When someone comes to you for help, they assume that you have the power to help them. How much power they provide you, as the professional, will depend on the individual. Some will expert you to be very powerful, perhaps able to bring about great changes and protect them from harm in the process. Others will expect less, seeing the power as being equally shared or confined to areas of knowledge and expertise that they believe themselves to lack. This may have little to do with your real powers but be an expression of the client’s needs and habitual ways of dealing with other people. Of course, often you will have knowledge and expertise that the client lacks and they trust you to give advice that is safe, effective and appropriate.
You have an obligation to act responsibly with this power, especially where the client expects a lot or is unaware of how much they are putting themselves in your hands. You are often in the better position to understand any complications in managing his or her needs.
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