Dual Relationships

Dual Relationships

Introduction

Boundaries are set on individual personal and professional relationships, daily activities, and lifestyles. It is not uncommon to establish dual relationships, especially in the human services field. Advocating for others has become increasingly popular and necessary over the years. The need for mediation has also increased with the rise problems within the family setting. Often times the role of advocate and mediator cross paths or become intertwined causing a dual relationship. Although a dual relationship can be effective, it is not recommended and several challenges are associated with it.

Dual Relationship Challenges

Challenges with a dual relationship incurred with advocacy and mediation can range from ethical, moral, and extend into legal. Although both positions are necessary and helpful in the field of human services, combining the role of advocate and mediator together can be detrimental to a professional career along with the clients' therapeutic process and overall well-being (Zur & Lazarus, 2002). The exploitation of clients' is also a possibility when the advocate or mediator attempts to take on both roles simultaneously; in an effort to gain professional or personal status (Zur & Lazarus, 2002).

Dual relationships are frowned upon in the field of human services. Many professionals believe that the therapeutic process is interrupted at the occurrence of dual relationships. Boundaries are often crossed which is not good for the client progress and can impinge on professional ethics. Professionals should keep their personal lives separate from the professional lives (Zur & Lazarus, 2002). Advocating and mediation at the same time for the same client is a conflict of interest and can the professional remain unbiased? The ability to remain unbiased is a key factor in successful mediation (Zur & Lazarus, 2002).

Personal Opinion

In my personal opinion, I do not believe that it is possible to successfully advocate for a client and mediate with the same client without crossing professional boundaries as well as personal ones. The role of mediator is an important tool in the field of human services when there is conflict between families, divorcing parents, troubled children, and the elderly. Mediation can sometimes be a difficult