Boundaries

*Creating and maintaining appropriate boundaries is an important aspect of professionalism when working with clients. *

The professional relationship boundaries continuum

This continuum illustrates the range of professional relationship boundaries. The extreme ends of this continuum delineate the most significant and harmful
boundary violations in the form of Entangled boundaries on one extreme and Rigid boundaries on the other. The midrange of the continuum represents the range of
ideal Balanced professional boundaries (Davidson, 2004).

Indicators of blurring boundaries

Entanglement cues

• Your neutrality is progressively diminishing.
• You reveal information about other clients to this client.
• You reveal information about yourself unrestrainedly.
• You are extraordinarily angered or saddened with this particular client’s choices.
• You have intruding thoughts about this client when you are not at work.
• You are unusually invested in changing client’s behavior.
• You spend more time with a particular client than usual, in person or on the telephone.
• You meet with a client at the end of the day to enable you to extend your time with her/him.
• You meet in uncommon places or in a client’s home when it is not necessary to be there.
• You exchange gifts.
• You contrast the satisfying qualities of a client with your spouse/partner’s less satisfying qualities.
• You daydream about a client.
• You long for her/his next visit.
• You plan your attire based on your appointment with her/him today.
• You direct a client in their particular day-to-day details of life.
• You present yourself as the expert on a client’s life choices.
• You disapprove of a client’s assertive behavior.
• You act or feel jealous about a client.
• You are defensive when probed about a relationship.
• Physical contact begins.
  

Rigid Cues

• Your neutrality is progressively diminishing.
• You reveal information about other clients to this client.
• You reveal nothing about yourself to the client.
• You feel detached from, or do not care about, a client.
• You are loath to go to work.
• You are unjustifiably pessimistic at work.
• You continue to employ strategies that have been clearly ineffective.
• You are overly intellectual about a client’s problems.
• You present yourself as the expert on a client’s problems.
• You are punishing, callous, prejudiced or critical toward a client.
• You use patronizing or derogatory terminology when referring to a client.
• You terminate a conversation in the midst of a client’s expression of unresolved emotions because the original time set for the meeting is about to lapse.
• You minimize the degree of pain a client has experienced.
• You are disinclined to exhibit any type of emotion.
• You feel impatient, irritated or emotionally absent with a client.
• You refuse to offer help to meet a client’s needs.
  (Davidson, 2004)

Strategies for maintaining balanced professional relationship boundaries

Synergy – According to research having open and honest communication between coworkers and peers, the less you will cross boundaries with clients (Davidson, 2004). Many factors come into play such as limited resources, full caseload, complex and intense needs when working closely with clients making it difficult to maintain
boundaries. Speaking to your peers and instructors about professional relationships helps establish accountability and perspective (Davidson, 2004).

Self-care – Literature shows a correlation between professional boundaries are often crossed when a professional is emotionally vulnerable (Davidson, 2004). A combination of personal vulnerabilities such as social isolation, depression, lack of adequate support, and a stressful life event puts professionals in the greatest risk of crossing professional boundaries (Davidson, 2004). By developing a self-care routine you are able to take care of yourself during stressful periods, which can help maintain professional boundaries.

As a practicum student you will do the following:

• Information you receive through your practicum will remain confidential and will only use the information received for the purpose of your practicum.
• Ensure all documents containing confidential information are stored securely. Notify your practicum instructor and program supervisor of any confidential information in your possession that has been disclosed.
• Assume all information obtained from your practicum placements are confidential.
• Inform yourself and obey relevant privacy laws including the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and Health Information Act.
• When your practicum is complete, return all confidential information in your possession. (IPT, 2021).