Boundaries and Self-Care in Clinical Practice

Boundaries and Self-Care in Clinical Practice

Boundaries and Self-Care in Clinical Practice

Describe ethical boundaries in clinical psychology and explain why they are important to the profession.

Application: Boundaries and Self-Care in Clinical Practice

In order to be effective in applying the methods and techniques of clinical psychologists, practitioners must make use of their own personalities and behaviors to develop an effective working alliance with clients. Two critical aspects that guide practitioners are boundaries and self-care. Boundaries involve the understanding and maintenance of personal and professional boundaries of behavior between practitioner and client. An important boundary is not allowing multiple relationships, as these can be harmful to the client. Self-care involves taking care of oneself in order to avoid burn-out from long hours of working with clients who are often seeking treatment for intense problems. Self-care is important for all practitioners, yet is especially important for practitioners who work with survivors of trauma. Without proper self-care, practitioners who work with this population may suffer from secondary traumatic stress and/or vicarious trauma.

The assignment: (3–4 pages)

· Use Proper APA Citation’

· Describe ethical boundaries in clinical psychology and explain why they are important to the profession.

· Explain the importance of self-care for professional psychologists and professional psychology students.

· Develop a plan of self-care that you will utilize while completing this professional psychology program.

When genetically identical twins who were separated as infants show such striking similarities in

their tastes and habits and choices, can we conclude that their genes must have caused these

similarities? Although genes play a role, we also need to consider other possible causes. The

twins shared not only the same genes but also some similar experiences. Some of the separated

twins lived together for several months prior to their adoption; some had been reunited prior to

testing (in some cases, many years earlier); adoption agencies often place twins in similar homes;

and even strangers who spend several hours together and start comparing their lives are likely to

come up with some coincidental similarities (Joseph, 2006).

The Minnesota study of identical twins points to both the importance of the genetic basis of

human development and the need for further research on genetic and environmental factors.

The examples of Jim and Jim and the giggle sisters stimulate us to think about our genetic

heritage and the biological foundations of our existence. Organisms are not like billiard balls,

moved by simple, external forces to predictable positions on life’s pool table. Environmental

experiences and biological foundations work together to make us who we are. Our coverage of

life’s biological beginnings and experiences will emphasize the evolutionary perspective; genetic

foundations; the interaction of heredity and environment; and charting growth from conception

through the prenatal period, the birth process itself, and the postpartum period that

follows birth.