Standard of Care, Risk of Risk Management, and Subsequent Therapist Syndrome

Presented by Ofer Zur, PhD on 07-27-2012 at 9 a.m. Pacific to 10:30 a.m. Pacific (1:30 p.m. Eastern)

This unique CE presentation will cover three ethics-related topics:

  1. Dr. Zur will discuss the extremely important construct of the standard of care, which can be most broadly defined as the usual and customary professional standard practice in the community. The standard of care is the yardstick that is used on licensing board investigations and civil malpractice suits against therapists. This presentation will explain that the standard of care is a minimum standard and outline specific ways that psychotherapists can follow to operate within the standard of care.
  2. Dr. Zur will clarify that, unlike what most clinicians have heard in graduate school and many continuing education ethics workshops, the standard of care is not the same as risk management or what people call "defensive medicine." This presentation will help clinicians generate an ethical risk management plan that focuses on the welfare of those in therapy, clinical integrity, as well as protection of the clinician. Dr. Zur will also explain how following commonly preached risk management practices can put therapists in increased risk of licensing boards complaints and lawsuits.
  3. Dr. Zur will explain the newly coined term of the “Subsequent Therapist Syndrome” (STS). This term refers to those circumstances where the subsequent or new psychotherapist may act unethically when providing an "expert opinion" regarding a former therapist's (supposedly) unethical or illegal conduct. These are the cases where the subsequent therapist's evaluation and judgment are solely based on their theoretical bias, rigid view of therapeutic boundaries, and/or the self-report of a person in therapy.

This introductory web conference is designed to help clinicians:

  1. Review the elements that the standard of care in psychotherapy is based on;
  2. Summarize the complexities and problems in establishing the standard of care;
  3. Define and explain boundary crossings and boundary violations in psychotherapy;
  4. Report the origin of and the forces behind risk management;
  5. Define the term Subsequent Therapist Syndrome.

If you have any questions about this event or would like more information, please contact us here.

Event Reviews from Members

Best ethics course I've ever taken - Michael Quinn, PhD

Continuing Education (CE) Information

1.5 CE credits will be provided by GoodTherapy.org for attending this Web Conference in its entirety.

GoodTherapy.org is an NBCC-Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEPTM) and may offer NBCC-approved clock hours for events that meet NBCC requirements. GoodTherapy.org solely is responsible for all aspects of the program.

GoodTherapy is an Approved Education Provider by NAADAC, The Association for Addiction Professionals (provider #135463). Of the eight counselor skill groups ascribed to by NAADAC, this course is classified within Counseling Services.

GoodTherapy.org is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. GoodTherapy.org maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

GoodTherapy.org, SW CPE is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #0395.

To receive CE credit hours for an archived event, you will need to complete a survey as well as a 12 or 15-question exam, verifying that you listened to or watched the event in its entirety. Archived CE events generally are considered "homestudy" by licensing boards.

Registration Information

Premium and Pro Membership with GoodTherapy includes access to this web conference at no additional cost, as well as other member benefits such as a profile listing in GoodTherapy's Therapist Directory. Not yet a member? Sign up for a Premium or Pro Membership, here.

Just want CE credits? Sign up for a monthly or annual CE Subscription with GoodTherapy to get unlimited access to our CE Program, including this event, other live CE web conferences, and hundreds of hours of homestudy courses.

Mental health professionals who are not members can attend this live web conference for $30.95 or access the homestudy recording for $15.50. Sign up here to purchase this CE course and earn a CE certificate.

If the event is canceled by GoodTherapy, registrants who purchased the event will be notified and the charge for the event will be refunded

If you have any questions or would like information regarding disability accommodations, please contact us.

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Meet the Presenter

Ofer Zur, PhD

Ofer Zur, PhD

Ofer Zur, PhD, is a licensed psychologist and forensic consultant practicing in Sonoma, CA, and a fellow of the American Psychological Association (APA), Div. 42. He is the director of the Zur Institute, which offers over 100 online courses and is one of the most extensive online CE programs for psychologists, counselors, social workers, MFTs, and nurses. His teaching, therapist consultations, and writings focus on private practice outside managed care, ethics, standard of care, boundaries, dual relationships, and Internet addiction. Dr. Zur's books include Dual Relationships and Psychotherapy (Springer, 2002, co-edited with A. Lazarus), HIPPA Friendly (Norton, 2005), Private Practice Handbook (ZI, 2007), and Boundaries in Psychotherapy (APA Books, 2007). Dr. Zur is deeply concerned about the harm inflicted by dogmatic, inflexible, and ideologically rigid psychotherapeutic practices. His website provides dozens of free articles and guidelines for psychotherapists and the public.

Continuing Education Provider Approvals

  • aceGoodTherapy.org is Approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. GoodTherapy.org maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
  • Logo GoodTherapy.org has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6380. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. GoodTherapy.org is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
  • GoodTherapy.org, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0395.
  • GoodTherapy.org, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0022 and for licensed mental health counselors #MHC-0031.

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