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

Last Updated: 18.06.2025 11:48

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

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

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

Off the top of my ancient head:

Why am I not attracted to masculine men? Why do I like more feminine attributes on a man?

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

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

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

Is it okay if I am not interested to talk to any of my relatives as I saw the real faces in my brother's marriage as none of them helped us rather were a kind of disappointment and were talking bad?

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.

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

Does a narcissist ever get their comeuppance/karma for the vile things they've done? Such as cheating, smear campaign, etc.

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.

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.

Why are Democrats deflecting and aren’t as tough on Hunter Biden with all of his criminal activity and his rising possibility of him receiving a charge for illegally owing a gun?

Obsessing about clients outside of work hours.