ABSTRACT
Expectations can have their own power, as observed in Chapter 5 and the placebo and Rosenthal effects.
In order for the client or patient to have a realistic expectation of the professional’s services, and indeed of the professional personally and the environment in which he or she works, those expectations need to be understood and effectively managed by the professional, and are considered in this chapter.
This links in to the whole question of having a good professional relationship with the client or patient. Some of the factors that affect that relationship need to be considered including in particular Carl Rogers’ concept of person-centredness and its related ideas about congruence, genuineness and client empowerment.
The professional also needs to understand how transference and counter-transference can impact on the professional relationship, in order to be able to manage these.
What is the effect of authority, power, trust and dependence on the professional relationship? These concepts may stand independently of one another but may be interlinked.
Finally, how do issues of culture and gender affect these relationships?
All these matters and questions impact on the nature and effectiveness of professional relationships.
