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

13.06.2025 01:12

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

General Introduction to Boundaries from Panahi Counseling:

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.

Why does Christianity push reconciliation after a partner cheats? Mine had a 7-year affair with someone half my age. He cheated and lied. He is not the same to me.

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

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

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

What is unattractive about a nice guy? Why do some women don’t choose nice guys?

Off the top of my ancient head:

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

Serious disappointment when the client cancels a session.

How do I become a Buddhist, and can someone explain Buddhism to me?

Obsessing about clients outside of work hours.

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

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

Do you have any attributes quirks sensitivities abilities etc that you've come to learn most people don't experience? E.g. dream with subtext or experience de ja vu regularly or know you experience life very differently from those around you etc?

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.