Professional Obligations to Intervene

Another problem with expecting total compliance is that sometimes we do not know what is best for the client. We would like to believe that we are wise sages in our respective professions, but that does not mean we are infallible. Sometimes we make mistakes when working with clients, and frequently our clients forgive us for those errors and stick with us. In other cases, we may not 

Another assumption that we professionals sometimes make is that we should be able to help our clients get better, when the reality is that they must help themselves. We can show them the door, but ultimately it is the clients who must walk through it to better health. When a person does not walk through the door, it is easy to personalize our responsibility for the lack of progress and get frustrated because we could not help him or her. Long-term frustration in working with clients can lead to apathy or disillusionment, stepping stones toward what some have called professional burnout. In my opinion, burnout occurs as a result of unrealistic expectations by professionals about their own abilities to help others and of unrealistic expectations for their clients to get better. The truth is that behavior change is completely up to the client. We can motivate and teach but we cannot force people to act. 

---