Her position on the church's liturgy committee is very important to her, both socially and spiritually. In her first appointment, she asks her treating psychiatrist to assist her attorney in coercing the minister to resign his position and leave town, all in secret, of course. Such a dual role would be fraught with risk. Any unfavorable event regarding the handling of the minister is likely to sour the treatment relationship. A wise position for the treating psychiatrist is to treat only, and recommend that the patient have her attorney refer her to a forensic psychiatrist for the assistance needed.
Dual agency is unwise and fraught with risk.
The ethical principles of both the APA and AAPL are contrary to the psychiatrist being a dual agent. Simultaneously having two conflicting roles in a case can only keep patients and practitioners from achieving the therapeutic benefits of a doctor-patient relationship that is based on mutual trust and expectations. American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law. American Medical Association. For a printed copy of this issue of Psychiatric Times , use the information at the top of this page.