be dealt with. Scott (2000) stated, “many addictions counselors are also in recovery and attend 12-step programs in the community. Thus, they often find themselves in a dual role with clients, acting as a therapist in treatment and a peer in groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous,” (p. 213). Due to the fact that I am recovering myself, and need these meetings to maintain my own sobriety, being knowledgeable about the ethical guidelines regarding dual …show more content…
In order to really gain awareness of this phenomenon, I had to first truly understand what it meant. Greenson (as cited in Cartwright, 2011) stated that transference is, “the experiencing of feelings, drives, attitudes, fantasies, and defenses toward a person in the present, which are inappropriate to the person and are a repetition, a displacement of reactions originating in regard to significant persons of early childhood,” (p. 114). In regard to countertransference, Storr (as cited in Cartwright) stated “Freud conceptualised ‘countertransference’ as arising from the client’s influence on the psychoanalyst’s unconscious feelings, a manifestation of the psychoanalyst’s unresolved issues, and a potential impediment to treatment,” (p. 115). Understanding when these two concepts occur, and how to react, will be important to maintaining an ethical relationship with my client. I do not have any doubt that certain clients may affect me more than others, and there are going to be certain stories that I relate with on a whole different