Some counselors take the position that counseling and friendship should not be mixed. The argument is that blending social relationships with professional ones simultaneously can negatively affect the therapy process, friendship, or both.

• What are your ideas about this viewpoint?
• What are the potential problems in situations where there is a blending of both personal and professional relationships? Do social relationships of any form necessarily interfere with therapeutic relationships?
• When do you think social relationships with current clients are unethical?
• What are your thoughts about the ethics of forming personal or social relationships with former clients?