Not punishment in a cruel way, ever. But, for someone who never had an appropriate parent child relationship, some punishment can be good. I hesitate to use that word, tho, and lean more toward consequences.

Sometimes, therapy turns into a parent child relationship. It is where people learn how to properly navigate life and the relationships in it. If they never had proper consequences, either too lenient or too harsh, getting consequences from a T can be really beneficial.

This is why some Ts set rules on contact btwn appts, for instance. Without set boundaries or expectations, consequences don't have the desired effect.

Pushing boundaries is often a way to see if the T will react the way the parent(s) did/would. Sometimes, people in therapy need someone, anyone, to stand up and say "I will not allow that." Often, the only person they have that is capable of that is their T. It is, technically, modelling healthy boundaries and behavior.