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Abstract: 

Should you ever share personal information with a client? Do favors for a client? Accept gifts from a client? Is it yes, no, maybe, or dependent upon the circumstance or context? On the surface, these actions appear to be innocent and harmless. However, is the professional/client relationship altered in any way? The professional/client relationship is defined by boundaries—limits that allow for a safe connection between you and your client and are always based on your client’s needs, not wants. A boundary violation occurs when you place your needs above the needs of your client and you gain personally and/or professionally at his or her expense. And the prevailing root causes can be found in such innocent actions as noted above. However, if you answered yes to any of the three questions at the beginning of this article, it does not mean necessarily that a boundary violation occurred. Rather, it is a red flag that the boundaries between you and your client may not be as well defined as you may believe them to be.

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Affiliations:  1: NCA Associates.