The professional role of psychotherapists in general hospitals and ethical considerations in their work

“Treating both the body and mind” has become a policy consensus in the mental health services provided by general hospitals. However, in clinical practice, therapists often face ethical dilemmas due to unclear role definitions and the suspension of professional values. This leads to three main problems: weakened professional authority, blurred boundaries between therapeutic relationships, and the masking of patients’ true autonomy by procedural compliance. Based on clinical practice, this article argues that the root cause of these dilemmas lies in the professional nature of psychotherapy, which focuses on relationships, versus the institutional framework of hospitals, which is based on procedural norms. By adopting a relational ethical perspective, it is proposed that therapists should be involved in decision-making processes related to their work…