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

Last Updated: 03.07.2025 00:00

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

Obsessing about clients outside of work hours.

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

General Introduction to Boundaries from Panahi Counseling:

Why are terrible, boring art pieces done by famous people worth so much while beautiful pieces done by amateurs are worthless?

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.

Serious disappointment when the client cancels a session.

What are the best sneakers for running?

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.”

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

NASA is firm: life on Earth will no longer be possible starting from this date - Glass Almanac

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

Off the top of my ancient head:

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.

What is Alan Kay’s view on analytic idealism by Bernardo Kastrup?

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