What are some signs that a therapist may have poor boundaries with their clients?
Last Updated: 22.06.2025 10:31
Sense of competition with persons who are important in the client’s life.
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.
Health officials warn of measles case from traveler at Dulles Airport - The Washington Post
Session-expressed curiosities about client details not relevant to the therapy.
General Introduction to Boundaries from Panahi Counseling:
Routinely going over the time limit with certain patients, compromising the time for the next client.
Renck: If J.K. Dobbins stays healthy, he’ll be reason Broncos win AFC West - The Denver Post
Obsessing about clients outside of work hours.
Disclosing feelings, fantasies, and experiences to the client in ways not related to the work the client is engaged in.
Struggling with fantasies of deeper connections with clients, whether sexual or parental or other intense or intimate relationships beyond psychotherapy.
Pokémon Cafe’s new Mega Charizard curry plate is a work of art in more ways than one - SoraNews24
Frequent phoning or texting of clients to “check up on them and make sure they’re OK.”
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.
Housing market tide is turning as home prices fall in top cities - Fortune
Eager anticipation (or anxious anticipation) of the next session in ways that distract.