EthicalBoundariesandPractices - Running head ETHICAL...

Running head: ETHICAL BOUNDARIES AND PRACTICES 1
Ethical Boundaries and Practices
Stacie Holloway
Grand Canyon University
Professional Counseling Orientation and Ethics
PCN-505
Marcie Burger
September 20, 2016

ETHICAL BOUNDARIES AND PRACTICES 2
Ethical Boundaries and Practices
Ethics is defined as the moral ideals that influence a person’s behavior (Merriam Webster
Dictionary, 2016). As a counselor, one will find themselves governed by many different sets of
codes of ethics to include the American Counseling Association and their own state licensing
board. These ethics provide guidelines for the counselor and a variety of different types of
relationships they will engage in to include the client relationship ("ACA Code of Ethics," 2014).
Some important aspects of that relationship, that could become ethical issues for a counselor, are
knowing when and where to create boundaries, implications of dual relationships, when it is
appropriate to work within a multidisciplinary team for the betterment of the client and
relationships with supervisors and coworkers. Being aware of what the ethical codes are on
these topics as well as where the counselor’s beliefs stand could be the difference between
having a successful career or being charged with an ethical violation.
Boundaries is defined as the lines that mark the limits of an area (Merriam Webster
Dictionary, 2016). In counseling, there are many lines that must be looked at such as
confidentiality or anything that may cause the client harm. There is a difference between
boundary crossing and boundary violations. Boundary crossing is often described as “clinically
effective interventions” (Zur, 2015, para. 2) and is in regard to attending a client’s ceremony such
as graduation or self-disclosure. Boundary crossing involves actions that violate or exploit the
client (Zur, 2015). One of those boundaries would include dual relationships. Dual
Relationships exist when a counselor and a client have multiple roles. An example of this could
be that in addition to the counselor and client relationship, they are also friends (Zur, 2015). In
the state of Oklahoma, being involved in a dual relationship is one of the most frequently filed
violation with the state licensing board (Ashmore, 2016). Having an effective decision making

ETHICAL BOUNDARIES AND PRACTICES 3
model when dealing with these situations of boundaries and dual relationships would provide the
counselor proper risk management for the counselor and the client (Younggren & Gottlieb,
2004).