I receive many questions about boundaries and relationships.

There's a lot that can be said about this topic, but we must first lay down some basic

facts about what boundaries are so that we can build on this knowledge in the future.

If you're confused about what boundaries are and how to implement them in your life,

this episode is for you.

Welcome back to Savvy Psychologist, I'm your host, Dr. Monica Johnson.

Every week on this show, I'll help you face life's challenges with evidence-based approaches,

a sympathetic ear and zero judgment.

The first thing I want to discuss is the general concept of passive, aggressive, and assertive

boundaries.

These are likely terms that you've heard before in other contexts, but they can also apply

to boundaries.

A person with aggressive boundaries can push on others and lead them to feel that the

aggressor is controlling, intimidating, or acting superior to them.

Broadly speaking, aggressive boundaries can lead to isolation for the aggressor, which

is likely not the outcome they want because it makes others wary of interaction.

A person with passive boundaries will feel like they are being controlled by others.

If you've ever been told you are, or felt like a doormat, you likely have passive boundaries.

This is problematic as well because it means your needs aren't being met.

In fact, interactions can start to become intolerable because you can begin to feel violated

by other people.

This can sometimes lead to what we call passive aggressive behaviors, or even aggressive behavior,

...