What are some signs that a therapist may have poor boundaries with their clients?
Last Updated: 21.06.2025 01:57
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.
Obsessing about clients outside of work hours.
Failing to mention the client in supervision/consultation, out of fear the supervisor/consultant will advise return to ordinary healthy boundaries.
Sense of competition with persons who are important in the client’s life.
Off the top of my ancient head:
Frequent phoning or texting of clients to “check up on them and make sure they’re OK.”
Why is my Whirlpool fridge not cooling but the freezer works? What is the solution?
Serious disappointment when the client cancels a session.
Struggling with fantasies of deeper connections with clients, whether sexual or parental or other intense or intimate relationships beyond psychotherapy.
Eager anticipation (or anxious anticipation) of the next session in ways that distract.
Dollar Tree raises red flag about unexpected customer behavior - TheStreet
General Introduction to Boundaries from Panahi Counseling:
Routinely going over the time limit with certain patients, compromising the time for the next client.
Disclosing feelings, fantasies, and experiences to the client in ways not related to the work the client is engaged in.
Mark Hughes: Mercedes can disrupt McLaren-Verstappen fight - The Race
Session-expressed curiosities about client details not relevant to the therapy.