Are therapists supposed to hug patients?

Hugs may be acceptable in therapy, and sometimes they aren’t. This is all dependent on various factors in the therapeutic relationship and individual characteristics of you and your therapist. Remember, your relationship with your clinician can be close — but it should remain a professional one.

Why do therapists not like BPD patients?

Many therapists share the general stigma that surrounds patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Some even avoid working with such patients because of the perception that they are difficult to treat.

Should a Counsellor hug a client?

Many therapists take a moderate position, offering a pat on the back or an occasional hug if the client asks for it or if a session is particularly grueling. My research suggests that touch in this setting is seldom a simple social gesture.

Is it OK to hug patients?

A hug is much more informal compared to the handshake, which results in a slippery slope. As health care providers who need to be objective, it is important to maintain some boundaries that maintain the doctor-patient relationship (add any healthcare provider you want to in place of doctor). Hugging patients blurs those boundaries.

Is it sexual harassment to hug a health care provider?

This can raise concerns of sexual harassment as the person can claim that the touch was unwelcome. This is more likely to occur if the health care provider initiates the hug. It is more likely to occur when the hugger is a male health care provider and the recipient is a woman or a child.

What do good therapists think about boundaries?

Good therapists recognize, too, that the intense feelings that surface in sessions often gravitate toward the boundaries. And that touch, and other physical contact, may be the most emotionally laden and controversial boundary of all. One of the problems is that a hug between two people of unequal power is not the same as a hug between equals.

Do therapists take their power seriously?

Therapists who take their power seriously also take the boundaries of therapy seriously. When they bend the therapeutic frame, they do so carefully and explore the ramifications their action has for the client.