ABSTRACT
The practice of medicine, psychology, and psychiatry, which belong to a general professional culture, differ considerably in various societies around the world because of differing historical, social, economic, and cultural backgrounds. Most societies legally regulate medical practice to control quality and protect patients. Because legal systems vary in different societies, how the law regulates psychiatric practice also varies remarkably in different cultures. Psychiatric practice may be more tightly regulated than other medical specialties because psychiatrists often deal with patients who lack mental competency, are unable to make proper judgments for themselves, and may heavily rely on the clinician to make decisions for them regarding hospitalization, medication, and psychological therapy. In psychotherapy, we expect patients to reveal their personal lives and emotional matters to the therapist, and through this they often form very intimate relationships with the therapist. They may become dependent on the therapist, who is expected to professionally handle the delicate relationship between them. Regulating relations between patient and therapist to ensure that proper boundaries are observed is a professional, ethical, and legal concern (Slovenko, 2002).
