This hinting or sideways communication stops us from learning how to sit with the fear and anxiety of asking for what it is we truly want.

The problem is when avoiding emotions becomes an automatic response across situations.

the parts, while separate, also inform one another and comprise a whole.

Push back in response to a boundary is part of interpersonal relationships and in and of itself is not bad or good.

wanted boundary setting that could be as malleable and as soft as a young sapling and just as strong as a deep-rooted tree.

Repeating a directive can also help keep focus on what the other person is doing in response to a boundary,

the concept of being responsible for how someone responds is rooted, in part, in the culture of victim blaming.

Being able to name an experience and decide how to respond even if one is unable to point to an exact boundary crossing is an important part of boundary setting.

self-defense and boundary setting principles as methods for healing. I