Being a trainee therapist I am still learning about boundaries. It is a cloudy grey area.
I have found that by being open and honest with clients about my availability and limitations that this has worked well for both me and clients.
I have said that if they were in a crisis I can take calls over Christmas and I can take texts. I also said that I can't guarantee a response straight away but I will respond as soon as I possibly can!
I had one emergency call. I find that by explaing how available I am in our first sessions without using the term boundary helps.
I also Know from my own personal therapy experience that when a doesn't share their availability or much about themselves I become curious and that I want to test their boundaries not intentionally but it's unconsciously, it's a test for the good mother, will they be there when I need them and most of the time they fail and I am left feeling like nobody will be there.

I agree that boundaries are protection for client and therapist safety. They are 100% the therapists responsibility especially around sexuality and not allowing any sort of sexual relationship to develop. I am always weary of this and what signals I am sending to clients. I have learned that becAuse of therapies intimate setting it is easy for clients to get confused about their feelings and what is happening and I believe that this is where the harm is done.
Instead of being open and honest with clients ts take on a role of being holier than thou and infantizing clients. They not respond to erotic transference appropriately and further shame the client and this damages the relationship and the clients already wounded psyche even further. There is so many possibilities for damage in therapy but I do believe that when a therapist is honest with client and themselves about their limitations that anything can be worked through.

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