What are some signs that a therapist may have poor boundaries with their clients?
Last Updated: 02.07.2025 01:29

Off the top of my ancient head:
General Introduction to Boundaries from Panahi Counseling:
Sense of competition with persons who are important in the client’s life.
How do I separate the vocals of two different people speaking in a single channel?
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.
Serious disappointment when the client cancels a session.
Do you have any opinion on Japanese writer/actor Yukio Mishima?
Obsessing about clients outside of work hours.
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.
What did your best friend do that ended your friendship?
Frequent phoning or texting of clients to “check up on them and make sure they’re OK.”
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.
Do you have pics of the wife making out with another guy?
Disclosing feelings, fantasies, and experiences to the client in ways not related to the work the client is engaged in.