Dual relationships can erode boundaries. Which scenario best illustrates a dual relationship?

• A. A therapist treats a client who becomes a relative.
• B. A therapist provides therapy to a neighbor with no relationship
• C. A therapist refers a client for a second opinion
• D. A therapist documents notes in standard manner

Answer: (B)

Dual relationships erode boundaries when the therapist has more than one role with the same person, blending professional work with other social or personal roles. Treating a neighbor brings the therapist and client into a social context outside the therapeutic setting. The neighbor relationship means information, decisions, and interactions can spill into everyday life, increasing opportunities for boundary crossings, confidentiality concerns, and bias. This ongoing overlap between clinical duties and neighborhood dynamics makes it the clearest example of a dual relationship.

The other scenarios involve maintaining professional boundaries or standard practice: referring a client for a second opinion is a collaborative step that keeps roles distinct, and documenting notes in a standard manner follows routine professional procedures. A client becoming a relative also creates a boundary risk, but the neighbor scenario most directly represents the everyday tension of dual roles.