I think it would be great if we could categorize and anticipate all the variables that bring two people together in friendship, or romance. That way, we'd have such blissful clarity of right and wrong. I don't claim to have an answer, but I do have an observation. Many of the assumptions around the therapist/client relationship are tightly bound with culture. As someone who has worked with American Indians for the last four years, they find the whole concept of "dual relationships" as amusing at best, and ignorant at worst..."as if one could/should compartmentalize themselves into roles based on where they are! The very idea!", they would say. They wouldn't accept treatment from someone who believed that. They would argue the entire concept of "objectivity through lack of personal involvement" is absurd on its face. I think it wise never to assume that we've stumbled upon some Rosetta stone for the entire world. We simply do what we can with what we know. Most of us make sincere efforts to avoid harm. That does not mean we have figured out this, or many other problems.
I do believe there are circumstances in which a friendship between a therapist and a former client could possibly be appropriate. I think it would be difficult, but under certain circumstances it could be done.
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