ABSTRACT
Research with sensitive arid distressing topics and research into areas of social opprobrium can bring with it extra, onerous, and time-consuming administrative requirements. Research that is proposed and seems reasonable in an academic environment can become unexpectedly and unforeseeably problematic once in the field. The levels of fear and shame that accompanied the academic character of this research extended more widely into my professional and personal life. All research projects raise "ethical, moral, and political questions". In addition to the special administrative considerations of doing research with sensitive and distressing topics, there are also special ethical considerations. Qualitative research uses empathy as a major heuristic tool arid many qualitative researchers regard participant empowerment as a legitimate, even central, purpose of the research. The professional problems were connected with the requirements of immersion, conflicts of empathy, and the heuristic character of psychotherapy research.
