Most of us have only a vague notion of what boundaries are, yet when it comes to mental health, they are vital.

So what are boundaries, really, and why are they so important?

We all have personal limits shaped by what we need. In relationships, some of those needs are essential — when they go unmet, strain follows.

Boundaries are simply how we communicate those needs. Though they vary from person to person, their purpose is the same: to express what’s required for someone to participate in a relationship.

Seen this way, boundaries aren’t personal. They’re a statement of what the relationship needs in order to work.

Like a fence between two houses, a boundary marks personal limits — physical, emotional, or psychological.

Boundaries clarify the conditions under which a relationship can continue at any given time. They are not rigid rules, but part of an ongoing relational process that shifts as people and relationships evolve.

When a boundary........

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