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

14.06.2025 03:17

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

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

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

Serious disappointment when the client cancels a session.

Why do people procrastinate and how can they stop?

Off the top of my ancient head:

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

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

Why do people keep saying they have evidence and have presented it that proves you're wrong even though they have none and haven't presented anything? Furthermore, what do they think you're wrong about?

Obsessing about clients outside of work hours.

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.

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

Are there legal obligations to report the known whereabouts of a missing person that doesn’t want to be found?

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

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

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

What is the Replika app, and how does it work?

General Introduction to Boundaries from Panahi Counseling: