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

12.06.2025 00:46

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

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

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

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

Why are men ridiculously delusional in the women they want/approach? I'm not a troll. This is a real question. Why does a fat, pot bellied, unkempt, balding, stupid (ergo poor) man, tell a woman above his league that she isn't hot enough for him?

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.

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

Can you share a story of someone who had a lucky experience while hitchhiking?

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.

Off the top of my ancient head:

Obsessing about clients outside of work hours.

Have you ever had a weird experience immediately following the death of a loved one that made you think there is an afterlife and that the deceased person was communicating with you?

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.

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

Can you share some of your favorite jokes that are not well-known but always make people laugh?

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