Some individuals are not aware that they are overstepping their boundaries, take for instance a client that shows up to therapy expressing being burned out and angry. Of course, after listening to the client, gathering information, this writer being the counselor can indicate to the client that being burned out and angry are signs of unhealthy boundaries. This writer would affirm that anyone can display unhealthy boundaries at any given time. Buhari (2013), defined boundaries as “a dynamic line which if crossed, will constitute unprofessional or unethical behavior and misuse of power” (Buhari, 2013, p. 164). In this case, the client may have crossed their personal line, perhaps due to a lack of balance, being overly committed to something,
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unhealthy boundaries. A counselor in therapy carries many responsibilities, and one of those is to maintain healthy boundaries with clients. A simple gesture of overly self-disclosing or extending therapy session with a client to facilitate the session can be problematic, and signs of unhealthy boundaries. This process may lead for a therapy session to not be effective for the client. Therefore, the goal is for the counselor to display boundaries for the sake of establishing a therapeutic alliance that is professional and encourages growth. The counselor should “care about” and not “care for” the client (Buhari, 2013, p. 164). By thinking about the client in this manner, the counselor can maintain clear boundaries with the client. A counselor cares for their family, themselves, etc, therefore, they do not have to maintain as stringent boundaries with loved ones. In this respect, by caring about the client, the counselor does not possess the feelings of being obligated, feeling guilty over something, hurt, or harm the client. In this way, the counselor can nurture a relationship that is somewhat close, trusting, yet …show more content…
It’s common for individuals in social services to become exhausted and overwhelmed at times. If the counselor does not voice such feelings to their supervisor, to suggest lowering their caseload or perhaps taking a vacation then the situation may worsen. If the situation worsens, the counselor then displays emotional exhaustion, therefore, not providing the clients with the same quality of therapy as they would if only they took a break or took care of their own personal needs. In fact, if the counselor does not take care of his or her needs, then therapy sessions can be detrimental to clients. Clients know if the counselor is being genuine in session or not, if the counselor is not able to meet basic needs such as listening, providing feedback, and being patient then again this is a disservice to the client. Emotional exhaustion can arise from a counselor demonstrating favoritism, and allowing certain clients to consume too much time and energy from them. Perhaps the exhaustion can be cumulative, either way, it’s a sign of poor boundary. As Buhari (2013) mentions, “the quality of the relationship between the therapist and the client predicts the outcome of the therapy received” (Buhari, 2013, p.
unhealthy boundaries. A counselor in therapy carries many responsibilities, and one of those is to maintain healthy boundaries with clients. A simple gesture of overly self-disclosing or extending therapy session with a client to facilitate the session can be problematic, and signs of unhealthy boundaries. This process may lead for a therapy session to not be effective for the client. Therefore, the goal is for the counselor to display boundaries for the sake of establishing a therapeutic alliance that is professional and encourages growth. The counselor should “care about” and not “care for” the client (Buhari, 2013, p. 164). By thinking about the client in this manner, the counselor can maintain clear boundaries with the client. A counselor cares for their family, themselves, etc, therefore, they do not have to maintain as stringent boundaries with loved ones. In this respect, by caring about the client, the counselor does not possess the feelings of being obligated, feeling guilty over something, hurt, or harm the client. In this way, the counselor can nurture a relationship that is somewhat close, trusting, yet …show more content…
It’s common for individuals in social services to become exhausted and overwhelmed at times. If the counselor does not voice such feelings to their supervisor, to suggest lowering their caseload or perhaps taking a vacation then the situation may worsen. If the situation worsens, the counselor then displays emotional exhaustion, therefore, not providing the clients with the same quality of therapy as they would if only they took a break or took care of their own personal needs. In fact, if the counselor does not take care of his or her needs, then therapy sessions can be detrimental to clients. Clients know if the counselor is being genuine in session or not, if the counselor is not able to meet basic needs such as listening, providing feedback, and being patient then again this is a disservice to the client. Emotional exhaustion can arise from a counselor demonstrating favoritism, and allowing certain clients to consume too much time and energy from them. Perhaps the exhaustion can be cumulative, either way, it’s a sign of poor boundary. As Buhari (2013) mentions, “the quality of the relationship between the therapist and the client predicts the outcome of the therapy received” (Buhari, 2013, p.