Do No Harm

One of the first mandates that we as counsellours in training take on, believe and practice. Above all we are to do no harm to our clients. So what does that mean exactly? A lot! First it means that when we have clinets in our office, we strive to make sure that al our interactions with them are of benefit, we strive to ensure that they do not leave our office in an unstable spot, we strive to ensure that, if and when we deal with trauma, we ensure that we have ended our session in such a way that does not leave them in an emotionally vulnerable place. It means that we hold the heart of our client with tenderness, care, love, respect and dignity. It means more than i can really express.

Today I am still reading for my thesis and I cam across a statement: "Can a clinician that adheres to one school of thought, use procedures from another school of thought without contaminating their approach?" I take issue with this question. Each of us as counsellors (in training or otherwise) have a theoretical school from which we operate. And herein lies my issue. If I am a cognitive behaviourist (which I am not!) and there is a therapeutic intervention from the Emotional Focussed therapeutic alliance that is found to be extremely beneficial to my client, so I use it?

Bit of a conflict: the intervention is not part of my theoretical perspective, so do I be ethical and stand true to the orientation that I believe in? But in doing so I am denying my client a potential treatment that might bring untold benefits. So, do I use the intervention and give my client the benefits and become a hypocrite in using something that I do not inherently, necessarily believe in?

DO NO HARM!!!!!!!!!!
-bottom line, if it benefits my client and will provide them relief, USE IT! Our first responsibility is to our client. If I am that opposed to it then that actually speaks to something within myself that I should be in therapy processing through. This is why I do not subscribe to a particular school. I believe in the whole person approach to my clients, which means that I will use whatever measures are beneficial to their circumstances as my responsibility and accountability is to my client: DO NO HARM!