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Therapist Nedra Glover Tawwab on the Life-Changing Practice of Setting Boundaries

Therapist Nedra Glover Tawwab on the Life-Changing Practice of Setting Boundaries

By Stacey Lindsay
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Think about the last time you felt anxious. Irritated. Overwhelmed. Angry. Now pinpoint the reason. Stumped? Chances are you were facing a boundary issue.Therapist Nedra Glover Tawwab sees this constantly in her practice. 'When I began my work as a therapist, I thought I would be helping people with anxiety and relationship problems…and I did that,” says Tawwab, 'but what I noticed was what I was really helping them with was learning to be assertive and how to set boundaries.”Through her practice and incredibly insightful Instagram account, Tawwab helps people implement guidelines so they 'can feel good in life.” Her work can help anyone at any stage, but given that we live in a polarized climate, and the holidays are approaching, the need for clear direction on self-preservation seems especially dire right now…which is why we called Tawwab. Her advice is as simple as it is life changing. It's also a reality check, because as much of this work is about setting expectations with others, it's also about setting them with our own selves.'We will always be powerless if we're trying to exert our power over other people,” says Tawwab. 'But we will be powerful if we do it with ourselves.”

Stacey Lindsay

Stacey Lindsay is a Seattle-based journalist and senior editor of The Sunday Paper. Her forthcoming book, BEING 40: The Decade of Letting Go—and Embracing Who We Are comes out May 5th from The Open Field and is available for pre-order.

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