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

Last Updated: 27.06.2025 12:13

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

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.

Serious disappointment when the client cancels a session.

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

What does it mean when someone is pretending to be me?

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

Off the top of my ancient head:

Obsessing about clients outside of work hours.

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

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

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

Im happy but there is a heavy feeling of sadness in my heart that I just can't remove. Why am I like this?

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

General Introduction to Boundaries from Panahi Counseling:

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

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