What practice helps maintain professional boundaries in career counseling?

• A. Engage in informal social relationships with clients.
• B. Avoid dual relationships and set clear boundaries.
• C. Disclose all confidential information to others.
• D. Pursue personal relationships with clients.

Answer: (B)

Maintaining professional boundaries in career counseling centers on avoiding dual relationships and establishing clear, consistent limits to the counseling relationship. When a counselor takes on more than one role with a client or interacts outside the professional space—such as through casual socializing or personal dealings—the counselor’s objectivity can be compromised, and the client may feel pressured or exploited. Clear boundaries help preserve trust, reduce the risk of harm, and keep the focus on the client’s goals and welfare. They also support confidentiality, since information is shared only within the professional context and with proper consent. The other options undermine safety and ethics: informal social interactions blur power dynamics, disclosing all confidential information violates privacy, and pursuing personal relationships creates an inappropriate and harmful dynamic.