Ethically Supporting Clients Without Children: Roles, Boundaries, and Bias-Aware Care
Combining published research, clinical wisdom, and community narratives
Training Summary
If you think about it, one in five adults were left out of our foundational training. The life course of non-parents is rarely addressed, yet most of us are likely to have clients without children, by choice or circumstance.
I’m delighted to offer this training, in part because the childless/childfree community has been vocal about how hard it can be to find therapists who truly understand their experiences—let alone the nuances of working ethically and effectively with them.
In addition to clients on a path without kids, many may be undecided, ambivalent, or confused about parenthood. It is clinically valuable to understand this ‘other side’ and to know how to help clients navigate their options while maintaining clear therapist roles and boundaries and affirming both paths as valid and healthy.
There is a longstanding body of literature on therapist roles and boundaries but the findings are rarely applied specifically to childless and childfree clients. So I’ve combined this research with insights from my own survey of over 400 nonparent clients to provide fresh, real-world guidance.
This training is appropriate for new, intermediate, and seasoned clinicians, regardless of prior experience with nonparent clients. While it is foundational-level, even experienced therapists often remark on the value of connecting with peers who are equally committed to supporting these clients ethically and affirmatively.
After the training participants will be prompted to take a quiz demonstrating their comprehension of the material.
Recorded webinar from November 2025
This training meets standards for Ethics CE's AND the new Washington requirement for 2.0 per year on Professional Roles and Boundaries (WAC 246-809-630)
2.0 CE offered. Katie Maynard PLLC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7374. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Katie Maynard PLLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
COURSE PARTICIPANTS WILL:
Recognize common boundary and role missteps that can unintentionally harm childless and childfree clients.
Spot how pronatalist bias and assumptions can subtly influence therapy.
Build skills to maintain clear roles, ethical practice, and client-centered support.
Katie Maynard, MSW, LICSW
Katie Maynard is a licensed Clinical Social Worker with over two decades of involvement within psychotherapy, clinical research, and macro-level community based social work. She holds master's degrees in both Social Work and Library and Information Sciences from the University of Washington.
Her lived experience informs and inspires her enthusiastic advocacy for better mental health care for people without children. Alongside a private practice she also provides supervision, consultation, and training to clinicians seeking to enlarge their competency with therapy that is affirmative of childless and childfree people.
She offers one of the very first clinical trainings on this topic and projects on her horizon include a broadened course catalog, professional publication, and ongoing inquiry into the experiences of mental health providers without children. Learn more at www.katiemaynard.com
Katie Maynard PLLC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7374. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Katie Maynard PLLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
