We’ve become accustomed in our culture to making reference to “boundaries”, but what exactly do we mean when we use this term?
I propose this definition: the behavioral/psychological demarcations of a specific role.
Why a specific role?
One’s boundaries generally vary depending on the role in which one happens to be functioning. My boundaries in the professional roles in my life are different than my boundaries in my private life. Thus the particular role I happen to be functioning in at a given moment or place determines how I relate to others in that setting.
Obviously there may also be other factors that influence my choice of boundaries in any given situation, but usually the role in which I am functioning is the greatest determining factor.
In the professional arena, the particular role in which I am functioning essentially determines the “rules of interaction”.
Therefore, when I am functioning in the role of a therapist in relation to a client, that role determines the associated rules of interaction. When I am functioning in the role of supervisor / instructor / professional colleague / etc., the specific role determines the default rules of interaction.
A simple (and safe) method for me to determine appropriate rules for any given professional role in which I find myself, is to ask the question, “What does a therapist / supervisor / instructor / professional colleague / etc., DO?” The consensus of responses offered by my peers would typically generate a (legally) safe set of rules for me to follow.
The Function of Professional Boundaries
Our professional literature describes two main functions of boundaries:
1) To construct an optimal situation or environment in which to accomplish function of that role; and
2) To create and maintain safety for the parties involved.
