The client or patient's trust rests on the assumption that the professional will operate within the context of the client's need. When the client expects this and projects an aura of sanctity onto the professional, the client's vulnerability becomes a key factor in the relationship. It remains incumbent upon the professional to set the limits of the relationship. Other sources of a client's vulnerability include how great the need is, how immediate the need for resolution of the problem may be, and the client's dependency on the professional for help in resolving the problem. An immigrant woman fleeing an abusive husband in a strange city is an incredibly vulnerable individual.
Boundary violation is more a process rather than a single event.
Yet when professionals deny or remain unaware of their personal significance, power, or authority they will begin the process of boundary violation by misusing that power. And any time a professional exploits a relationship to meet personal needs rather than the needs of the client, the boundaries have slipped and the professional is in peril. Find ways of having your personal needs for intimacy met appropriately. No spouse or best friend can meet all your needs but perhaps a cluster of persons with whom you share a reciprocal relationship cna. No one seeking your help in a professional role should be meeting your needs for receiving care.