Write an Essay on Confidentiality and the Boundaries of a Helping Relationship
Boundaries not only reflect a need for physical space, but, our core values, self respect and our need for safety and protection. They are invisible lines that differentiate people from each other. The different forms or types of boundaries include physical, emotional, spiritual, financial, and relational.
The formation of boundaries in Counselling, or a helping interaction, is very important. Helping interactions provide people with an opportunity to help deal with their difficulties, whatever they may be. It is a chance to be listened to and understood. As such, the helping relationship is an intimate one. It is built around trust and support and offers the helpee (client), a place free from judgment. Within a helping interaction where both the helpee and helper (counsellor) are committed to the healing process, the helpee will often divulge information of a very personal nature. Owing to this, the helper must establish boundaries to maintain a secure working alliance and ensure that the helpee’s needs are met. Without appropriate boundaries problems such as favouritism, exploitation and ineffective counselling may arise.
Boundaries in Counselling define the “therapeutic frame.” They distinguish helping interactions, from social, familial, sexual, business and many other types of relationships. According to Wosket (1999), they refer to the expectations of how counsellors/helpers should conduct themselves. Professional bodies, training, and literature on good practice shape a counsellor’s/helper’s code of conduct by explicitly or implicitly setting out required and disallowed forms of involvement. Some boundaries are drawn around the therapeutic relationships and include concerns with time and place of sessions, fees and confidentiality or privacy. Boundaries of another sort are drawn between helpers and helpees rather than around them and include helpers’ self-disclosure, physical contact (i.e., touch), giving and receiving gifts, contact outside of the
The formation of boundaries in Counselling, or a helping interaction, is very important. Helping interactions provide people with an opportunity to help deal with their difficulties, whatever they may be. It is a chance to be listened to and understood. As such, the helping relationship is an intimate one. It is built around trust and support and offers the helpee (client), a place free from judgment. Within a helping interaction where both the helpee and helper (counsellor) are committed to the healing process, the helpee will often divulge information of a very personal nature. Owing to this, the helper must establish boundaries to maintain a secure working alliance and ensure that the helpee’s needs are met. Without appropriate boundaries problems such as favouritism, exploitation and ineffective counselling may arise.
Boundaries in Counselling define the “therapeutic frame.” They distinguish helping interactions, from social, familial, sexual, business and many other types of relationships. According to Wosket (1999), they refer to the expectations of how counsellors/helpers should conduct themselves. Professional bodies, training, and literature on good practice shape a counsellor’s/helper’s code of conduct by explicitly or implicitly setting out required and disallowed forms of involvement. Some boundaries are drawn around the therapeutic relationships and include concerns with time and place of sessions, fees and confidentiality or privacy. Boundaries of another sort are drawn between helpers and helpees rather than around them and include helpers’ self-disclosure, physical contact (i.e., touch), giving and receiving gifts, contact outside of the