ABSTRACT
Awareness of and respect for boundaries is essential to navigating supervision interactions, particularly when multiple relationships arise. There are several reasons why supervision contracts are an essential tool for establishing successful supervision relationships. Both supervisors and supervisees have responsibilities when it comes to setting and observing boundaries. Doing so can help to establish and maintain a strong supervisory relationship. Boundary crossings are instances in which behavior deviates from the norm, possibly involving closer personal contact than is typical. Unlike boundary crossings, boundary violations are harmful to supervisees. Text messages seem to be a particularly challenging consideration in the modern world. Novice supervisees, or even veteran supervisees in need of professional development regarding ethics, may struggle to maintain appropriate boundaries with clients. Supervision does share some elements with counseling, and it can absolutely be appropriate and productive to address emotional content in the context of the supervisory relationship.
