ABSTRACT
This chapter is about clients in the court system or referred through coercion by a family member or employer, and the special challenges they can pose as visitors over the agenda of the referral source. It is not their idea to be in treatment, and the potential for triangulation and conflict complicates the process. It is the clinician’s professional and ethical responsibility to develop a collaborative therapeutic relationship regardless of the reason for referral or the client’s initial willingness to cooperate. Early on, we need to know what and who is important to the client; and the answer to the questions, “What needs to happen for you to say our time together was worthwhile?” and “How will you know when you don’t have to come here anymore?” Clients need to trust that their therapist is not an arm of the court, case manager, or their mother-in-law. How we phrase questions and give feedback can affect perception and trust. We can best serve our client by respecting and satisfying their agenda while ensuring that the referral source’s concerns are assuaged. Straddling that line can be tricky.
