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

Last Updated: 01.07.2025 01:38

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

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.

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

What are the basic human needs according to psychology? What are the consequences of not meeting these needs?

Obsessing about clients outside of work hours.

General Introduction to Boundaries from Panahi Counseling:

Serious disappointment when the client cancels a session.

How does the narcissist react when he realizes you no longer care?

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

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.”

The solar system as we know it may change forever - Notebookcheck

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

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

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

UFC Baku cheater (and $100k ‘Fight of the Night’ loser) transported to local hospital - MMAmania.com

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