Below is an excerpt. To view the full article, please click on the link.
Limits to Responsibility and Care? (Response)
Robert King
As I see it, there are three issues associated with this case. What is the therapist’s duty of care to the client? What is the therapist’s duty or obligation to the community? What is the therapist’s duty to herself?
The therapist has a duty to provide treatment that is within her scope of practice and is likely to benefit the client. On the basis of the information provided, I am not satisfied that she is discharging either duty in this case. It is unclear whether the therapist has the clinical skills, training or experience to provide treatment to a person with this kind of complex disorder. She is in receipt of supervision but it is not clear that her supervisor has any more expertise than she. I would want to be reassured that the therapist is adequately equipped to provide treatment to this kind of person. Beyond the scope of practice, even if the therapist is competent to treat the client, it is unclear whether the client is currently benefiting from treatment, or likely to benefi …