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Description:
Ethical Dilemmas in Clinical Practice: Understanding and Avoiding Dual Relationships in Play Therapy focuses on the unique ethical challenges play therapists face when working with children, adolescents, and families. Given the deeply relational and often informal nature of play therapy, dual relationships can arise more subtly—such as being asked to attend a client’s school event, treating multiple family members, or practicing in small or rural communities where overlapping roles are common.
This training examines how dual relationships can impact therapeutic boundaries, objectivity, and client trust, particularly when working with vulnerable populations like children. It explores relevant professional ethical codes (e.g., APT, ACA, NASW) and applies them to play therapy-specific situations, such as involving caregivers in sessions, or managing relationships outside the playroom.
Through real-world case studies, ethical decision-making models, and reflective exercises, play therapists will learn how to assess the risks of dual relationships, set and maintain healthy boundaries, and protect the integrity of the therapeutic relationship. The training emphasizes the therapist’s responsibility to model safe and respectful boundaries, ultimately fostering trust and psychological safety within the playroom.
Learning Objectives:
- Define dual relationships and boundary crossings within the context of play therapy with children and families.
- Identify at least three common scenarios in which dual relationships may arise in play therapy practice.
- Apply relevant ethical codes and professional guidelines (e.g., APT, ACA, NASW) to decision-making around dual relationships in play therapy settings.
- Distinguish between boundary crossings that may be clinically appropriate and boundary violations that compromise ethical practice.
- Utilize an ethical decision-making model to evaluate and respond to potential or existing dual relationship dilemmas in play therapy.
- Develop strategies to establish and maintain clear therapeutic boundaries when working with children, caregivers, and systems (e.g., schools, courts, community programs).
Presenter: Julia Knach, LCPC, LCADC, RPT-S™
Julia Knach is currently the owner and founder of My Crossing Paths Counseling Center. Julia was previously the Manager of Clinical Services at Baltimore Child Abuse Center (BCAC) and before that she was the Clinical Supervisor with Family and Children’s Services (FCS), supervising both Baltimore City and County. She works with all populations dealing with trauma and abuse. Prior to joining FCS, she worked at Hope Health Systems satellite office. Here she worked with families throughout Baltimore City that were dealing with both trauma and addictions. She is currently an adjunct professor at CCBC, teaching in the human service counseling department. She recently published her first book called Crossing Paths: The Intersection between Trauma and Addictions.
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