title: The Exploitation Index: an early warning indicator of boundary violations in psychotherapy.
abstract: Exploitive behavior by therapists is highly disruptive in psychotherapy because it violates the sense of trust derived from a coherent treatment boundary. Such behavior may be difficult to detect because it is often associated with self-deception. The compensatory need to feel "special," a state of mind often associated with exploitiveness, suggests that narcissistic mechanisms play a significant role. The authors present an "Exploitation Index" (EI), a self-assessment questionnaire for therapists that is designed to serve as an early warning indicator of boundary violations.
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Georgetown University School of Medicine.
authors: R S
authors: RS
authors: Epstein
authors: R I
authors: RI
authors: Simon
mesh_terms: D004992:Ethics, Medical; D006801:Humans; D009289:Narcissism; D010556:Personality Tests; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods*