Read the case study and answer the five questions that follow:

Nikita and Ritika are twins. Nikita is intelligent. Friendly and popular among her friends. Rikita is shy, withdrawn and feels inferior to her sister. As a child, she felt her parents neglected her and was deeply hurt when they made comparisons. As she grew, these feelings of rejection were reinforced when teachers made statements like. "Look how well Nikita is doing! Why can't you be like her?" Ritika's feelings of rejection only strengthened with time. With the passage of time, Ritika was convinced that she is not good enough and would always be a failure in life.

Which of the following is true about the therapeutic relationship.

Strict confidentiality must be maintained

The correct answer is Option (2) → Strict confidentiality must be maintained

• Strict confidentiality must be maintained. True. This is a fundamental ethical principle in all forms of psychotherapy. Clients must feel safe that their personal disclosures will not be shared without consent (except in rare situations involving risk of harm).

• The therapeutic relationship is lifelong. false.  No, it is professional and time-bound. Therapy has a beginning, process, and end.

• The therapist must be sympathetic to the client. False. Not exactly. Therapists are expected to be empathetic, not sympathetic. Empathy involves understanding the client’s feelings without being emotionally overwhelmed.

• It is not a relationship based on trust. False. Trust is crucial in therapeutic relationships for open and honest communication.