Between therapeutics and therapy: the continuum of therapeutic practice and the role of ethical blind spots in decision-making

ABSTRACT

Therapeutic working has long been considered a fundamental part of the educational psychologist’s (EPs) role. Yet, little attention has been given to the ethical ambiguity which exists between the terms therapeutic practice and therapy, and the implications this has for practice. This paper starts with a definition of therapeutic practice, identifying three different approaches and exploring the practical and ethical differences between them. It is proposed that these approaches sit within a therapeutic continuum, which presents a range of nuanced, ethical complexities for consideration. Those issues are explored further, with a focus on ethical blind spots (EBS). The paper concludes with illustrative examples of EBS, bringing together dilemmas in initial decision-making along the therapeutic continuum and the practice-based issue of contracting with children and young people (CYP) and how these might be overcome.

KEYWORDS:

• Therapeutic
• manualised therapy
• heterogeneous therapy
• reflective practice
• ethical blind spots
• bounded ethicality

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.