assignment

The practitioner should politely but firmly refuse any advances from Julia and state clearly that the practitioners role is to support Julia's health through her work and that any other involvement is not appropriate. This should be done as soon as the practitioner feels that Julia is 'crossing the line', to avoid the situation progressing any further.
If the practitioner has a policy's document on display anywhere in the clinic she should use the “Rules” of her organization or practice to back up these statements which may make it easier to deliver without having to Julia feel personally rejected.
It may prove helpful to explain that it is against the practitioners ethics to see a client outside of work. The practitioner should explain that seeing a client (even just as a friend) can cause a conflict of interest. The client may feel embarrassed, disappointed or any number of other emotions at this point so it is important that the practitioner be prepared to have an open discussion with the client about the potential for harm that could come from stepping outside of the therapeutic relationship. (Power imbalances, projection, how knowledge of the person will change the relationship etc) In this discussion it is important to discuss proper boundaries.
If the practitioner feels that she cannot continue to provide her service for Julia, she should refer him to a suitable colleague. It should be made clear, however, that it would still be inappropriate for Julia to peruse her on a social/romantic level.
The Australian institute of professional counselors states that 'Dual relationships can be defined as social interactions between counselor and client, in addition to their professional (or therapeutic) relationship.' (http://www.aipc.net.au/articles/EthicalandLegalIssues/2007-09-10_Ethical_Situations_in_Counselling.php
This definition can easily be applied to relationships between Natural medicine practitioners and their clients.
The Australian institute of professional counselors referencing Karen Kitchener (1988),states that 'the types of dual relationships which were most likely to be detrimental to a therapeutic relationship included the following aspects: "incompatibility of expectations between roles; diverging obligations associated with different roles, which increases potential for loss of objectivity and; increased power and prestige between professionals and consumers, which increases the potential for exploitation"
There is much discussion in academic journals, books and professional websites on duel relationships and professional boundaries. It is a topic that has been discussed around the world for many years and the majority of literature usually has similar points of view and similar conclusions drawn about these relationships.


The issues of power and confidentiality mentioned earlier have the potential to affect the emotional health of the relationship and those involved in it.
Anyone who holds a position of power over another should exercise extreme caution when considering developing a personal relationship. While it may seem appropriate to engage in idle chatter, once the chatter starts becoming personal or revealing the issue of the personal relationship has the potential to affect the professional relationship and cause harm in the long run to the client/patient.