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

13.06.2025 15:05

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

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

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

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

How do you deal with neighbors who are always telling you what to do?

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

Off the top of my ancient head:

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

Why is Matt Gaetz being investigated but not Sarah (Tim) McBride? Why do we only care about grooming when it's the Republicans doing it?

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

Serious disappointment when the client cancels a session.

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

Isn't it great that we have an incoming president who is embracing ideas from the past like manifest destiny? Isn't it greater that Trump is willing to get us more territory and land?

General Introduction to Boundaries from Panahi Counseling:

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

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.

Is there an ideal number of sessions in individual psychotherapy? Is there any point in continuing after reaching it?

Obsessing about clients outside of work hours.