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What are some signs that a therapist may have poor boundaries with their clients?

10.06.2025 12:09

What are some signs that a therapist may have poor boundaries with their clients?

Failing to mention the client in supervision/consultation, out of fear the supervisor/consultant will advise return to ordinary healthy boundaries.

Off the top of my ancient head:

Struggling with fantasies of deeper connections with clients, whether sexual or parental or other intense or intimate relationships beyond psychotherapy.

How could NASA possibly land on the moon when it's impossible to reach the moon through the Earth's dome? Why are they making up such an obvious lie?

Sense of competition with persons who are important in the client’s life.

Obsessing about clients outside of work hours.

Eager anticipation (or anxious anticipation) of the next session in ways that distract.

How can I help my cat adjust to sleeping in its own room after allowing it to sleep with us as a kitten?

Disclosing feelings, fantasies, and experiences to the client in ways not related to the work the client is engaged in.

General Introduction to Boundaries from Panahi Counseling:

Frequent phoning or texting of clients to “check up on them and make sure they’re OK.”

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Session-expressed curiosities about client details not relevant to the therapy.

These items can happen fleetingly, briefly, in any therapy, but if they’re frequent, it’s definitely time for the therapist to get some good, solid supervision/consultation.

Routinely going over the time limit with certain patients, compromising the time for the next client.

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Serious disappointment when the client cancels a session.