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Holding the Line: Professional Boundaries, Ethical Integrity, and the Modern Clinician

CLINICAL EVENTS

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Holding the Line: Professional Boundaries, Ethical Integrity, and the Modern Clinician

Professional Boundaries

Dec. 18, 2026

10:00 AM - 1:15 PM (EST)

Virtual Event
3 CE Ethics Credits

What happens when the cost of caring begins to impact your clinical judgment?

This interactive ethics training—approved for clinicians in all states—explores the critical link between clinician wellness, professional boundaries, and ethical decision-making.

Learn to recognize early signs of burnout and ethical vulnerability, while gaining practical strategies to protect your well-being, strengthen boundaries, and navigate complex clinical situations with clarity and confidence.

Professional Boundaries

Clinicians across disciplines—including social workers, psychiatrists, psychologists, counselors, and nurses—are tasked with sustaining high ethical and professional standards while navigating emotionally demanding caseloads, administrative strain, and complex organizational expectations.  In the process of supporting clients through significant life challenges, many clinicians unintentionally overlook early indicators of personal distress, impaired functioning, and ethical vulnerability.

The cost of caring often emerges as burnout, compassion fatigue, impaired judgment, and compromised wellness, all of which threaten clinical competence and ethical integrity. This interactive training offers a comprehensive framework that integrates ethics, psychological well-being, supervision standards, and evidence-informed self-care practices.

Participants will deepen their understanding of how clinician wellness is essential to ethical decision-making, therapeutic effectiveness, and sustainable practice. Through guided reflection and practical strategies, this workshop equips clinicians to safeguard their well-being, uphold integrity, and preserve the therapeutic alliance, and navigate ethical dilemmas with increased clarity, confidence, and resilience.  This is an ethics training with a focus on professional boundaries, designed to meet the NYSED requirement.

Session Highlights
  • Ethical vulnerability, Boundaries, and the cost of caring
  • Wellness and Conduct as an Ethical Mandate
  • Psychological Well-Being for Clinicians
  • Recognizing Risks and Managing Emotional Impact of High Caseloads
  • Self-Prioritization, Supervision, and Accountability Practices
Key Takeaways for Clinicians

“Maintaining professional boundaries is essential for creating safe, ethical, and effective therapeutic relationships. This workshop provides clinicians with practical guidance for recognizing boundary challenges, strengthening ethical decision-making, and protecting both client welfare and professional integrity.

You’ll explore how professional boundaries influence trust, therapeutic effectiveness, confidentiality, dual relationships, self-disclosure, and the clinician’s role across a variety of treatment settings. Through realistic case examples and reflective discussion, you’ll develop practical strategies for responding to complex ethical situations with greater confidence.

The training also examines how professional boundaries support ethical integrity by reducing the risk of boundary drift, maintaining objectivity, and promoting sound clinical judgment. Participants will leave with actionable tools that can be applied immediately to everyday practice while navigating evolving ethical expectations.

Whether you work in private practice, hospitals, schools, or community mental health settings, this workshop will strengthen your ability to maintain professional boundaries, uphold ethical standards, and foster stronger therapeutic relationships. Continue your professional development through our Clinical Blog and Upcoming Clinical Events, while staying informed through the American Psychological Association (APA) and current guidance on ethics and professional practice”.

This live interactive webinar is designed for behavioral health professionals, including:

  • Counselors
  • Social Workers
  • Psychotherapists
  • Marriage & Family Therapists
  • Psychologists
  • Substance Use Disorders Counselors
  • Case Managers
  • Physicians
  • Other Mental Health Professionals

Sharon J. Lawrence, EdD, LCSW-C

Sharon J. Lawrence is the Founder, Owner and Lead Therapist of Selah Wellness & Therapeutic Services, LLC, a virtual specialty practice in the state of Maryland serving clients in Maryland, District of Washington, Virginia, Nevada, and California. She is also the CEO of SJL Professional Services, Inc. which focuses on corporate, professional and individualized coaching, speaking and training related to ethical competence, mental health, wellness, communication, conflict resolution, DEI and leadership/staff development.

Dr. Lawrence is a Therapist for Therapists, Leaders, and Professionals (healthcare, legal, and education). Her passion is to improve the lives of clinicians, leaders, and professionals who manage the day to day responsibility of caring for others. She and her team are committed to helping couples strengthen and revive their relationships.

Dr. Lawrence is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Psychotherapist, Certified Financial Social Worker (CFSW), Board Certified-TeleMental Health Provider (BC-TMH), Certified Prepare-Enrich Facilitator/ Trainer, Certified Master Life Coach, a Maryland and District of Columbia Board Approved Clinical Supervisor in Social Work and credentialed as an Employee Assistance Specialist-Clinician.  She holds a Certificate in Christian Ministries from the Evangel Bible College in Maryland.  She also holds a Certificate in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace from the University of South Florida Muma School of Business; a Masters in Social Work from the State University of New York at Buffalo; and a Doctorate of Education in Leadership from the American College of Education. She has 25 years experience in the areas of mental health, substance abuse, foster care, family court, and developmental disabilities.

Dr. Lawrence is a Best Selling Author, International Speaker, Presenter, and Trainer. She is affectionately known as the SelfCarePreneur, she champions mental health, self-care, and emotional well-being for business owners. Her expertise has shone brightly on platforms such as Good Morning Washington, Let’s Talk Live, BMore Lifestyle, WHUR, Hello Iowa! and the Boris L. Henson Foundation Can We Talk? Mental Health Conference. Her insights have been featured in esteemed media publications and podcasts, including Medium’s Authority Magazine, Yahoo! Lifestyle, Bustle, The Root, Madamnoire, GoodTherapy, ArlNow, OldPodcast, and I Am CEO Podcast. Committed to nurturing the next generation of helping professionals, Dr. Lawrence serves as an Adjunct Professor at Bowie State University (Department of Behavioral Sciences and Human Services) and Prince George’s Community College (Department of Human Services), shaping the leaders of tomorrow.

After this training, participants will be able to:

  • Apply core ethical principles to reduce risk, protect clients, and maintain clinician wellness.
  • Demonstrate how NASW, APA, ACA, AAMFT, and ANA ethical codes contribute to competence,
    integrity, and liability prevention.
  • Assess common ethical dilemmas across clinical and non-clinical settings, including
    boundaries, impairment, and conflicts of interest.
  • Summarize the Theory of Levels of Stigma, Epistemology, and Orem’s Self-Care Theory as they
    relate to practitioner wellness.
  • Define traumatic stress, burnout, compassion fatigue, and vicarious trauma, and describe their
    ethical implications.

10:00 -10:05 am – Introduction
10:05-10:30 am – Overview, Objectives, Code of Ethics
10:30-11:00 am – Defining Ethics, Limits, Habit Formation, Considerations, Psychological Well-
Being, Dimensions of Wellness and Addressing Burnout & Stress with Wellness
11:00-11:30 am – Case Scenarios, Non-Exemption, Stages of Burnout, Compassion Fatigue,
Vicarious Trauma
11:30-11:45 am – Break
11:45-12:15 pm – Substance Abuse, Well-Being Assessment, Ethical Matters, Personal Conflict
12:15-12:45 pm – Self-Prioritization, Liability, Competence, Private Actions, Integrity, Effective
Supervision Model
12:45-1:05 pm – The Weight We Carry and the Path to Restoration, Enhancing Capacity, Minimizing
Risk, Mitigating Factors, and Support and Prevention
1:05-1:15 pm – Q&A

All levels.

Registration Cost

Registration $67 | Dec. 18 | Virtual Event | 3 CE Credits | 10:00 am – 1:15 pm ET

Registration Deadline:  Dec. 18, 2026

Cancellation Policy

All registrations are non-refundable. However, you may request a full credit toward a future training if:

  • You notify us at least 72 hours before the event starts.
  • Credit is valid for up to 6 months from the original event date.
  • No credit will be issued for no-shows or cancellations made on the same day.
  • When you register for an event, you agree to these terms

Please email [email protected] to request a credit or reschedule.

A total of 3 CE Ethics credits are available.

This Program awards 3.0 continuing education hours, which may be applied toward either Ethics or Professional Boundaries

Additional Approvals Pending.


ASWB ACE

Clinical Events, LLC, (provider # 2201) is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 11/01/2025 – 11/01/2028.

NBCC

Clinical Events, LLC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved   Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7643 Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Clinical Events, LLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

NAADAC

This course has been approved by Clinical Events, as a NAADAC Approved Education Provider, for educational credits. NAADAC Provider #320899, Clinical Events is responsible for all aspects of the programming.

NY State Board of Psychologists

Clinical Events, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0292.

NY State Board of Psychoanalysts

Clinical Events, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychoanalysts #P-0073.

NY State Board of Social Workers

Clinical Events, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0828.

NY State Board of Mental Health Counselors

Clinical Events, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0329.

NY State Board of Marriage & Family Therapists

Clinical Events, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0140.

NJ State Board of Social Workers & Professional Counselors

The New Jersey Social Work Examiners Board accepts ASWB ACE Provider credits. The New Jersey Professional Counselors Board accepts NBCC-approved CE provider credits.

All Other States Social Workers & Professional Counselors

All other states accept ASWB ACE Provider credits and NBCC-approved CE provider credits. Licensees are responsible for determining whether courses meet the CE requirements in their jurisdictions. States and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for credit.

Florida Certification Board

Clinical Events is approved by the Florida Certification Board (FCB) to offer continuing education programs (Provider # 5527-A).

Canada Social Workers

BC, AB, SK, MB, ON, and QC accept ASWB ACE-approved provider programs to meet licensure renewal requirements.  Licensees are responsible for determining whether courses meet the CE requirements in their province. Provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for credit.

Canada Counsellors

Clinical Events is an NBCC-approved provider.  Licensees are responsible for determining whether courses meet the CE requirements in their province. Provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for credit.

Please contact us if you would like to inquire about applicable approvals for your continuing education (CE) needs.

Each professional is responsible for understanding and meeting the specific CE requirements set by their individual licensing board or regulatory agency. We encourage you to reach out to your licensing body directly to confirm how our programs apply toward your licensure renewal.

Questions:  [email protected]

In accordance with continuing education standards and requirements, the presenter discloses that they have no relevant financial relationships, affiliations, or conflicts of interest to report.

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