Boundaries In Counselling Essay

Beside personal therapy, boundary setting is one of the essential elements to develop effective client-counsellor relationship. It provides a consistent framework in the counselling process which shapes the appropriate interaction and relationship structure. There are five basic principles outlined in the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA) Interim Code of Ethics 2015 that guides the therapeutic boundaries. They include: beneficence (to promotes the best interest of the client), non-maleficence (“doing no harm”), autonomy (to encourage independent thinking and decision-making in the client), justice (to provide equal and fair service), and fidelity (to be honest and commit to client’s progress). However, the structure

In addition, boundary crossing such as home visits, or meeting with clients outside the office setting may potentially benefit the clients in significant ways. Furthermore, the clients cannot readily judge the appropriateness of the counselling dynamics for themselves and need guidance (Webb, 1997). Their expectations can be largely based on cultural norms, or influenced by their vulnerability and intimacy when entering the counselling relationship. Because of the vagueness, many counsellors struggle with establishing appropriate boundary as it can easily lead to confusion and mismanagement. (Webb, 1997). Corey et al, 2014 described that both disengagement (rigid, inflexible limitations) to enmeshment (where the boundaries are excessively flexible and potentially become an ethical problem) are not beneficial to the counselling relationship. Therefore, ambiguous boundaries often arise in counselling, but it is the responsibility of the counsellor to establish the appropriate boundary that will support the best interest of the client and counselling progress. For the counsellor to clearly distinguish ethical issues and their own limit are fundamental step to establish rules for the