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

12.06.2025 07:40

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

General Introduction to Boundaries from Panahi Counseling:

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

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

Are the seasons in Ireland different from those in Scotland, England, and Wales? Or are they just milder versions of each other?

Obsessing about clients outside of work hours.

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

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

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

Serious disappointment when the client cancels a session.

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.

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

Off the top of my ancient head:

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

What can I do when I'm ugly on both outside and inside? What do I do? Cut myself off from the world to make everyones lives better? I'm a monster. I hurt feelings, and I say what was said to me. I feel like I'm nothing but a burden. What do I do?

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