Читать книгу Suicide Assessment and Treatment Planning - John Sommers-Flanagan - Страница 61

Years ago, a kind young volunteer named Lily was working at a homeless shelter. She became close to Brian, a man about her age who struggled with bipolar disorder. Lily was married and had a toddler at home. She spent many hours talking with Brian, trying to convince him to take his medications and get into a rehabilitation program that would train him for entry-level jobs. She was making headway. Brian became med compliant and went on his first job interview, but it did not go well.

After his disastrous interview, Brian called Lily. This was before cell phones. Even though her number was listed in a telephone book, Lily had written her number down for Brian, explicitly giving him permission to call. When she answered, Brian began sobbing, telling her that he was a hopeless case. He thanked her for all she had done, saying, “I just want you to know it’s not your fault.”

Lily was frightened. She insisted that Brian come to dinner at her house and spend the night on the family’s couch. She planned to call her volunteer director in the morning during his office hours. Ironically, calling the director after hours was a boundary Lily did not want to cross.

Brian came to Lily’s small apartment, ate dinner, and slept that night on the couch. He did not kill himself, but he did become a demanding force in Lily’s life that required several weeks of reboundary setting and extrication assistance from her volunteer director. Lily later went to graduate school in counseling and reflected on her choices with Brian. She was embarrassed by her well-intended but dangerous naiveté. She was grateful that nothing terrible had happened to her or her loved ones.

Pastoral counselors often have different professional boundaries than rehabilitation, career, school, or mental health counselors. Social workers may have different professional boundaries than psychiatrists or nurses. Licensure laws and ethics codes vary. Make sure the boundaries you set are consistent with the standards of practice in your community and within your professional discipline.