What do the terms “therapeutic container” and “breach of boundaries” mean in a therapist malpractice and abuse case?
The therapeutic container is a term of art that refers to the way that psychotherapy is suppose to be practiced, that is, except in cases of analysis, the therapist should be sitting a reasonable distance away from the patient; there should be no physical contact other than a handshake or an occasional non-sexual hug; sessions should last for set periods of time and should occur in the office; there should be no intentional contact with the patient outside of the therapy office. This allows therapy to be “contained”. A therapist must also maintain his or her “boundaries” at all times. This means that the therapy must be focused at all times on the patient, the patient’s problems and not the therapist. The therapist should not reveal any intimate information about himself or herself to the patient, and the therapist should not engage in any type of business sexual, social or personal relationship with the patient other than psychotherapy. When a therapist fails to act in the above manne
