Essay on Boundaries and Contracts Within Counselling

It also requires that at the start of every new counselling relationship a clear contract is set up between the counsellor and the client.

In the relationship between counsellor and client the need for confidentiality is vital as it is not only the bases that the relationship is built on and it is a legal obligation.

Another important factor in the opening stage is to draw up a contract and discuss the content with the client, this will demonstrate it’s a working relationship and both the client and counsellor will know their barriers, it also gives structure and prevents any misunderstanding in the relationship. By having a contract it demonstrates to the client they are safe and able to speak freely also it shows the client that each session if totally confidential, there are exceptions to the rule and these will be included in the contract and what the process will be if they disclose anything that is unlawful.

I understand counselling to be a helping practice that differs from other helping activities, such as teaching for example. Counselling requires professional training and is specifically contracted or explicitly agreed. It has a theoretical base and uses specific methods within an ethical framework. The relationship between the counsellor and the client is built upon mutual expectation and is central to the process of the client under-going significant change in their lives.

In order for counselling to be effective and purposeful it must be conducted in an ethical way. The very act of seeking counselling predisposes that the seeker is vulnerable/troubled and needs assurance that the main focus of counselling will be their well-being and promote for them a greater sense of autonomy, and not to serve any other purpose. Therefore the foundation of good counselling must be an ethical relationship, hence the need for an ethical framework. As Tim Bond (2010) states:

Counselors should never talk to others about things that are discussed during a session. That way the client feels free to talk about anything. For a clients to receive help they may have to give private and personal information about themselves that they might not feel comfortable sharing with anyone else. Counselors can do many things that friends and family cannot. For example, a friend or family member may share that private information with others or they might give advice that is not in the client’s best interest. Counselors are specially trained and experienced in helping people solve problems, change how they act or think, and learn new ways of doing things. It is also essential for Counselors to be experienced with working with many people that have similar

At the start of each new counselling session it is important that a contract is set out between the client and

I intend to show an understanding of the ethical framework for good practice in counselling, relating it to practice and also my own beliefs and opinions, how this influences the counselling relationship, I will also show the need for protection of self and client.

The nature of therapist-client relationship and understanding the therapist’s role is vital in making sure that the client’s rights are not jeopardized. The client must be willing to trust the therapist. The therapist can earn the trust of the client will confidentiality guidelines that are established by requiring informed consent. The therapist-client relationship is based on counseling approach as well as relationship with the client. The therapist’s role is to understand the client’s needs, help them get their needs met mentally, and to develop the proper plan that fits the client’s needs. The therapist must fully

Professionalism is one of the most important aspects of counseling. Lacking professionalism may potentially cause harm to the client. In my opinion, professionalism begins and ends with the code of ethics. I feel that if you abide by the code of ethics you have nothing worry about regarding professionalism. The code of ethics summarizes the standards of integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality. A counselor is supposed to abide by the legal and moral standards of the community (Grold, 1996). All professionals should dress

The British Association for Counselling’s Code of Ethics and Practice for Counsellors states that ‘Counselling may be concerned with developmental issues, addressing and resolving specific problems, making decisions, coping with crisis, developing personal insight and knowledge, working through feelings of inner conflict or improving relationships with others’ (BACP Ethical Framework).

The term counselling facilitates personal and interpersonal functioning across the lifespan with the main focus on emotional, vocational, social, educational, health related and developmental concerns this encompasses a broad range of practices that help people to improve their well being, alleviate stress and maladjustment, reslove crisis and increases their ability to live more fully functioning lives. Counselling is unique in its attention to both normal developmental issues as well as the problems associated with physical, emotional and mental disorders. The BACP states that “counselling takes place when a counsellor see a client in a private and confidential

The purpose of counselling is to help people develop new ways of coping with problems and to facilitate change, empowering people to manage their own lives. Counselling is a formal process that focuses on the individual needs of the client, such as problems with drug and alcohol, relationships and grief. Counsellors abide by strict ethical principles and accepted practices, concerning matters of confidentiality, professional boundaries and record keeping. The counselling relationship is confidential except for matters that require mandatory reporting, this includes any concerns about a child who may be at risk of harm, and concerns of the client being at risk of self-harm.

As I enter training as a professional in psychology, personal values that I will bring are trustworthiness, empathy, listening skills, openness, and beneficence. During training I will make sure to practice what I have learned so when the time comes for me to serve clients in the real professional settings, I will have the skills to apply. I believe that these values align with the code of ethics because they are part of the foundation needed to build a therapeutic relationship with clients and understand their situations. By building a therapeutic relationship with clients, effective objectives and goals can then be put into place to begin the process of recovery. As I work with clients, their needs will be my priority and all my efforts

As explained in this chapter, an essential part of the ethical practice is to discuss the rights that clients have before starting the session. This is beneficial for clients as they become autonomous of their decisions, and for counselors because they can avoid ethical complaints from their clients. Providing an informed consent document to clients is one of the most important ways of respecting their rights. This document clarifies the boundaries within the sessions, provides general information about the therapeutic process, the benefits and risks of receiving therapy, and informs the client about his/her right of confidentiality, including its limitations and exceptions. In the first meeting with the client, the counselor should provide informed consent either verbally, with a document, or in both ways (Corey, Corey, Corey, & Callanan, 2015).