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

Last Updated: 02.07.2025 06:59

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.

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

General Introduction to Boundaries from Panahi Counseling:

ChatGPT Is Making Us Weird - Business Insider

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.

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

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

'City-Killer' Asteroid Even More Likely to Hit The Moon in 2032 - ScienceAlert

Off the top of my ancient head:

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

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

Private equity firm will finance Harvard research lab, in possible template for future - statnews.com

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.

Obsessing about clients outside of work hours.

Jason Isaacs Supports Johnny Flynn Cast as Lucius Malfoy in HBO’s ‘Harry Potter’ Series - The Hollywood Reporter

Serious disappointment when the client cancels a session.