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Jake Simpkins arrived on time to my Groveland office but the odor he brought in with him was noticeable. I think to myself that it is a bit early for whiskey, but apparently not for Jake. I offer him a cup of coffee. “Thanks, I take it black.” He looks a bit disheveled, his polo shirt has a damp spot near the front pocket, and his hair looks messy. While I smell alcohol, I do not observe slurred speech or clumsy movements, so I surmise that Jake isn’t drunk necessarily, but perhaps spilled on himself when he took that morning swig, hence the damp spot on his polo shirt. I take mental notes, to address this during out session. I do take note, that there is a sense of responsibility with Jake, as he brought with him the completed …show more content…

I am reminded, that not all dual relationships are bad, and that sometimes boundaries are meant to be crossed, but of course they should never be violated. Author and psychotherapist, Ofer Zur, Ph.D., shared examples of a boundary violations such as going to lunch with an anorexic patient, attending a client’s wedding and appropriate self-disclosures as being examples of appropriate boundary crossings. (Zur, 2004, p.28) In contrast, a boundary violations, Zur explained are often illegal, always unethical and usually exploitative. (Zur, 2004, p.27) However, I also recall that Zur’s colleague, Arnold A. Lazarus, Ph.D., warned that one must be wise in deciphering whether or not to step outside of a strictly professional relationship. Lazarus shared a warning to be extra careful when dealing with clients that show histrionic, borderline, aggressive tendencies, etc. Lazarus also shared though that being willing to step outside the norm of some boundaries, can increase trust and facilitate a sense of camaraderie with a client. (Lazarus, 2001, p. 16) I sense that having Annie on my daughter’s softball team, would be considered by Zur to be a medium level dual relationship, similar to as if Jake and I attended the same church or school meetings. According to Zur, dual relationships are often experienced at three different levels: low, medium, and intense. (Zur, 2015) Lower than attending the same

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