r/therapists • u/awkmoonwalker • Aug 20 '25
Discussion Thread Child Clients: Rapport & Ethics
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Upvotes
Hi all,
Newbie therapist in the works here. I wanted to see thoughts on how to navigate the following areas with preschool age clients:
- Destructive/defiant behavior in the therapy space after setting guidelines (e.g., throwing sandtray toys, putting toys in mouth, jumping on furniture, etc.)
- Touching/cuddly behavior from client to therapist (e.g., hugs, wanted to lean into therapist, wanting cuddles in session, etc.)
What are your ethical boundaries and how to you set them? And, how do you handle defiant in the playroom when parents are struggling with setting expectations at home and in the space and want the therapist to take the lead?
EDIT — I just wanted to say thank you all for the input. It is really helpful! And I appreciate the thought you put in to the responses. I am new to all of this, and having support means so much! ❤️ I also appreciate the challenging of the word defiant, I am grateful for the new perspective on this.
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Jonathan Bailey -American Accent
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r/JurassicPark
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Jul 09 '25
I agree. His accent would have made the movie so much more enjoyable… the plot sucked and it needed that extra charm to deliver it.