What are some signs that a therapist may have poor boundaries with their clients?
Last Updated: 02.07.2025 16:50
Sense of competition with persons who are important in the client’s life.
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:
How short is too short for a skirt?
Eager anticipation (or anxious anticipation) of the next session in ways that distract.
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.
Serious disappointment when the client cancels a session.
United-JetBlue Tie Up Leaves American Airlines Bloodied - Live and Let's Fly
Frequent phoning or texting of clients to “check up on them and make sure they’re OK.”
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.
Sydney Sweeney’s Miu Miu Ballet Flats Bring Rebellious Spin to Bezos-Sánchez Wedding in Venice - WWD
Off the top of my ancient head:
Obsessing about clients outside of work hours.
Routinely going over the time limit with certain patients, compromising the time for the next client.
Trump’s FTC will approve an ad merger — with a gift to Elon Musk’s X - The Verge
Failing to mention the client in supervision/consultation, out of fear the supervisor/consultant will advise return to ordinary healthy boundaries.