Boundaries and the Self

The discussion of boundaries in mental health treatment today is escalating. There is a concern to establish personal limits to protect both physical and psychological well-being in the face of rising levels of burnout, stress, and digital fatigue. We want to foster healthy relationships, and ensure that there is trust and safety in our therapeutic encounters. Boundaries exist for both the provider and the individual who engage in services. The ability to say “no” to others and the world—so that we may prioritize our self-care without succumbing to feelings of guilt—is considered an exercise in maintaining good boundaries. But how do we distinguish between self and others in a way that does not further entrench an inordinate focus on ourselves, which is a key factor in the alienation felt by so many at the present time? Yet little thought goes into why we have become so obsessed with boundaries, which is inseparable from the fact that we have lost contact with the sacred, which is precisely what has given rise to our current spiritual crisis. Without a grounding in traditional metaphysics, and the higher levels of reality of which it speaks, we will fail to understand the real nature of boundaries and, more importantly, of that which is boundless. It goes without saying that we need both in order to ensure authentic forms of psychotherapy that are truly beneficial.