Exploring the Edges: Boundaries and Breaks

Sommers-Flanagan, Rita; Elliott, Deni; Sommers‐Flanagan, John

doi:10.1207/s15327019eb0801_3

Cited by 6 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 13 publications

(10 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Is the act of blurring a boundary the same as breaking a boundary? Others have tried envisioning something called boundary extensions ( R. Sommers -Flanagan, Elliott, & Sommers-Flanagan, 1998 ). By this, we mean that the basic professional relationship boundary stayed in place, but it was stretched or extended to include behaviors that are not usually included.…”

Section: Relationship Roles Rules and Boundariesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Boundaries, multiple roles, and the professional relationship.

Sommers-Flanagan¹

2012

APA Handbook of Ethics in Psychology, Vol 1: Moral Foundations and Common Themes.

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This chapter covers the vast terrain of ethically informed boundaries in certain kinds of professional relationships. When discussing the importance of professional boundaries in mental health work, most people think fi rst of relationships between psychotherapists and clients. However, similar boundary considerations are relevant for professor-student relationships ( Biaggio, Paget, & Chenoweth, 1997 ;Lamb, Catanzaro, & Moorman, 2004 ), supervisorsupervisee relationships ( Gottlieb, Robinson, & Younggren, 2007 ), consultant-consultee relationships ( Koocher, 2009 ), and researcher-participant relationships ( Haverkamp, 2005 ). Although different dynamics are at play, the relationships psychologists have with each other, with other professionals, and with the general public have boundaries that warrant ethical consideration as well ( Rubin, 2000 ). To some extent, the contents of this chapter will apply to all of the professionals, but with more attention devoted to the therapistclient relationship. Separate chapters are included in this handbook on emotional, romantic, and sexualized boundaries (Chapter 11 of this volume); academic excellence (Volume 2, Chapter 12, this handbook); supervision (Volume 2, Chapter 13, this handbook); and research (Volume 2, Chapter 16, this handbook).In my rural state, there is a folk saying: Good fences make good neighbors. In this succinct bit of folk wisdom, the existence of good fences creates and defi nes the relationship. This is a chapter about professional boundaries, which, like good fences, are essential for good professional relationships. Boundaries create and defi ne the professional psychotherapy relationship. When boundaries are clearly articulated, fully explained, and wisely and compassionately tended, the professional relationship stands a strong chance of being healthy and helpful.The folk saying implies that the neighbors are of equal standing. However, we need to consider an added dimension to our discussion of boundaries in the context of a professional relationship: The parties in a professional relationship are not on equal footing. In professional helping relationships, an inherent power differential brings a great deal of moral weight to bear on the professional. Becoming a professional means fi nding ways to accept and handle the power inherent in the role. In The Social Origins of Professional Sovereignty , Starr (1982) wrote, Power, at the most rudimentary personal level, originates in dependence, and the power of the professionals primarily originates in dependence upon their knowledge and competence. In some cases, this dependence may be entirely subjective, but no matter: Psychological dependence is as real in its consequences as any other kind. Indeed, what makes dependence on the professions so distinctive today is that their interpretations often govern our understanding of the world and our own experience. To most of us, this power seems legitimate: When professionals claim to be authoritative about the nature of reality, whether it is the struc...

show abstract

Section: Relationship Roles Rules and Boundariesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Boundaries, multiple roles, and the professional relationship.

Sommers-Flanagan¹

2012

APA Handbook of Ethics in Psychology, Vol 1: Moral Foundations and Common Themes.

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Therapeutic boundaries derive from the rules of the professional relationship that distinguish it from business or social relationships. These rules clarify which behaviors are acceptable in therapy, although the same behaviors might be acceptable or even desirable in other relationships (Sommers-Flanagan, Elliott, & Sommers-Flanagan, 1998). For example, it would be perfectly appropriate for two individuals to share a meal together or engage in mutual self-disclosures in a social or business relationship.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Professional Boundaries in Nontraditional Settings.

Knapp

Slattery

2004

Professional Psychology: Research and Practice

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Psychologists are increasingly delivering or supervising services in the homes or residences of their clients. However, the very process of delivering home-based services creates challenges to the psychologist-patient relationship and an opportunity for clients to challenge the boundaries in ways that would not ordinarily occur in office-based services. Supervisees or inexperienced psychologists may be unprepared for the boundary challenges that could occur. This article reviews those challenges to professional boundaries and makes recommendations to ensure the quality of psychological services delivered in those settings.SAMUEL KNAPP received his EdD in counseling from Lehigh University in 1982. He is the director of professional affairs of the Pennsylvania Psychological Association. His area of professional interest is ethics. JEANNE M. SLATTERY received her PhD in experimental psychology from Miami University and her clinical respecialization from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She is a professor of psychology at Clarion University. Her research interests include in-home therapy and the contexts of therapy and change. THESE VIEWS do not necessarily represent those of the Pennsylvania Psychological Association.

show abstract

Boundaries and Multiple Relationships

Hammond

2010

Ethical Practice in Psychology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Exploring the Edges: Boundaries and Breaks

Cited by 6 publications

References 13 publications

Boundaries, multiple roles, and the professional relationship.

Boundaries, multiple roles, and the professional relationship.

Professional Boundaries in Nontraditional Settings.

Boundaries and Multiple Relationships

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About