Logo

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

08.06.2025 12:31

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

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

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.

How much should one budget to travel for 1 month generally?

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

General Introduction to Boundaries from Panahi Counseling:

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

Trump is shot, tackled by SS agents, yet then stands, defiant, with fist high, and 52 hours later, walks into the Republican Convention to thunderous applause. Is there anything that can stop this man, who loves his country? Does he get your vote?

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

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.

Single photon detected in multiple locations simultaneously, fueling the multiverse debate - Earth.com

Serious disappointment when the client cancels a session.

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

Obsessing about clients outside of work hours.

What is the irony of life according to you?

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.