Under the theory of failure to warn,the psychotherapist _____.
A) can warn an intended victim if the patient expresses the intent to do harm
B) has an ethical obligation only,not a legal one,which means a warning is optional
C) may not reveal a patient's intentions to harm a third party due to confidentiality issues
D) should alert the authorities only to the possibility that the patient may harm another

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Under the theory of failure to warn, a psychotherapist can warn an intended victim if the patient expresses the intent to do harm. This obligation is both ethical and legal, and failure to warn in such cases could lead to liability for the psychotherapist. The duty to warn overrides the usual obligation to maintain patient confidentiality.

Under the Theory of Failure to Warn,the Psychotherapist _____