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

Last Updated: 17.06.2025 04:10

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.

General Introduction to Boundaries from Panahi Counseling:

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

You hold the door open for a lady and she stops in her tracks and screams at you, ‘Don’t hold the door for me! I’ll get it myself!’ What are your feelings or immediate reaction?

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.

Off the top of my ancient head:

Obsessing about clients outside of work hours.

My ex moved on so fast. How can I overcome the pain?

Serious disappointment when the client cancels a session.

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

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

How do you cope when your mother doesn't love you?

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

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

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

As a NATO/Ukraine supporter, since you're so blown away and angered by Trump putting Zelensky in his place yesterday, why don't you support the Ukraine by joining the Ukrainian army? There's 200,000,000+ of you. Put your money where your mouths are.

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