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

Last Updated: 20.06.2025 00:54

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

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.

Obsessing about clients outside of work hours.

Is Daenerys Targaryen really the most beautiful woman, or is everyone saying that just to flatter her?

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

General Introduction to Boundaries from Panahi Counseling:

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.

Two of my family members have recently converted to Islam and have brought shame on my family. How do I get them back into the fold of Hinduism?

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.

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

Do any members of BTS have significant others in real life? If so, why do they choose not to discuss it publicly?

Off the top of my ancient head:

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

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

Is it okay or problematic to be both Black and gay in society in the 21st century?

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