I think something to remember, too, is that therapy as a process depends upon a T being both a participant and an observer. Generally, being a participant is the easier role because most Ts are predisposed to want to help, and most clients welcome the behaviors of participation from their Ts because they feel good (whether the behaviors are hugs, out of session contact, interactivity, whatever).

But the observer role often requires a T to withhold or measure just the sort of behaviors that many clients identify as "caring." Boundaries support the participant role somewhat silently, but are often more noticeable to clients when invoked to support the observer role (we notice what's withheld or taken away).

But they're both necessary for the process to function, and Ts have to constantly weigh the balance of which to give priority to at any given time with a client. The more self-aware and experienced the T, the more they're able to handle this balance in a way that most helps the client with the least amount of disruption.