Essay on Boundaries and Contracts Within Counselling

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:

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.

To have good ethical practice within counselling it is important that there are boundaries and contracts in place that are agreed to and understood by both the counsellor and the client.

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.

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.

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

When we look at other professions like social workers, housing officers, the emergency services, the police and priests who utilise counselling skills we realise that some of the key concepts that are fundamental to the counselling profession are not their main priority. If such people were to introduce themselves as counsellors their clients may be under the impression that such things as confidentiality will be upheld. An example is the work of doctors, social workers, nurses and carers, in these types of professions advise is given to the client as to what to do and what not to do, medication is administered to the client whereas in the case of counselling especially with

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

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.

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).

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

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.

However, it is not always that simple and there may be some instances when it is not possible to maintain total confidentiality and the counsellor my have to pass on certain information that was revealed. For example, if a crime has been committed or if there is a risk of harm to another person. In this case the counsellor must be clear with the client what information they may have to pass on and to whom.

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

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).