Some boundaries should never be crossed. Learn when to compromise—and when to hold firm with your boundaries. Not all behaviors should be tolerated in your relationships. We set boundaries to let others know what we expect and how we want to be treated. But what happens when an important boundary is crossed? We need to …
Many families experience estrangement. Sometimes an estrangement lasts a lifetime and other times family members reconcile and either put aside their differences or forge a stronger relationship. An estrangement can be a complete cutoff of all communication (no contact) or a partial cutoff where one person makes a consistent effort to limit contact or emotional …
It can be hard to understand why adult children cut ties with a parent. This is usually because we assume that parent-child relationships are not only important but functional. Family is forever. Blood is thicker than water. These sayings reflect our assumptions that family relationships are close and long-lasting. Parent-child relationships, in particular, are expected …
Are you struggling to set boundaries? Do you feel like you’re giving it your all, but your boundaries still aren’t working? In this article, I’ll review 5 common boundary-setting mistakes and offer some suggestions for setting better boundaries. First, a quick overview of what boundaries are and why we all need them. Boundaries are essential …
What is self-esteem or self-worth? Self-esteem is how you feel about yourself. It’s similar to the concept of self-worth (and I will use the terms interchangeably in this article). Our goal is to have high self-esteem, meaning we feel good about ourselves most of the time. We know we have intrinsic value. And we know …
What’s the connection between codependency and boundaries? Below you’ll find a short video that I made discussing the link between codependency and boundaries, some bullet points to reinforce the main ideas, and some additional resources to aid in your understanding and support you in learning to set boundaries. Boundaries For this discussion, it’s important to …
Codependents are often caretakers, which is a great quality—except we tend to do it at our own expense, and often when help isn’t wanted or needed. The result is a codependent pattern of rescuing, resenting, and regretting. Learn to break this pattern and stop rescuing and enabling. Codependent rescuing Rescuing is an unhealthy version of …
I’ve gathered all of my resources for coping with the holidays here for easy access. If you’re having a hard time, I hope you’ll find some support and guidance to help you through the challenges that often come with the holidays. Articles Holiday Self-Care: Coping with Stress and Difficult Family Members 6 Things You Can …
The holidays are here again! We all know it’s supposed to be a joyful time of year – filled with happy family gatherings, plentiful gifts, and a joyful spirit. But for some, the reality is far different – the family gatherings are painful, finances are tight, and you feel anxious and overwhelmed. How can we …
Holiday Self-Care: Coping with Stress and Difficult Family Relationships Read More »
Are you guilty of giving unsolicited advice? Advice is usually intended to be helpful. And many of us (myself included) offer guidance and suggestions, even tell others what they should do, without being asked. Regardless of our intentions, giving advice that isn’t wanted, can be annoying, intrusive, and even manipulative. In this article, we’ll explore …
Unsolicited Advice: What It Is and How to Avoid It Read More »
