Exploring self-reflection in dual relationship decision-making

Abstract

Summary: Social workers practicing in small rural towns regularly encounter overlapping or dual relationships with clients. This can lead to boundary crossing and conflicts of interest that require an ethical decision. Previous research on how rural social workers approach ethical decision-making in these situations has suggested that while they might draw on ethical codes, many rely on intuitive or personal viewpoints rather than systematic decision-making processes. Although social workers are often trained to engage in self-reflection when faced with the complexities of practice and the possibilities of personal biases, the role of systematic self-reflection in personal decision-making about dual relationships has not been sufficiently documented in the literature. Using qualitative inquiry, this study explored the lived experiences with dual relationships reported by 44 practitioners working in small towns in rural Canada. Findings: The findings confirm that practitioners were frequently guided in their decisions by an intuitive or emotional understanding of dual relationships rather than by external codes, and while self-reflection was seen to play a role, a formal or systematic approach to personal self-reflection was not reported. Applications: The findings suggest that educational or professional development on more intentional use of self-reflection in practice would aid in safeguarding the client and the worker when dealing with dual relationships, while providing an ethical process congruent with a rural and remote community identity. Explicit decision-making would also make the process more defensible and justifiable, not only to themselves, but also to colleagues, supervisors, and to their professional association.