In social work, availability and responsiveness are often seen as core professional values, deeply linked to the ethics of care, relational engagement, and institutional expectations. However, an overemphasis on being constantly responsive—always available, always listening, and always answering—can undermine both the well-being of professionals and the quality of the helping relationship. This chapter critically examines the normative ideal of responsiveness in social work communication, arguing that it may mask deeper risks such as emotional overexposure, blurred boundaries, and the erosion of reflective space. Drawing on relational ethics, feminist care theory and critical social work, the chapter explores how professional relational stance can be redefined beyond the imperative to respond. It suggests that the ability to say “not now” or “not in this way” may constitute an ethical and relational act, allowing for deeper forms of connection grounded in intentionality and self-awareness. The analysis highlights how temporality, silence, and selective availability can become tools for sustaining both the professional and the relationship. Rather than positioning responsiveness as a binary (present/absent), the chapter advocates for a dynamic understanding of professional relational stance—one that includes absence as a necessary element of care. This rethinking of communicative availability opens up space for sustainable practices, understood as professional routines that protect against burnout, preserve reflective capacity, and enhance the depth and quality of helping relationships. The chapter concludes by suggesting implications for training, supervision and organizational cultures in promoting healthier and more thoughtful forms of relational engagement.