Exploring Boundaries in Social Work Practice

Book excerpt: Exploring Boundaries in Social Work Practice: The Space In Between is designed to create opportunities for social work students and professionals to explore and expand their awareness about boundary development and expression in the context of professional helping. The book is focused on the client-social worker relationship and presents a universally understood definition of professional boundaries. Readers learn about the factors that inform how boundaries are interpreted by clients, discover opportunities to explore and clarify boundary expression, and receive practical guidance on ethical decision-making according to the NASW Code of Ethics. Discussion is interwoven throughout the book regarding the practice of ongoing self-assessment, supervision, and consultation to ensure self-awareness as the foundation for maintaining healthy professional boundaries. The book underscores the benefits of clear boundaries and also highlights how unhealthy or unclear boundaries can potentially harm clients, influence professional burnout, and have far-reaching implications for the social work profession. The text features self-reflection opportunities, practice exercises, discussion questions, and case examples to inspire self-inquiry, critical thinking, problem-solving, group discussion, and consultation. Emphasizing self-awareness and practical application, Exploring Boundaries in Social Work Practice is an essential resource for social work students and professionals.