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

12.06.2025 08:15

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

Struggling with fantasies of deeper connections with clients, whether sexual or parental or other intense or intimate relationships beyond psychotherapy.

Off the top of my ancient head:

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

Why did Cartman love Heidi purely with heart, her being the first one he ever did, but then one day Butters tells him that all women are manipulative and then he began to believe that she was a bad person and pretended to be a victim?

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.

General Introduction to Boundaries from Panahi Counseling:

What does it mean when someone tells you they love you and want you in their life, but doesn't want to commit?

Serious disappointment when the client cancels a session.

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

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

Why do some people hesitate to say 'I love you' even after their partners have said it first? How can one interpret this behavior from their loved ones?

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

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.

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

Where can I sell naked pics of myself online?

Obsessing about clients outside of work hours.