Mary Lou was once in a very abusive relationship. She was able, through much counseling and grit, to become assertive enough in her own behalf to get out of the situation. Today, she is happily married and the mother of two lovely children. The client she is talking to is in just such an abusive situation and seems hesitant about leaving. Mary Lou wants her to leave and, using examples from her own life, assures the client she is certain the client will have just as happy a life as Mary Lou now has, if she will leave. Mary Lou remembers vividly how she felt when she was in the woman’s shoes and tries to make the woman see how much better she will be if she leaves now.

Above are some situations in which the boundary between the worker and the client has become blurred. Identify what went wrong and what needs to happen to correct the situation. Use the space provided to make notes.