Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Boundaries in psychotherapy: model guidelines

E M Hundert1, P S Appelbaum

  • 1Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.

Psychiatry
|November 1, 1995
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Cannabis involvement and mass shooting events in the United States from 1900 to 2019.

East Asian archives of psychiatry : official journal of the Hong Kong College of Psychiatrists = Dong Ya jing shen ke xue zhi : Xianggang jing shen ke yi xue yuan qi kan·2025
Same author

Diagnostic exome sequencing in children: A survey of parental understanding, experience and psychological impact.

Clinical genetics·2017
Same author

Therapeutic misconception in clinical trials: fighting against it and living with it.

Revista clinica espanola·2014
Same author

Assessing mental capacity for everyday decision-making in the Chinese older population.

Hong Kong medical journal = Xianggang yi xue za zhi·2014
Same author

An integrated preclerkship curriculum in neuroscience, psychiatry, and neurology.

Academic psychiatry : the journal of the American Association of Directors of Psychiatric Residency Training and the Association for Academic Psychiatry·2014
Same author

Neurologic education for the future: a decade of curricular reform at Harvard Medical School.

European journal of neurology·2013
Same journal

Somatic Motives and Affective Motives are Differentially Associated with Cannabis Protective Behavioral Strategies and Adverse Cannabis Outcomes Among Adults Aged 55 and Older.

Psychiatry·2026
Same journal

Potential Mediating Roles of Thought-Action Fusion and Schizotypal Traits in the Relationship Between Childhood Maltreatment and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

Psychiatry·2026
Same journal

Conversationally Attuned: Links Between Interpersonal Linguistic Synchrony and Social Functioning Across the Early-Psychosis Spectrum.

Psychiatry·2026
Same journal

Associations of Mothers' Childhood Trauma and Autistic Traits with Their Adolescent Child's Attachment Style, Depression and Anxiety.

Psychiatry·2026
Same journal

The Relationship Between Childhood Emotional Maltreatment and Healthy Diet in University Students: A Moderated Mediation Model.

Psychiatry·2026
Same journal

A Multidimensional Evaluation of Attempted Suicide: The Roles of Depression, Non-Suicidal Self-Injury, Temperament Characteristics, Defence Mechanisms, and Executive Functions.

Psychiatry·2026
See all related articles

Maintaining ethical boundaries in psychotherapy is crucial. While sexual misconduct is widely condemned, nonsexual boundary violations are increasingly concerning for mental health professionals and the public.

Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Psychiatry
  • Mental Health Ethics

Background:

  • Ethical inquiry in psychotherapy increasingly focuses on boundary maintenance.
  • Sexual misconduct between therapists and patients is a well-recognized ethical violation with established consensus.
  • Growing public and professional concern exists regarding nonsexual boundary violations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To highlight the complexity and confusion surrounding the definition of appropriate boundaries in psychotherapy.
  • To underscore the increasing attention on nonsexual boundary violations in professional and public discourse.

Main Methods:

  • Review of ethical guidelines and professional consensus on therapist-patient sexual contact.
  • Analysis of media reports, licensure board rulings, and legal cases concerning boundary violations.
Keywords:
Boston Psychoanalytic InstituteMassachusetts Board of Registration in MedicineMassachusetts Medical SocietyMassachusetts Psychiatric SocietyMental Health TherapiesProfessional Patient Relationship

Related Experiment Videos

  • Synthesis of evidence to illustrate the challenges in defining therapeutic boundaries.

    • Main Results:

    • A strong consensus exists condemning sexual contact between therapists and patients.
    • Nonsexual boundary violations are a growing area of concern, evidenced by public cases and legal actions.
    • Defining appropriate therapeutic boundaries presents significant complexity for all stakeholders.

    Conclusions:

    • The maintenance of boundaries in psychotherapy is a critical ethical challenge.
    • Nonsexual boundary violations warrant significant attention due to increasing public and professional concern.
    • Clearer definitions and understanding of appropriate boundaries are needed for therapists, regulators, and the public.