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Question:   Is there any protocol or regulation that prevents a therapist from having a relationship with someone who is a previous client?

Answer:  This sort of thing is generally officially frowned upon and in some cases, may even be a reason for deregistering a therapist, if a serious complaint is made. Whatever the circumstances, the therapist / patient relationship is not a level playing field. The highly personal and intimate information gleened during the sessions, can easily be misused and the strong transference and counter-transference feelings aroused during treatment, can really confuse the issues. I have known it to happen on a number of occasions and it has never turned out well in the end for either party.

Answer provided by David White