The Important of Nuance

Nowadays, it feels a lot like people look at things in very black-and-white terms. Things are either THIS or THAT and there’s no in-between. Pop psychology has commandeered terms that in the field meant something completely different than how it’s used in actual therapeutic context.

Let’s take boundary setting for example.

Setting boundaries are meant to help protect relationships. The point of having boundaries is about understanding what you are or aren’t willing to give within a relationship, which is reciprocal. It’s okay to tell someone you don’t feel comfortable with something or that you can’t do something or simply that you don’t want to. But it’s also important to consider how that person may feel or react to something. While a boundary can be a simple ‘no’, it could also be “I can’t do that but I know someone else you can!” or “I’m unable to help with this right now but I can follow up about it later!”

Every situation we encounter comes with context and it’s important to consider that context. We should endeavor to do our best to be mindful, respectful, and empathetic to the other person involved in whatever scenario we’re navigating.