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[chrostopherhenandex]

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[MCParent]

Of course it’s a dual relationship. The question you should ask is, is it a problematic one? What are the logistics of avoiding it (are you the only child psych for 200 miles, or is there another clinic down the street, etc.)?

 

[bcliff]

Generally, I would not describe a patient (and their family) with this level of detail on a public forum. Since I presume that you are identifiable from your username, I would recommend being doubly cautious with what you disclose.

I agree with MC that this is a dual relationship. APA notes that sometimes dual relationships are unavoidable -- I would weigh the pros and cons of engaging in this dual relationship. Are there other providers who can provide this service? Do you hypothesize that the relationship that you have already forged with this parent will make your services more impactful?

Why not recontract with mom and kid and keep your relationship status quo with new treatment targets? Maybe you see mom more often than kid, but focus is still on parent management of problematic child behaviors (rather than mom's mental health outside her role as a parent).

 

[WisNeuro]

I'm with MCP here. It could be a dual relationship, but it may not be problematic. It seems that you'd be seeing her for the same underlying problem. It'd be different if she wanted to start seeing you for an unrelated issue (e.g., her own depression, marital issues, etc), but this seems to be something that is conceivably just an extension of the therapeutic work that you were already engaged in. There are some child/parent therapies that involve both parties with the same pracritioner (e.g., ADHD therapy with parent and child being seen by the same provider). Would need to know more details, but it could be copacetic. Dual relationships are not inherently unethical, they just increase the likelihood of ethical conflicts.

 

[smalltownpsych]

From my reading of the APA ethics code, this would not be a dual relationship since both are in the same role as a treating psychologist. For a practicing psychologist who works with kids and families, this is an everyday occurrence. Whether or not it makes sense for the treatment, is a slightly different question.