What happens when the person responsible for maintaining the boundary is the person who crosses it?

Therapy is unlike most other relationships. One person may know extraordinarily intimate details about the other’s life, while the relationship remains professional. That imbalance isn’t inherently harmful - it’s part of what can make therapy work. But it also gives therapists significant responsibility.

In this episode of The Other Side of Therapy, we’re talking about the boundaries designed to protect clients and what can happen when those boundaries begin to disappear.

In this episode:

• What professional boundaries in therapy actually are
• Why the therapist is responsible for maintaining them
• The power imbalance within the therapist-client relationship
• Confidentiality and privacy
• Therapist self-disclosure and when it can become problematic
• Dual and multiple relationships
• Physical touch and personal boundaries
• Sexual and romantic boundaries
• Transference and emotional attachment
• The difference between a boundary crossing and a boundary violation
• How gradual boundary erosion can make inappropriate behavior difficult to recognize
• Why a client may become confused, attached, ashamed, or blame themselves when boundaries are violated
• Why recognizing a violation can be especially difficult when you trust the person crossing the boundary

A question worth asking

When something in therapy feels confusing, consider:

Whose needs is this serving — mine, or my therapist’s?

A therapist may genuinely care about a client. A client may also feel deeply connected to a therapist. Those feelings don’t remove the professional responsibilities that come with the therapeutic relationship.

The person with the professional training, authority, and ethical obligations is responsible for maintaining that relationship appropriately.

If something didn’t feel right

You don’t have to immediately know what to call an experience in order to question it.

You can educate yourself about professional ethics. You can document what happened. You can seek an independent professional opinion. You can learn about the licensing and reporting processes where you live.

And you are allowed to ask questions about the care you received.

This podcast is dedicated to thoughtful conversations about trust, ethics, accountability, and healing. My goal is to create space for education, awareness, and honest dialogue about the complexities of therapy and mental health care.

If this episode resonated with you, please consider following the podcast, leaving a review, and sharing it with someone who may find it helpful.

Follow the podcast:
🎧 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheOtherSideOfTherapy
📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/othersideoftherapy

#TherapyAbuse #TherapyHarm #MentalHealth #Psychotherapy #Ethics #TraumaRecovery #Healing #TheOtherSideOfTherapy

Therapy is meant to be a place of safety, trust, and healing. But what happens when the therapeutic relationship itself becomes harmful?

In this episode of The Other Side of Therapy, I explore what therapy abuse is, why it can be so difficult to recognize, and how it differs from unethical, incompetent, or simply ineffective therapy. We discuss the unique power imbalance that exists in therapy, how that power can be misused, and why survivors often struggle to name what happened to them.

Whether you’re a client, therapist, or someone supporting a loved one, this episode offers an introduction to a conversation that isn’t talked about nearly enough.

In this episode:

• What therapy abuse is
• The difference between poor therapy and abuse
• The power imbalance in the therapeutic relationship
• Why therapy abuse can be confusing and difficult to identify
• The emotional impact on survivors
• Why ethics and accountability matter
• Hope for healing after therapy harm

This podcast is dedicated to thoughtful conversations about trust, ethics, accountability, and healing. My goal is to create space for education, awareness, and honest dialogue about the complexities of therapy and mental health care.

If this episode resonated with you, please consider following the podcast, leaving a review, and sharing it with someone who may find it helpful.

Follow the podcast:
🎧 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheOtherSideOfTherapy
📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/othersideoftherapy

#TherapyAbuse #TherapyHarm #MentalHealth #Psychotherapy #Ethics #TraumaRecovery #Healing #TheOtherSideOfTherapy

What happens when the place you trusted most becomes the place that harms you?

In this first episode of The Other Side of Therapy, I share why I felt compelled to start this podcast and why these conversations matter.

I didn’t go to therapy because I distrusted it - I went because I believed in it. Therapy changed my life in many positive ways, and I deeply respect the many ethical, compassionate therapists who dedicate their lives to helping others.

But after working with a doctor who exploited that trust, I found myself navigating something I never imagined: therapy abuse.

This podcast isn’t about attacking the profession. It’s about bringing light to the unethical practitioners who can cause profound harm, exploring how these situations happen, and advocating for stronger protections for clients during the reporting process.

In this episode, I share:

* Why I decided to speak publicly.
* My personal journey into therapy - and what changed.
* Why silence protects predators.
* My hope for creating awareness, education, and meaningful change.

If this episode resonated with you, please consider following the podcast, leaving a review, and sharing it with someone who may find it helpful.

Follow the podcast:
🎧 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheOtherSideOfTherapy
📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/othersideoftherapy

#TherapyAbuse #TherapyHarm #MentalHealth #Psychotherapy #Ethics #TraumaRecovery #Healing #TheOtherSideOfTherapy