Counseling in a Rural Alaskan Cruise Port

By Kira Lathrop, LPC, NCC 

As I prepare to meet fellow counselors visiting the small southeast Alaskan town where I practice, I am reminded how incredibly unique this rural setting is in the broader context of the counseling profession.

At the end of the longest fjord in North America lies Skagway, Alaska. The Alaska Marine Highway, seaplanes and the Klondike highway connect Skagway to the rest of the world. Skagway is remote and surrounded by mountains on every side, creating breathtaking views but also creating challenges for travel. Seas can be rough, mechanical issues can disable ferries and poor visibility can affect air travel. Winter conditions along the mountain pass can cause travel to be canceled, while a barge with goods can be delayed, or a drive out of town can be unsafe. 

Despite its remoteness, Skagway has a population of 1,000 people during the offseason, when no cruise ships are in port. But during the cruise season — from May to September — the population nearly doubles with the addition of seasonal workers, and Skagway can average 6,000 to 8,000 guests from the cruise ships. Skagway is ruled by its seasons, putting increased demand on the infrastructure and essential workers. 

Supporting a Range of Clients

For a counselor working in this environment, it means serving a large, diverse population of clients who can potentially be workers with J1 visa status, young adults away from home for the first time, retirees on an adventure, longtime returning seasonal workers, outdoor enthusiasts and permanent residents of Skagway with mixed feelings about the town’s reliance on tourism. 

As a counselor in Skagway, I see individuals from all these categories. I speak candidly to clients about seeing each other in the community and what to expect. I sit with longtime residents who share stories about how the cruise industry has changed the community and listen to new seasonal workers share their wonder at seeing Alaska for the first time. Some new workers may also experience the culture shock of adjusting to living in a remote area with congregate housing and the higher cost of living compared to urban areas in Alaska. 

Challenges of Living in a Small Community

Conflicts of interest and dual relationships are regular ethical considerations when living and serving clients in a small, tight-knit community. Serving multiple roles as mental health advocate, counselor, case manager and community member can be daunting but can also help the counselor understand their client. 

Psychotherapist Ofer Zur recognized that integrating into communities increases the counselor’s knowledge of a client’s life and challenges they may face in the community. Furthermore, avoiding all dual relationships is unrealistic, increases inappropriate power positions and increases counselor isolation. Zur argued in his literature that rigid and fearful approaches to boundaries can make the counselor-patient relationship less human and more sterile. 

Guidelines 

Here are a few guidelines to remember when practicing in smaller communities:

• Informed consent: Clearly communicate the nature, limits and risks of counseling so clients can make knowledgeable decisions about their care.
• Early boundary setting: Establish and maintain clear professional boundaries to prevent role confusion and dual relationship concerns. Introducing boundaries early helps normalize these discussions and show clients they are both safe to explore and essential to effective therapy.
• Consultation: Regularly seek supervision or peer consultation to ensure ethical decision-making and maintain objectivity, especially when resources are limited.
• Documentation: Keep thorough, timely and factual records to support continuity of care.  Record discussions of boundaries and informed consent to provide clear evidence that these topics were reviewed and agreed upon with the client.
• Ongoing monitoring of the counseling relationship: Continuously assess the therapeutic alliance and potential boundary challenges to safeguard client wellbeing and uphold professional ethics. Roles within small communities are often interconnected and may shift over time, potentially impacting the dynamics of the counseling relationship.

While remote and rural counseling settings may not be for all counselors, they can be rewarding and well managed. Counseling in a place like Skagway means you may wave at your client at the post office, bump into them at the basketball game or share in the collective sigh when the barge is delayed. These encounters, handled openly and with care, don’t weaken the therapeutic alliance — they humanize it. With informed consent, clear boundaries, consultation and documentation, counselors can thrive in rural and remote communities. The work may look different here, but the heart of counseling — connection, trust and growth — remains the same.

Note: Opinions expressed and statements made in this blog do not necessarily represent the policies or opinions of ACA and its editors.