- Page navigation anchor for So what if... It could happen to anyone: vulnerability and boundariesSo what if... It could happen to anyone: vulnerability and boundariesA brave and insightful piece on the consequences of working to emotionally support a patient. Strong feelings are a key part of an indicator of transference and countertransference, which are an everyday part of primary care. Processing these feelings takes time and is a key part of the ongoing supervision that most health professionals accept as a requirement of sustainable professional practice for both the protection and wellbeing of patients and practitioners. Indeed, the regular participation in supervision is a core part of maintaining capability and capacity to work effectively and responsibly. While many GPs have access to informal support networks. For far too many GPs, supervision is not available in a structured, regular, embedded way but is only sought or offered in response to a crisis. There are a number of contributing factors for this but one that could easily be addressed is the way being ‘under supervision’ is equated by many doctors and organisations as a mark of being in training. Rather than the opportunities afforded by ‘developing super…vision’ being something that is a core part of ongoing professional clinical practice.Competing Interests: I work as a supervisor and coach