Establishing Boundaries with Patients - CONCEPT Professional Training

When you establish boundaries with patients, they act as a guideline for everyone in the therapeutic relationship. To ensure a successful relationship between the therapist and patient, therapeutic boundaries are vital. Dr. Nedra Glover Tawwab, licensed relationship therapist and NYT bestselling author, speaks about the different categories of boundaries in her latest release Set Boundaries, Find Peace. 

There are five major types of boundaries to think about:

• Physical. Decide how your patients will reach you whether that’s in the office, virtually, or through a phone call.
• Material. Have empathetic conversations about payment plans and insurance options.
• Time. Know when it’s time to go home, how to wrap up a session, and prepare a cancellation policy. 
• Emotional. Find a network of support in local resources and consistent coping mechanisms. 
• Intellectual/Spiritual. Create space for compassion in situations where opinions differ.

Therapeutic boundaries are an extension of the boundaries you normally set in relationships.