Chapter 4 - A Model for Examining Our Vulnerabilities

Excerpts:

I believe that almost everyone who works with clients in or out of nonordinary states wants to do a good job. We care about our clients. We want them to achieve healing and insight and to have a positive outcome to their experience in nonordinary states. We begin a therapeutic relationship wanting to be in right relationship. Usually, we welcome help in staying in right relationship to our clients. This model of Caregiver Vulnerabilities to Ethical Misconduct (diagram) provides a general map of the somatic/psychospiritual journey and points out potholes and distractions that might show up along the road. It may help in conceptualizing this model to think of the straight line of right relationship as a rubber band stretched vertically. The fears, desires, and spiritual longings pertaining to each center* (listed in diagram) wait along the sidelines. Each center has its own special vulnerabilities to attachment through desire or longing and through fear. A situation involving ethics usually involves more than one center's issues. The rubber band can be pulled to one side or the other. The resulting zigzag course makes the flow of energy and clear communication more difficult. Identifying the issue, on the other hand, often allows us some objectivity and detachment. Knowing where we are off track helps us reorient and straighten the path toward the right relationship we wanted at the beginning of the caregiving relationship.

If a therapist should find himself shoulder deep in one of these potholes, he can stick out his head and take a look at the seven center model. Hopefully, this will help him pinpoint which fear, desire, or spiritual longing has attracted him, causing him to steer off course. Subsequently, each of the centers has its own chapter. Each chapter includes suggestions to help the therapist begin the search for appropriate use of the energies of that center. Each caregiver's situation is unique so each of the chapters has questions to facilitate self-reflection.

This model expands the possibilities for ethical consciousness by naming the issues of each center. These issues apply not only to ordinary states and traditional therapy, but also to nonordinary states and transpersonal therapy, bodywork, and spiritual counsel. They apply particularly to those profound moments in any truly healing therapeutic relationship. In an ethical helping relationship, the therapist allows the client's energy to work out its own issues in various arenas. The therapist supports the client but is careful not to let his own fears, desires, or spiritual longings distort the client's process.

*Note: The seven centers are discussed in separate chapters. I have provided an example on another page of excerpts in the sample chapter on sex.

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