Boundary Setting Program

Authors

Alyssa Gehrke, Illinois Math and Science AcademyFollow

Document Type

Classroom Resource

Publication Date

Winter 12-2023

Target Audience

Teens and Young Adults

Purpose

It is difficult for anybody, but especially teens and young adults, to understand what their boundaries are and to know how to communicate them with others. This impacts this age group (teens and young adults) most specifically because when we are young, we are both implicitly and explicitly told to mold and change our wants and needs to make others feel more comfortable. So, when living away from home for the first time and living with and being surrounded by new people who they are just getting to know it can be natural for them to want to continue molding and changing themselves to make other more comfortable. It is easy, because they are already in a vulnerable state, to take boundaries being set personally and to feel like they did something wrong. Due to feeling this way, they struggle to accept boundaries from others and struggle to set and communicate their own. Adapting the view of personal boundaries being normal and healthy is going to be extremely beneficial, as boundaries should be part of every healthy relationship. Knowing how to understand what your boundaries are and knowing how to communicate your boundaries are necessary skills because people have to maintain relationships in every aspect of their lives—with themselves, friends, family, significant others, coworkers, and so on. The purpose of this program is to begin shifting their view of boundaries to a more positive one and to begin practicing those skills.

Recommended Citation

Gehrke, Alyssa, "Boundary Setting Program" (2023). Goal 2: Life Skills Narrative. 27.
https://digitalcommons.imsa.edu/rl_cpg_2/27