1. (a) In General.

   1. (1) Licensees refrain from providing services when they know or should know that their personal problems or a lack of objectivity have the potential to impair their competency or harm a patient, client, colleague, student, supervisee, research participant, or other person with whom they have a professional relationship.
   2. (2) Licensees seek professional assistance for any personal problems, including alcohol or substance abuse that have the potential to impair their competency.
   3. (3) Licensees do not exploit persons over whom they have supervisory evaluative, or other authority such as students, supervisees, employees, research participants, and clients or patients.
   4. (4) Licensees refrain from entering into any professional relationship that conflicts with their ability to comply with all Board rules applicable to other existing professional relationships.
   5. (5) Licensees withdraw from any professional relationship that conflicts, or comes into conflict with, their ability to comply with Board rules relating to other existing professional relationships.

2. (b) Dual Relationships.

   1. (1) A licensee must refrain from entering into a dual relationship with a client, patient, supervisee, student, group, organization, or any other party if such a relationship presents a risk that the dual relationship could impair the licensee's objectivity, prevent the licensee from providing competent psychological services, or exploit or otherwise cause harm to the other party.
   2. (2) A licensee must refrain from a professional relationship where pre-existing personal, financial, professional, or other relationships have the potential to impair the licensee's objectivity or have any other potential to harm or exploit the other party.
   3. (3) Licensees do not provide psychological services to a person with whom they have had a sexual relationship.
   4. (4) Licensees do not terminate psychological services with a person in order to have a sexual relationship with that person.
   5. (5) A licensee considering a professional relationship that would result in a dual or multiple relationship shall take appropriate measures, such as obtaining professional consultation or assistance, to determine whether there is a risk that the dual relationship could impair the licensee's objectivity or cause harm to the other party. If potential for impairment or harm exists, the licensee shall not provide services regardless of the wishes of the other party.
   6. (6) A licensee in a potentially harmful dual or multiple relationship must cease to provide psychological services to the other party, regardless of the wishes of that party.

Source Note:The provisions of this §465.13 adopted to be effective June 3, 1999, 24 TexReg 4017; amended to be effective March 13, 2000, 25 TexReg 2061; amended to be effective December 10, 2002, 27 TexReg 11544; amended to be effective September 10, 2007, 32 TexReg 6156.