Beyond Black and White Ethics: When Protective Rules Undermine Adult Agency

Rethinking Rigid Boundaries in Adult Professional Relationships and the Need for More Nuance and Autonomy in Ethical Guidelines

Photo by Kyle Cleveland on Unsplash

Imagine two emotionally mature and intellectually on-par adults who initially meet in a professional context like therapy. Over months of insightful dialogue, they discover a rare mutual resonance – a genuine human connection that transcends the typical provider-patient formality. Yet ethical rules demand an iron wall:…