Boundary setting in romantic partnership(s) is often seen as rejection, enforcing rules, or relinquishing control, making it harder for people to honor their own boundaries in intimate partnerships and their partner’s, creating relationships that are colored with resentment and a lack of security. Oppressive social conditioning leads meany of us to becoming used to means of behaving around consent, privacy and boundaries that are actually, not ok. As a society we value romance that looks like complete devotion, loyalty and enmeshment, over romance that centers autonomy and independence.
For a relationship to be truly fulfilling, we have to be able to practice acceptance and honesty around the boundaries, thresholds and consent of all parties involved.
In Breaking Barriers: Boundaries, Thresholds & Consent, we discuss how to set and honor healthy boundaries in intimate partnership.