355 – The Importance of a Clinical Will

The Cost of Caring with Ona Clark – Client Desires, Therapist Boundaries – Erotic Transference Explored

In Episode 355 of the Counselling Tutor Podcast, your hosts Rory Lees-Oakes and Ken Kelly take us through this week’s three topics:

Firstly, in ‘Ethical, Sustainable Practice’, they discuss the importance of having a clinical will – why it matters, what it should include, and how it upholds your ethical responsibilities.

Then in ‘Practice Matters’, Rory speaks with Ona Clark about the cost of caring – highlighting the emotional, financial, and systemic barriers that many face when training to become a counsellor.

And finally, in ‘Student Services’, Rory and Ken explore erotic transference – how to recognise it, work with it ethically, and maintain clear professional boundaries.

The Importance of a Clinical Will [starts at 03:36 mins]

In this section, Rory and Ken unpack the ethical and legal reasons for having a clinical will and how it ensures continuity of care for clients.

Key points discussed include:

• A clinical will ensures that clients are treated ethically and professionally in the event of a therapist’s death or incapacitation.
• Ethical frameworks now state that therapists should have a clinical will – it’s no longer optional.
• The document designates an executor (often a peer or supervisor) who can securely manage client data and provide closure for clients.
• Therapists must include clear details about client records, contracts, supervision, and how information is stored and accessed.
• Loved ones and supervisors should be informed of the will’s existence and who the executor is.
• Clinical wills uphold confidentiality, legal compliance, and demonstrate professional responsibility.

The Cost of Caring with Ona Clark [starts at 34:07 mins]

In this week’s ‘Practice Matters’, Rory speaks with neurodivergent counsellor and advocate Ona Clark, who shares her personal and professional reflections on the hidden costs of becoming a therapist.

Key points from this conversation include:

• Training to become a counsellor carries hidden financial burdens – from personal therapy and unpaid placements, to travel and supervision.
• These costs disproportionately affect students from lower-income and underrepresented backgrounds.
• Ona highlights the additional emotional labour experienced by Black and minoritised trainees, often working harder to feel seen and heard.
• Mental health impacts of financial strain include burnout, anxiety, and difficulty engaging in personal development.
• Greater funding, policy reform, and access to therapy for counsellors are needed to build a more inclusive profession.
• Ona’s campaign “The Cost of Caring” calls for structural change – raising awareness and seeking support through petition and advocacy.

Ona also writes thoughtfully about the experiences of survivors in her article, Beyond the Silence: 8 Things Survivors Need from Counsellors — exploring how therapists can create spaces of safety, empathy, and understanding in their work.

Plus, she is featured in the latest issue of the National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society (NCPS) magazine, where she expands on themes of neurodivergence, grief support and mental-health advocacy.

Client Desires, Therapist Boundaries – Erotic Transference Explored [starts at 58:35 mins]

In this section, Rory and Ken explore the complex phenomenon of erotic transference and how therapists can respond ethically and professionally.

Key points include:

• Erotic transference refers to romantic or sexual feelings a client may develop toward their therapist – often rooted in earlier attachment patterns or unmet emotional needs such as validation or closeness.
• The term was coined by Sigmund Freud in the early 20th century (c. 1912–1915), who described it as Übertragungsliebe – a sexualised form of transference not to be gratified, but analysed within therapy.
• Freud’s seminal essay, Observations on Transference-Love (1915), highlighted that such feelings are not genuine love but repetitions of past emotional experiences.
• These feelings are projections – not about the therapist as a person, but symbolic of the client’s inner world.
• The therapist’s role is to gently explore the meaning behind the client’s emotions without shame, reinforcing psychological insight and safety.
• Clear ethical boundaries must always be upheld – acting on such feelings is never appropriate within any modality or ethical framework.
• Supervision is essential, particularly when erotic transference or countertransference emerges – therapists must process their own reactions to ensure they remain grounded and client-focused.
• For many trainees, encountering erotic transference can be daunting – open reflection, personal development, and support through supervision provide essential holding for this challenging but often clinically meaningful dynamic.

Links and Resources

Counselling Skills Academy

Advanced Certificate in Counselling Supervision

Basic Counselling Skills: A Student Guide

Counsellor CPD

Counselling Study Resource

Counselling Theory in Practice: A Student Guide

Counselling Tutor Training and CPD

Facebook group

Website

Online and Telephone Counselling: A Practitioner’s Guide

Online and Telephone Counselling Course