Hi Amanda,

Just saw this and wanted to post my thoughts. (Bear in mind that I'm not in the US, so ethical codes may be different.). However, it is my understanding that boundaries and ethics are solely the responsibility of the therapist. While she may or may not encounter ethical issues having a client as a student, and may need to take extra steps to protect you, I really don't think it's your responsibility. There isn't anything unethical in being taught by your therapist.

Having said that, I think the best bet is to have a conversation with her about it. Hopefully that will ease your anxiety about it.

As for personal experience, I've been taught by my therapist, but it was more of a self-help course, not graduate school. It did change things between us though, interacting in such a different environment. The tensions involved provided material for at least a few of my sessions. . I think if it were me, I'd think twice before attending the school that my T (hypothetically) teaches at. The awkward factor would be a little much for me!

Hope it works out well for you, and good luck with your studies!

Saka

Hi Amanda

Do talk to your T about this. I had this very conversation with T this week and am glad I did . Its given me lots to think about. I wanted to go to an Open Day event and look at where T trained because it fits in with how I might want to work with clients and train as a T. Stopping me was knowing T does the Open Days(they have a bit where a practising T comes in and talks about clinical work with a client). Also I know she teaches there and supervises. I said it was making me feel uncomfortable knowing she does the Open Days usually, so I would not want her to get a shock if she was doing them and think she had a weird stalker client on her hands !!

T explained how it works at the organisation she trained in. There are strict ethical and boundary guidelines for both therapists in the organisation who have clients training there. Therapists who teach there and have clients who are training there are not allowed to teach any group of students that their client is in. This is about boundaries, ethics and conflict of interest. It protect the client too and ensures the confidentially of the therapy space between student therapist and their training therapist is maintained. Occasionally it happens that the therapist may give a 'guest' lecture on a specialist subject to a class in which they have a current client studying but this is a one off. On such occasions the therapist and student are deemed responsible for holding the boundaries and it written down what is expected in these circumstances of both parties. T is a lecturer and client is the student then, not T as therapist etc.

T did say she would be more visible to me if I did go there, because of being involved in the Centre through teaching, conferences etc. She would hold the boundaries and she would know that I would be capable of doing so too.

It gave me a lot to think about, because even if I have finished with T at that stage, I don't know how I would feel about seeing her out of context (she might or might not be my T at that stage and certainly I would not be seeing her in her practice rooms where we are) so she would really be out of context. At the moment while I am her client I can kind of see her there at her practice and it stops me wondering about her life outside of our sessions. So seeing her outside might throw me for six.

I have worked in a professional care setting where there was a similar dilemma in terms of a dual relationship. It worked because we were both very boundaried and ethically about it. It did take a lot of work to be so though.

Take care and have that chat with your T, good luck with your studies

Pingles

Hi Amanda,
I follow your blog and always enjoy reading it. Your journey is very inspiring. So glad that you came here to ask about this!

My thoughts weren't so much that it is unethical as I would be worried about how problematical it might be for me. Getting graded by my T? EEK! But I also know that you have a very strong alliance with her and can be very open. So I think that if you are willing to go see her if any problems come up, especially if you experiencing her as a professor starts to affect the work you two did together, it would be possible to do.

I wish you the best for school and your eventual career.

AG

Thank you all so so much for your thoughts, advice, and reassurance. I'm incredibly happy to have found a place that can relate in some form, especially to something as "random" as things feels for me.

I haven't spoken about it with her yet (just a matter of finding the right time), but will within our next session.

You've all given me a great deal to think about - specifically in regards to how I'd feel about seeing her in a different context, her grading my work, etc. I think we'd definitely need to work on that prior, if she were actually going to be my professor.

I hope I have more to write next week!