BARTERING FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL-SERVICES

The negative economic impact from managed health care has led some cli ents to request and, consequently, their psychologists to explore uniq ue financial arrangments, such as bartering, Bartering is not preclude d by ethics or law, but in this article, the author opposes bartering by exploring the ethical and legal considerations involved and the dua l relationships that occur. Clinical considerations and the potential for exploitation in the relationship are examined, and caveats about b artering are offered. For the psychologist who accepts bartering, guid elines for keeping a bartering arrangement are provided. Even if caref ully monitored for clinical contradictions or exploitation, bartering imposes a high risk of allegations of misconduct (e.g., impropriety or a conflict of interest) and should be avoided.