| Abstract: | Although empirically supported treatment for compulsive hoarding is in its preliminary stages, some information has emerged regarding ethical challenges experienced in treating this population. Our aims are twofold: (a) to inform the clinical community of ethical complications when conducting treatment for hoarding clients, and (b) to provide a decision-making model for ensuring quality and ethical care of hoarding clients. The ethical challenges (boundary crossings, dual roles, privacy/confidentiality, record keeping, fees, and cultural competence in treatment) were discovered through multiple roundtable discussions, supervision, and in the course of delivering empirically supported treatment protocols. A literature search was conducted to identify research that addressed ethical concerns. A decision-making model addressing ethical challenges in treatment of compulsive hoarding was developed. |
