Maybe a counsellor is like a good, honest, walking shoe? Providing consistent support and grip in sometimes tough terrain, and being with you through the mud, rain, sunshine and showers, and whatever else your journey takes you through. Bearing witness to your travels, and, when your walk is done, you can take them off and put them away until you have need of them again.
I have been thinking long and hard about boundaries this past month. As I negotiate my way as an individual and as a counsellor in private practice there is much to consider. Sometimes, people will ask what the difference between counselling and ‘having a chat with a good friend’ is, I find that a discussion on boundaries helps to clarify an element of what makes a counselling relationship special and therapeutic.
