@Natasha_Jay
I had no idea I needed this in my life today!!!

@carrideen @Amoshias @futurebird
Then the truth comes though. The power difference is part of the attraction. If that’s not glaringly obvious, you’re not really listening.

@carrideen @Amoshias @futurebird
I would agree. For me, I could never, would never, have an outside romantic relationship with current or former clients.
Even a casual friendship seems odd and rife with opportunity for abuse. Former clients toward therapist and expecting their ear, and therapist toward former client where the therapist may, even inadvertently, use their former vulnerabilities for the therapists own ends.
The err is to be cautious. There are 8.5 billion people on this planet. You can find a companion that is not problematic of all times elsewhere.

@Amoshias @carrideen @futurebird
You were also both much older, and similar in age than many scenarios within an educational structure, and that matters too.
I still stand by my statement that the inherent power structure makes the is unethical to start and exceptions should not define rules.
Rules should always protect the most vulnerable.

@Amoshias @carrideen @futurebird
My scenario is a bit of a flase equivalency example as the same emotional vulnerability does not exist between professor and student, or at least that isn’t an inherent part of.
My example and comments still stand. Exceptions should not inform policy and practice.

@Amoshias @carrideen @futurebird
Running the world in a manner than caters to the exception leads to a lot of abuse.
I am a licensed therapist. There are therapist out there who married former clients. I still would never say that allowing that categorically is safe and ethical.
There is an inherent power structure and single-directional vulnerability at play. It should always remain unethical to have relationships with clients. I’ll gladly engage in a discussion of, “how long is long enough without contact or relationship to pursue and deeper relationship?”

@unchartedworlds @carrideen @futurebird
Don’t want to take away from this overall thread so I’ll say this and be done on this topic. Yes, the brain is inherently plastic, and can adapt over trime.
There is a process called mylination and a process called pruning that are both playing a role in the educational (academic and life/world learning) than are quite active in this period of life. Both processes are important and have implications around this topic.
And yes, mylination continues well into adulthood and throughout the lifespan.

@carrideen @futurebird
I was speaking to the educational comments here.
The rest of the thread is great discussion.
The normalization of exploitation is disgusting. The patriarchy is still alive and well, and under the current US regime in charge, will only get worse here in the US. The entirety of project 2025, which is the playbook being run, includes a plan to disempower women and keep them subservient to men and power. It’s gross.

@carrideen @futurebird
There is not a world in which this is ethical behavior. Unethical at minimum, and dismissible IMO.
The inherent power differential between facility and student places a pressure to comply on the student. Consent within power differentials hard to navigate. That’s why most places have rules against bosses dating subordinates. Too much potential for abuse, or favoritism.
Add in the relative immaturity of 18-22-year-olds and that power gap grows. Our brains are not done developing until middle-late twenty’s. Presumably, a prof has hit that point and has more life experience, where the student has not. Another way the student is disadvantaged in these interactions.
Any institution that does not explicitly denounce this behavior, and set up safeguards for students is also inherently an unethical and immoral institution. There should be no tolerance for abuse in higher education. We should be preparing the next generation to take over and run this world into a better future, not compound trauma many already have experienced.