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

10.06.2025 07:17

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

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

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.

How do you fight the push and pull (manipulation) tactic if you want to win him?

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

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

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

Have you ever witnessed a remote beach show where hundreds of turtles crawling to the water?

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:

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

New theory could finally make ‘quantum gravity’ a reality – and prove Einstein wrong - BBC Science Focus Magazine

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.

Serious disappointment when the client cancels a session.

In Italy, how do people greet each other when they meet for the first time (e.g., on the street)? What's a good response to that greeting if you're not from Italy or don't speak Italian fluently yet?

Obsessing about clients outside of work hours.