Differentiating multiple relationships from multiple dimensions of involvement: Therapeutic space at the interface of client, therapist, and society

This article focuses on redirecting current thinking from multiple relationships to the multiple dimensions of our involvements with clients. Given that people's readiness for human involvement is both desirable and unavoidable, recognizing and managing these multiple dimensions of involvement is at the heart of professional interactions. A triangular space, formed at the intersection of societal, therapist, and client features, forms the framework in which therapeutic work occurs. In practice, a balance should be maintained within and among five principles of clinical and ethical practice. These are beneficence, respect for client autonomy, self-awareness, self-interest, and openness to objective input. An applied section considers the sources of imbalance in the proper management of the multiple dimensions of therapists' involvements in the psychotherapeutic relationship via a brief consideration of two case situations.