Understanding Professional Boundaries

This workshop is designed to help residential care workers and other welfare professionals understand how to establish and maintain professional boundaries. Key concepts are presented that explain why boundaries are important to building the foundation to positive therapeutic interventions. Some of the pitfalls of poor boundaries are examined within the context of organisational policy.

This training provides opportunities to practice helpful responses to support the most effective approaches to challenging situations with boundaries. It will discuss the links between best practice, clear boundaries and examine why children and young people with a history of trauma can present with enmeshed boundaries.

The workshop is designed to explore practical examples of blurred boundary scenarios based on the residential care context and offers group activities with a focus on reflective practice, creating scripts for difficult situations and identifying our own personal boundaries and comfort levels.

• Increase practice knowledge about boundaries and positive helping relationships.
• Understand how healthy boundaries promote healing from trauma.
• Identify approaches that maintain healthy boundaries.
• Have strategies to establish and maintain boundaries.