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

Last Updated: 28.06.2025 00:32

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.

Serious disappointment when the client cancels a session.

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

Is it okay if I sleep with my brother without my husband knowing?

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:

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.

What happens psychologically to a man the first time he gets penetrated anally?

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

General Introduction to Boundaries from Panahi Counseling:

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

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

Obsessing about clients outside of work hours.

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

I caught my 16-year-old daughter reading Haunting of Adaline. It says it’s an 18 and I’ve heard some bad stuff about that book. What should I do?

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