Can You Be Friends with Your Therapist?

Therapy is unlike almost any other relationship you’ll experience. For many people, it’s the first place they’ve ever felt completely heard without judgment: a space where they can share their deepest fears, painful memories, hopes, insecurities, and dreams with someone who listens with empathy, compassion, and genuine care. Over time, it’s natural for a strong bond to develop between a client and their therapist.

Because of that connection, many people begin asking questions such as, “Can you be friends with your therapist?” or wonder if that relationship could eventually continue outside of the therapy office. Others question whether it’s appropriate to send a friend request on social media, invite their therapist to an important life event, or stay in touch after therapy ends. If you’ve ever had these thoughts, you’re not alone: they often arise because therapy is working. Feeling understood, accepted, and emotionally safe can naturally lead clients to feel deeply connected to their therapist, and that’s completely normal. It’s also true that therapists follow professional ethical guidelines that establish clear boundaries, not because they don’t care, but because those boundaries help protect clients and create the safest, most effective environment for healing.

If you’re considering beginning counseling or are learning more about how therapy works, our article on the power of therapy explores why the relationship between therapist and client is one of the strongest predictors of successful treatment. In this guide, we’ll answer some of the most common questions clients have, including whether you can be friends with your therapist, whether that friendship could be legal, whether you can friend your therapist on Facebook, what happens after therapy ends, and what transference is and how to work through it.

Why Do Clients Feel So Connected to Their Therapist?

One of the most powerful aspects of therapy is something mental health professionals call the therapeutic alliance: the trusting, collaborative relationship that develops between a therapist and client. Research consistently shows this relationship is one of the strongest predictors of positive therapy outcomes, regardless of the specific therapeutic approach being used. Unlike many relationships in everyday life, therapy offers a unique environment where clients can speak openly without worrying about criticism, competition, or having to take care of someone else’s emotional needs. For perhaps the first time, someone may feel completely heard, emotionally validated, accepted without judgment, safe discussing painful experiences, and understood in ways they haven’t experienced before. These experiences naturally create feelings of trust and emotional closeness, and it’s understandable that they can feel deeply meaningful. This doesn’t mean anything is “wrong” with you. It means you’re human.

Therapy Is Different From Friendship

Although therapy often feels warm, caring, and deeply personal, it’s fundamentally different from a friendship. Friendships are typically reciprocal: friends share their own lives, seek emotional support from one another, and make decisions together. Therapy is intentionally different. The relationship is designed to focus entirely on your growth, your healing, and your goals. Your therapist may know many details about your life while intentionally sharing very little about their own. They won’t ask you to solve their problems, rely on you for emotional support, or expect you to comfort them during difficult times. At first, this may seem unusual, but it’s actually one of the greatest strengths of therapy: because the relationship isn’t reciprocal, every session can remain centered on helping you.

Why Feeling Attached Is Completely Normal

Many clients feel embarrassed when they realize they’ve become emotionally attached to their therapist, wondering why they think about their therapist so much, why they miss them between sessions, or whether that’s inappropriate. In most cases, the answer is no. Attachment is a normal human response to feeling consistently safe, understood, and supported. Just as children naturally form secure attachments with caregivers, adults also form meaningful attachments with people who provide emotional safety and consistency. Therapists understand this, and in fact, these feelings often become important topics to explore because they can provide valuable insight into a client’s relationships, attachment history, and patterns of connecting with others. Later in this article, we’ll discuss a concept called transference, which often explains why these feelings develop.

Can You Be Friends with Your Therapist?

The short answer is generally no. Although every situation is unique, professional therapists do not become friends with current clients because doing so would compromise the therapeutic relationship and create ethical concerns. This answer sometimes disappoints clients because the relationship feels so genuine, but it’s important to understand that your therapist’s boundaries are not a reflection of how much they care about you. They’re a reflection of their commitment to protecting your well-being. Professional organizations, including the American Counseling Association (ACA), American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT), American Psychological Association (APA), and National Association of Social Workers (NASW), all emphasize the importance of avoiding dual relationships whenever possible. A dual relationship occurs when a therapist has more than one role with a client, such as being a therapist and a friend, a business partner, a family member, a romantic partner, or a financial advisor. When multiple roles exist, it becomes much harder for therapy to remain objective, safe, and focused entirely on the client’s needs.

Can Your Therapist Be Your Friend Legally?

Many people search online asking, “Can your therapist be your friend legally?” The answer is a little more nuanced than a simple yes or no. In many jurisdictions, there isn’t a law that specifically says a therapist can never become friends with a client. However, therapists are required to follow professional licensing laws, ethical codes, and standards of practice established by their licensing boards and professional organizations, and those ethical standards are often stricter than the law itself. Even if something isn’t technically illegal, it may still violate professional ethics. For example, entering into a friendship that could impair professional judgment, exploit the client, or create conflicts of interest would generally be considered unethical. These standards exist because therapists hold a position of trust and influence: even after months or years of therapy, there remains an imbalance in the relationship because the therapist has extensive personal knowledge about the client’s life, history, vulnerabilities, and emotional experiences. Protecting clients from potential harm is one of the primary reasons these boundaries exist.

Why Therapists Maintain Professional Boundaries

At first glance, professional boundaries can seem distant or even impersonal. In reality, healthy boundaries are one of the greatest expressions of professional care. Imagine if your therapist asked you for relationship advice, shared all of their personal struggles, frequently canceled appointments to spend time socially with clients, invited clients to family gatherings, borrowed money from clients, or discussed one client’s personal life with another. Most people would immediately recognize that these situations could make therapy confusing, uncomfortable, or even harmful. Professional boundaries prevent these situations from occurring and allow therapy to remain safe, predictable, confidential, consistent, objective, client-centered, and focused on healing. Rather than limiting connection, boundaries actually create the emotional safety necessary for clients to be vulnerable and honest.

Boundaries Protect the Client

One of the biggest misconceptions is that boundaries exist to protect therapists. While they certainly support professional practice, their primary purpose is protecting clients. Healthy boundaries help ensure that your needs remain the focus, therapy isn’t influenced by outside relationships, therapists maintain objectivity, confidentiality is preserved, power imbalances aren’t exploited, and decisions are made in the client’s best interest. Research consistently shows that a strong therapeutic relationship, combined with clear professional boundaries, is associated with better treatment outcomes and greater client satisfaction. Rather than seeing boundaries as rejection, it may be more helpful to view them as part of the therapeutic process itself.

Can You Friend Your Therapist on Facebook or Social Media?

In today’s world, social media has blurred the lines between our personal and professional lives. We connect with coworkers, neighbors, teachers, healthcare providers, and even businesses online, so many clients naturally wonder, “Can you friend your therapist on Facebook?” The short answer is that most therapists will politely decline friend requests to their personal social media accounts. While this may feel disappointing at first, it isn’t meant to be hurtful or dismissive. Declining friend requests is one of the ways therapists protect your privacy and preserve the integrity of the therapeutic relationship.

Why Therapists Usually Don’t Accept Friend Requests

Imagine scrolling through Facebook and seeing your therapist commenting on political posts, sharing family vacation photos, discussing personal struggles, or interacting with mutual friends. Suddenly, the relationship changes: instead of your sessions being centered entirely on your thoughts and experiences, you may begin thinking about your therapist’s personal life, opinions, or relationships, and your therapist may unintentionally learn details about your daily life that you haven’t chosen to bring into therapy. Professional boundaries help prevent these situations and keep therapy focused on your growth rather than your therapist’s personal experiences.

Protecting Your Confidentiality

One of the biggest reasons therapists avoid connecting with clients on personal social media accounts is confidentiality. If someone sees your name connected to your therapist’s personal Facebook profile, they may assume you’re receiving therapy, even if you never intended to share that information. While a simple friend request may seem harmless, therapists are trained to think carefully about how small interactions could unintentionally affect a client’s privacy, which remains one of the highest ethical responsibilities in mental health care.

Professional Pages Are Different

Although most therapists won’t accept requests to personal accounts, many practices maintain professional social media pages intended for public education and community engagement. Following a professional page, such as a counseling practice’s Facebook page, a therapist’s professional Instagram account, or educational mental health content, is usually very different from connecting through a private account. These public pages allow therapists to share educational resources while maintaining appropriate professional boundaries.

What About Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, or Other Platforms?

The same general principles apply across most social media platforms. Whether it’s Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, LinkedIn, Snapchat, or another platform, therapists carefully consider how online interactions may affect the therapeutic relationship. Policies vary by practice, but many therapists choose not to follow current clients, accept follow requests to private accounts, respond to direct messages through social media, comment on clients’ personal posts, or tag clients in content. Instead, they generally encourage communication through secure methods such as client portals, office phone numbers, practice email when appropriate, or scheduled therapy sessions. If you’re ever unsure about your therapist’s social media policy, it’s perfectly appropriate to ask during a session; many review these policies during informed consent at the beginning of treatment.

Can You Be Friends with Your Therapist After Therapy Is Complete?

Another question clients frequently ask is, “Can you be friends with your therapist after therapy is complete?” This often arises after months, or even years, of working closely together, and you may feel grateful for the support you’ve received and wonder whether the relationship could naturally evolve into a friendship once counseling has ended. In most situations, the answer is still no. Although therapy may officially end, the ethical considerations surrounding the therapeutic relationship don’t simply disappear the day treatment concludes.

Why Boundaries Continue After Therapy Ends

Even after therapy has ended, your therapist continues to hold knowledge about your personal history, emotional experiences, vulnerabilities, relationships, and mental health journey, so there is often still a significant power imbalance between therapist and former client. Professional ethics recognize that this imbalance may continue long after services have ended, which is why many therapists choose not to develop friendships with former clients. These boundaries aren’t about rejecting clients; they’re about protecting them. The trust developed during therapy deserves to remain focused on the client’s well-being rather than shifting into another type of relationship that could create confusion or emotional harm. Professional organizations such as the ACA, AAMFT, APA, and NASW all provide ethical guidance emphasizing the importance of avoiding relationships that could impair professional judgment or exploit the therapeutic relationship.

Can You Be Friends with Your Former Therapist?

This leads to another common question: “Can you be friends with your former therapist?” While there may be rare circumstances in very small communities or unique situations where unavoidable contact occurs, intentionally developing a friendship with a former therapist is generally discouraged, because the therapeutic relationship never becomes fully “equal” the way a traditional friendship does. Your former therapist still knows deeply personal information that you shared during one of the most vulnerable periods of your life, and that history creates a dynamic that differs from friendships that develop naturally between two people meeting as equals. Many therapists choose to maintain professional boundaries indefinitely, not because they don’t value former clients, but because they respect the significance of the therapeutic relationship and want to avoid any possibility of exploitation or confusion. Some clients initially interpret this as rejection; in reality, it reflects a therapist’s ongoing commitment to ethical practice.

Can You Be Friends with Your Therapist After Termination?

The terms therapy completion, termination, and ending therapy all generally refer to the formal conclusion of the therapeutic relationship. So, can you be friends with your therapist after termination? Again, the answer is usually no. Termination marks the end of professional treatment, but it doesn’t erase the history that developed throughout therapy. Ethical standards encourage therapists to carefully consider whether any future relationship, even years later, could harm the former client, reopen emotional dependency, create conflicts of interest, compromise objectivity, or take advantage of the client’s previous vulnerability. Because these risks can never be entirely eliminated, most therapists choose to maintain professional boundaries even after services have ended, allowing clients to remember therapy as a safe, consistent, and protected relationship rather than one that became blurred by changing roles.

What If You Run Into Your Therapist Outside the Office?

One situation many clients don’t expect is accidentally seeing their therapist at the grocery store, a local restaurant, a child’s sporting event, or another community gathering. This can feel awkward at first. Many therapists intentionally wait for you to initiate a greeting, because if they approach you first, they could unintentionally reveal that you’re receiving therapy to friends, family members, coworkers, or others nearby. If you choose to say hello, most therapists will gladly respond warmly while still respecting your privacy; if you prefer not to acknowledge one another, that’s perfectly acceptable too. Many therapists discuss this possibility during informed consent so clients know what to expect should an unexpected encounter occur.

Boundaries Don’t Mean Your Therapist Doesn’t Care

Perhaps the most important takeaway from all of these situations is that professional boundaries are not emotional distance. Most therapists genuinely care about their clients: they celebrate progress, empathize during difficult moments, and often feel honored to walk alongside people during some of life’s most challenging experiences. The reason therapists maintain boundaries isn’t because the relationship lacks meaning; it’s because the relationship matters so much. Maintaining clear ethical boundaries allows therapy to remain a uniquely safe place where clients can be fully themselves without worrying about taking care of their therapist, protecting a friendship, or managing another social relationship. Healthy boundaries preserve exactly what makes therapy so powerful.

What Is Transference?

One of the most misunderstood, but completely normal, experiences in therapy is something called transference. If you’ve found yourself thinking about your therapist between sessions, wondering why you feel so connected to them, or even questioning whether you’ve developed romantic feelings, you’re not alone: these experiences are common enough that therapists receive specialized training on how to recognize and work through them in a healthy, ethical way. Transference occurs when a client unconsciously projects feelings, expectations, or relationship patterns from important people in their past onto their therapist. In other words, the emotions you’re experiencing may not actually be about your therapist; instead, your therapist has become a safe person onto whom past experiences, attachment patterns, or unmet emotional needs are being expressed. Transference isn’t a sign that therapy is going poorly. In many cases, it’s a sign that meaningful therapeutic work is taking place, and rather than ignoring these feelings, therapists often use them as valuable opportunities to better understand a client’s relationships, emotional needs, and life experiences.

Why Does Transference Happen?

Therapy creates a unique relationship. Your therapist listens without judgment, offers consistent support, keeps your conversations confidential, remembers important details about your life, encourages your growth, celebrates your progress, and helps you through difficult moments. For many people, this level of consistent emotional support feels unfamiliar. If you’ve experienced criticism, neglect, inconsistent relationships, trauma, abandonment, or unhealthy attachment patterns, it makes sense that receiving steady compassion from another person could stir up powerful emotions. These feelings don’t mean you’ve done anything wrong; they’re often a window into experiences that deserve curiosity rather than shame.

Different Types of Transference

Transference doesn’t always involve romantic feelings. In fact, there are many different forms:

• Parental transference. Some clients begin viewing their therapist similarly to a parent or caregiver, longing for approval, reassurance, protection, or guidance they didn’t consistently receive growing up.
• Romantic transference. Clients sometimes develop romantic or sexual feelings toward their therapist. This can feel confusing or embarrassing, but it’s a recognized and well-understood phenomenon within psychotherapy, often connected to deeper needs for safety, acceptance, intimacy, or emotional connection.
• Idealizing transference. Some clients begin seeing their therapist as someone who has all the answers or can solve every problem. Healthy therapy ultimately encourages people to build confidence in their own abilities rather than becoming dependent on another person.
• Negative transference. Not all transference feels positive. Some clients may become angry with their therapist, distrust them, or assume they’ll eventually be rejected, reactions that may reflect previous experiences rather than what’s actually happening in therapy.

How to Get Over Transference

If you’ve searched “how to get over transference,” you may be worried that these feelings mean something is wrong. The good news is that they don’t. Transference is not something you need to “get rid of” as quickly as possible; instead, it’s something to understand, and in many cases, working through it becomes one of the most meaningful parts of therapy.

1. Talk about it. The first, and often hardest, step is simply telling your therapist. Many clients worry they’ll be judged, but therapists are trained to have these conversations professionally and compassionately, and they’ve likely encountered similar experiences before.
2. Don’t judge yourself. Many people immediately criticize themselves for feeling this way. Emotional attachment develops naturally when people consistently experience empathy, acceptance, and emotional safety, so try approaching these feelings with curiosity instead: what am I longing for, and when have I felt this way before?
3. Explore the underlying need. The goal isn’t to make the feelings disappear, but to uncover what they’re trying to communicate, whether that’s emotional safety, acceptance, validation, consistency, or trust.
4. Remember what therapy is designed to do. Therapy isn’t intended to replace friendships, family relationships, or romantic partnerships. It provides a safe environment to practice healthier ways of relating to others, and many clients find themselves becoming more confident and better able to build fulfilling relationships outside the therapy office as a result.
5. Be patient with yourself. Healing rarely follows a straight line. Some weeks you may feel incredibly connected to your therapist, and other weeks those feelings may become less intense; both are normal.

What If You Miss Your Therapist?

Ending therapy can bring up unexpected emotions: some clients feel proud and excited, others feel anxious, and many feel surprisingly sad. If you’ve spent months, or years, working closely with your therapist, missing them after therapy ends is completely understandable. Therapy often becomes one of the safest relationships in a person’s life, and saying goodbye to that relationship can feel similar to grieving the end of another meaningful chapter. Missing your therapist doesn’t mean you became “too attached.” It often means the relationship mattered.

Healthy Ways to Process the End of Therapy

As therapy comes to a close, many therapists intentionally spend time helping clients prepare for termination. Healthy closure might include reflecting on your progress, reviewing coping skills you’ve developed, discussing future goals, talking openly about your feelings regarding ending therapy, identifying support systems, planning for future challenges, and knowing when you might return if additional support is needed. Some clients also find it meaningful to write a thank-you note or express appreciation during their final session. Many therapists genuinely appreciate hearing how therapy has impacted a client’s life while still maintaining appropriate professional boundaries.

Remember What Your Therapist Wants for You

Although your therapist likely enjoys working with you, their ultimate goal has never been to keep you in therapy forever. A healthy therapist hopes you’ll eventually trust yourself, use the coping skills you’ve learned, build healthy relationships, navigate challenges with increasing confidence, and live a fulfilling life outside the therapy office. Graduating from therapy isn’t losing your therapist. It’s often evidence that you’ve grown.

Common Situations Clients Wonder About

Clients frequently have practical questions about therapist boundaries that don’t always come up during sessions. Here are some of the most common situations and why therapists typically respond the way they do:

• What if I see my therapist at the grocery store? Don’t be surprised if your therapist doesn’t approach you first. Many intentionally wait for clients to acknowledge them first in public, which protects your confidentiality. If you choose to say hello, your therapist will usually respond warmly while keeping the interaction brief and respectful.
• Can I invite my therapist to my wedding, graduation, or other major life event? Although the invitation is often deeply meaningful, therapists will usually decline, since attending personal events can blur professional boundaries. Instead, many enjoy hearing about these milestones during your sessions.
• Can I give my therapist a gift? Small, thoughtful gifts, such as a handwritten card near the end of therapy, may sometimes be appropriate depending on the therapist’s workplace policies. Expensive, highly personal, or emotionally significant gifts may create ethical concerns. If you’re unsure, simply ask.
• Can my therapist hug me? There isn’t one universal answer. Some therapists never hug clients; others may occasionally offer or accept a brief hug in limited situations, such as after the death of a loved one or during a final session, if it’s clinically appropriate.
• What if we attend the same church or live in a small community? In smaller towns, avoiding every dual relationship may be impossible. When unavoidable overlap occurs, therapists continue following ethical guidelines designed to minimize conflicts of interest while protecting your confidentiality.
• Can I follow my therapist’s professional Instagram or Facebook page? Usually, yes. Many therapists maintain professional pages specifically to share mental health education, office updates, and community resources, which is different from connecting through a private personal account.
• What if I accidentally reveal something personal on social media? Many therapists intentionally avoid viewing clients’ social media profiles unless it’s been discussed as part of treatment, which helps preserve privacy while keeping therapy focused on what clients choose to bring into session themselves.

The common thread in all of these situations is simple: healthy boundaries protect the therapeutic relationship. Rather than creating distance, they allow therapy to remain a place where clients can feel safe, respected, and fully supported throughout their healing journey.

What Makes a Healthy Therapeutic Relationship?

While many people begin this article wondering, “Can you be friends with your therapist?”, a more helpful question may be: what makes a therapeutic relationship healthy in the first place? One of the strongest predictors of successful therapy isn’t a specific technique or diagnosis; it’s the quality of the relationship between the client and therapist. Researchers often refer to this as the therapeutic alliance: a collaborative partnership built on trust, respect, honesty, and shared goals. According to the American Psychological Association, the therapeutic relationship consistently plays a significant role in positive treatment outcomes across many different therapy approaches. For a fuller checklist of what to look for, see our guide on how to know if your therapist is good.

Signs of a Healthy Therapeutic Relationship

Although every therapist has a unique personality and style, healthy therapy often includes many of the following qualities:

• You feel safe being honest. You can talk about uncomfortable thoughts, painful memories, mistakes, fears, or difficult emotions without worrying that your therapist will judge or criticize you.
• Your therapist respects your boundaries. A healthy therapist doesn’t pressure you to discuss topics before you’re ready, respects your values and beliefs, and collaborates with you rather than controlling decisions.
• Your therapist challenges you with compassion. A good therapist helps you examine unhealthy patterns and gently challenges unhelpful beliefs while continuing to provide empathy and support.
• Therapy feels collaborative. Rather than simply telling you what to do, your therapist works with you to identify goals, track progress, develop coping skills, and adjust the treatment plan when needed.
• You leave with practical tools. Depending on your goals, you may leave sessions with new coping strategies, communication skills, journaling prompts, relaxation techniques, or homework activities.

It’s Okay to Talk About Boundaries

One misconception many clients have is that asking questions about boundaries will make their therapist uncomfortable. In reality, ethical therapists expect these conversations. Questions like why won’t my therapist accept my Facebook request, why can’t we become friends, or why do I feel so attached are all appropriate to bring into therapy. Discussing these topics openly often strengthens the therapeutic relationship, because it allows both client and therapist to better understand what’s happening emotionally. Remember, therapy is one of the few relationships specifically designed to help you explore difficult feelings safely, including the feelings you have about therapy itself. If you don’t feel understood, respected, or emotionally safe with your current therapist, our guide to finding the perfect therapist in Louisville walks through practical questions to consider before beginning with someone new.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it illegal to be friends with your therapist?

Not necessarily, but it’s generally considered unethical. Most therapists follow professional ethical codes established by organizations such as the ACA, APA, AAMFT, and NASW. These guidelines strongly discourage friendships with current clients because dual relationships can interfere with objectivity and potentially harm the therapeutic process.

Why won’t my therapist accept my Facebook request?

Most therapists decline personal friend requests to protect your confidentiality, maintain professional boundaries, and keep therapy focused on your needs. Many do encourage clients to follow their professional practice pages if they maintain public educational accounts.

Can therapists hug clients?

Sometimes, but it depends. Some therapists never use physical touch in therapy, while others may occasionally offer or accept a brief hug in carefully considered situations if it’s clinically appropriate, consistent with professional ethics, and welcomed by the client. Policies vary by therapist, practice, and clinical setting.

Can therapists date former clients?

Professional ethics strongly discourage, and in some professions explicitly prohibit, romantic or sexual relationships with former clients. Even after therapy has ended, the power imbalance created during treatment can remain, making these relationships ethically problematic.

Is it normal to miss my therapist?

Yes. Many clients experience sadness, gratitude, or even grief when therapy ends. Missing your therapist doesn’t necessarily mean you became overly attached; it often reflects the meaningful relationship that developed throughout your work together. Talking openly about these feelings during termination can help create a healthy sense of closure.

What is transference?

Transference occurs when a client unconsciously transfers feelings, expectations, or relationship patterns from significant people in their past onto their therapist. It’s a common and well-understood part of psychotherapy that often provides valuable insight into attachment patterns, emotional needs, and relationship experiences.

Should I tell my therapist I have feelings for them?

Yes. Although it may feel uncomfortable, discussing romantic, parental, or other strong feelings with your therapist is often an important part of the therapeutic process. Ethical therapists are trained to respond professionally, compassionately, and without judgment.

The Bottom Line

If you’ve been wondering, “Can you be friends with your therapist?”, the answer is usually no, but not because your therapist doesn’t care. In fact, the opposite is often true. Therapists maintain professional boundaries because they care deeply about creating a relationship that is safe, ethical, and entirely focused on your healing. Those boundaries protect your confidentiality, preserve trust, reduce conflicts of interest, and allow therapy to remain one of the few places where your needs consistently come first. It’s also important to remember that developing strong feelings toward your therapist, including attachment, admiration, gratitude, or even transference, is a normal part of the therapeutic process for many people. These experiences don’t mean you’ve done anything wrong; they often provide valuable opportunities for deeper self-understanding and growth when discussed openly in therapy.

If you’re considering starting counseling, know that a healthy therapeutic relationship isn’t built on friendship. It’s built on trust, compassion, collaboration, and professional care, qualities that create the foundation for meaningful and lasting change. At Innovative Family Therapy, we’re committed to providing compassionate, evidence-based care for children, teens, adults, couples, and families. Learn more about our adult therapy services or explore all of our therapy services to find the support that’s right for you. Remember: therapy isn’t about creating another friendship. It’s about helping you build the confidence, skills, and resilience to create healthier relationships in every area of your life, including the relationship you have with yourself.

Sources

The information in this article is informed by current professional ethics and evidence-based mental health guidance, including:

• American Counseling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics
• American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) Code of Ethics
• American Psychological Association (APA) Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct
• National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics