ABSTRACT
Therapists are increasingly aware that their work with clients is not only a helping relationship and a therapeutic activity, but also one which is framed by powerful ethical considerations, and even ultimately one which is constrained by the law. This is not to suggest that legal considerations should be the dominant perspective in work and relationships with clients, with the unwelcome consequence that a fear of legal repercussions results in the development of heavily defensive forms of practice. There will always be a tension between therapeutic, ethical and legal elements of practice. This would be the case, for example, in deciding whether or not to report child abuse, in the case of a client resisting this course of action, where there is no apparent immediate risk to the client, or to a third party. As Bond has argued, ‘What is ethical may not be legal. What is legal may not be ethical’ (Bond, 2002: 124).
