Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, Vol 57(3), Jun 2026, 175-185; doi:10.1037/pro0000680
The presence of faculty–trainee multiple relationships is inherent in the supervision and mentoring process that psychology trainees experience during professional training in the United States and Canada. Despite the pervasiveness of multiple relationships during training activities, limited attention has been given to this issue in recent research and ethics practice articles. The current article provides a detailed examination of the strengths and weaknesses of the American Psychological Association (2017) and Canadian Psychological Association (2017a) ethics codes on the issue of faculty–trainee multiple relationships. Attention is given to informed consent, confidentiality, and the clear use of decision-making models for the diverse range of complex multiple relationships that occur. As trainees hold less power in the faculty–trainee relationship, we call for greater attention to proactively considering and prioritizing trainee needs in situations where these may conflict with faculty or departmental interests. Faculty and departmental programs have a responsibility to prepare trainees for professional practice and ensure no harm occurs. This requires objectivity, fairness, and transparency by both departments and faculty, together with a strong focus on departmental culture, policies, and practices. We provide recommendations on how to manage such relationships from the unique perspectives of institutions, department training programs, faculty, and trainees. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)