Tuesday, September 11, 2012

PARTNERS OF NARCISSISTS: Is this you???

In NARCISSISTIC LOVERS, the authors state that" Narcissists tend to be drawwn to co-dependents becuase they have a subconscious desire to be mothered and taken care of. They also are often aware that many Codependent types have a fear of abandonment and they use that fear to maintain control over them." Look at the following list of codenpendent traits and see if you see yourself: You base your feelings of selfworth on your partners approval. You try to solve your partners problems because you feel directly affected by them. Your primary goal is to satisfy and care for him/her. You feel happy when you are able to solve problems for your partner. You put aside your interests and spend time focusing on your partner. You feel your partner reflects you, their appearance, etc. You view your positive qualities as what you have to offer others. You are unaware of what you want and are concerned with what your partner wants. You have dreams of your future which include your partner. You are careful not to provoke your partnes anger. You are afraid of rejection by your partner You are generous in order to feel secure and prove your love to him/her. As you involve yourself with your partner, you lose contact with friends and family. You put your own values aside in order to relate to him/her. You hold his opinion in high regard. The quality of your partners life has an impact on the quality of your life. Positive comments from your partner give you a high; negative ones leave you low. How did you do? did you answer yes to many of these characteristics? Becoming aware of these tendencies can giv eyou choices about what you want and/or need to change. There is hope and help for you! To make an appointment, contact The Trauma Queen, Stephanie Ecke, LPC at 210-287-4002

Monday, September 10, 2012

BEWARE OF NARCISSISM PART 2: take this quiz!

As I stated in my last post...Love Addicts must be aware of Narcissism, it's characteristics and its effects. Take the following quiz and assess your partner's level of narcissism. Score 1 = never; 2 = ocassionally; 3 = frequently; 4= always. ________ Very competetive ________ Manipulative ________ Misleads and lies ________ Insensitive to your feelings ________ Controls you ________ Envious ________ Needs to be cente of attention ________ Demeaning ________ Self-Absorbed ________ Easily angered when confronted ________ Indirectly looks for attention ________ Feels their needs take priority over yours ________ Critical of your friends ________ Careless and impulsive Then total your score. Authors of the book,NARCISSISTIC LOVERS, suggest that if your score totals between 43 and 56, it reflects that your partner has excessive narcissistic qualities. A score between 29 and 42 indicates your partner has a high amount of narcisisstic traits and a score between 14 and 28 illustrates your partner has limited narcissistic characteristics. The book suggests that you must arm yourself with information about narcissism in order to deal with it and know what you need to do to best take care of yourself.

Sunday, April 01, 2012

Some other observations along the road:

TIP # 4: God will provide all my needs if I let Him....I really believe I am so afraid that God won't meet my needs that I can block the flow by getting in there and trying to fill His role myself....Today (Im almost embarassed to admit how many blessings I received.) Hubby fixed breakfast, a friend dropped by for a visit and got me out for a yogurt, another friend came over and brought lunch and watched a movie with me and the kids came over to see if I needed anything. Now in the old days I might would have missed it with my "Never enough" attitude....:(

TIP # 5: Which brings me to the next tip Im trying to re-remember over and over again...Practicing gratitude is a daily discipline - definitely not a feeling. Practicing gratitude is a habit which increases my joy...

TIP # 6: Feel my feelings. It's important in taking care of myself to identify my feelings and express them in a healthy manner if possible. In program circles they used to say "Trace it, face it and erase it." and "you can't heal what you can't feel"...This helped me learn the value of my feelings. Later I have had to learn that although important, feelings don't get to run the show. "The mind controlled by the spirit is life and peace." Romans 8:6

Friday, March 30, 2012

RECOVERY - SOMETIMES SWIFTLY; SOMETIMES SLOWLY

Yikes,I broke two bones in my leg when I "took a tumble" (thanks, Jan) walking on Saturday.....I had surgery two days ago. I feel like I am back at the beginning of my addiction recovery in some ways....back remembering the basics....taking it one day at a time....

So I thought I'd blog my way through. Maybe I can share some tips that are helping me make it through and you can share any ideas you might have too?

So for now, what's working

TIP #1) Don't over do it.....Accept where I am and surrender to the processs. I can remember in the early days of my addiction recovery I was in so much (emotional) pain I was in a hurry to get it over with. I thought I could be done once and for all and out of pain...but you really cannot push the river in recovery and.....the same goes for the human body. Although amazing in its capacity to heal, it does have it's own timing.

TIP # 2) Trust in my Higher Power....When I first began on my journey to transformation, I really didn't know my Higher Power. Today, (although admittedly I still have much to learn, I do know a few things...(in large part thanks to Sandy Ross and many life experiences) I know God is good. I know God loves me personally. I know God has a good plan for my life. I know I can trust Him and his will. I know He makes all things work together for the good. And He can and will provide me comfort and solace.

TIP # 3) Ask for help. I tried to do everything by myself when I was a newbie. I used to think it was shameful to need help and a sign of weakness. Now I know that it's human and healthy to need help. Ok...here's where I need help! CRUTCHES SUCK...any tips out there?

More tips tomorrow.

Stephanie Ellis Ecke, LPC aka The Trauma Queen (www.thetraumaqueen.com) can be contacted via her website. To schedule an appointment, please call 210-287-4002

Friday, November 18, 2011

Since my website is undergoing maintenance I will not be able to finish my series on Love Avoidance for a few more days...stay tuned

Saturday, October 29, 2011

HOW TO HEAL FROM LOVE AVOIDANCE - PART 2

We left off yesterday with the cause of Love Avoidance: enmeshment with the opposite sex parent. If this is the case with you, enter therapy to work through childhood feelings stemming from enmeshment Oftentimes these are feelings of deep anger and the pain and fear of the precious child you once were. Some experts even go so far as to call this form of enmeshment "emotional incest".....

4) Establish boundaries. Boundaries are essential for the love avoidant. They mustfeel that they can say no. Because the love avoidant often stays in a relationship out of duty and not love, they don't say no when they need to. Later, resenting the partner and using that as an excuse to "have a life".....(Leave the relationship for another person or an addiction).....

5) Whether through working the steps or some other route, to recover, one must connect to a higher power. The 12 steps are designed to bring us to a spiritual awakening, where we can come to rely on a loving God who cares for us and our wellbeing. If you don't have that yet,it's going to be almost impossible to get better. I suggest you speak to a minister, priest, rabbi, or someone who can help you.

More on recovery from Love Avoidance tomorrow.....stay tuned.

Friday, October 28, 2011

HOW TO OVERCOME LOVE AVOIDANCE

Love avoidants don't seem to come in for therapy as much as their counterpart - the love addict. However, occasionally they do....especially when they realize that they have broken up with that perfectly nice gal they were involved with for no good reason....and it keeps happening....As they get older, the love avoidant begins the see a pattern and their loneliness may drive them in for help.

Although on the outside, the love avoidant seems more "together" than the love addict, sometimes they are more difficult to deal with. So what are the steps to conquering love avoidance.

1) Address primary addictions. Oftentimes the love avoidant is addicted to something - be it alcohol, sex,excessive sports, risk taking, etc. Their addiction makes them unavailable for intimacy.

2) Join a Support Group. It is important for the The Love Avoidant to join a support group such as a 12 step group in order to begin practicing healthy intimacy in a safe environment.

3) Deal with childhood wounding. The love avoidant generally speaking has had enmeshment with their opposite sex parent. As children, they felt the pressure of emotionally and sometimes physically taking care of an addicted or otherwise immature parent. This was too much and overwhelming to the child. So much so, that in adulthood, they fear intimacy and fear they will be suffocated or overwhelmed - a relive of their childhood experience.

Stay tuned for part 2 of this article tomorrow.....

Questions, comments....if you would like more information on Love addiction or avoidance or to make an appointment, please call Stephanie at 210-287-4002

Saturday, September 10, 2011

SELF-CARE THROUGH CREATING JOY

We may think that joy is elusive, that we just have to wait until happiness comes to us. Happiness and joy are not the same things though. Happiness does seem transient, based on circumstances. But we can make a choice to create joy in our lives. With just a few simple actions, we can prime our pumps for more joy in our lives.

1. Journal regularly. Writing your thoughts and feelings puts things in perspective, serves as an objective sounding board and can create a more positive mood.

2. Speak encouraging words to yourself. It is a proven fact that positive affirmations have the power to create a positive outlook. Write your own, claim bible verses...catch yourself when you are saying something negative and change it to a positive truth.

3. Do it differently! Whether it is changing the way you drive to work, taking a new class, or trying an exotic dish for the first time, changing your routine is a great way to add more zest to your life.

4. Express gratitude. Information abounds on the positive effects of practicing gratitude. Make a gratitutde list, tell someone you appreciate them or write a thank you note. Find ways to express your thankfulness for the positive things in your life. You will be amazed at how it will lift your mood.

5. Use your senses to enhance joy. Smell the roses, eat your favorite food, feel the grass under your feet, listen to a beautiful symphony. Your senses were meant to give you pleasure and pleasure increases joy.

What are some ways you produce joy in your life?

Call Stephanie Ecke, LPC at 210-287-4002 for help creating more joy in your life...

Saturday, June 25, 2011

BEAUTY: PART 2

I have continued my pondering on what beauty really means...

A very interesting definition of the word was found in dictionary.com It said:

"the quality present in a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind, whether arising from sensory manifestations (as shape, color, sound, etc.), a meaningful design or pattern, or something else (as a personality in which high spiritual qualities are manifest)."

Wow!!

The important words in this definition are: pleasure, satisfaction, mind, sensory, meaningful, and spiritual.....these are the qualities that must be present for us to find BEAUTY.....

As we began contemplating these ideas, my friend Charlotte Jorgansen, Black Belt Nia Instructor and I developed some concepts for a workshop to help you find the Beauty Within....I am hoping she will be a guest writer in the next post....Stay tuned to hear from her and to get more info on our upcoming workshops!

what is your idea of beauty? how do you attain it? When do you feel most beautiful? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Becoming Spiritually Beautiful....

I have a confession to make: I had botox..... Of course what I found out is that for the best results, I should have started about 20 years ago!

The night after I had it done, and after I read a long list of potentially harmful side effects, I was lamenting to my husband. How could I, "Miss Organic Natural"...so cavalierly done this. Now I had botulism coursing through my veins.....Scary thought. What had possessed me?

On thinking back, I reflected that my husband and I were going on a vacation of a lifetime with a dear couple whom we hadn't seen in awhile. I wanted to look my best. Makes sense.....but there was something deeper.

As I did some soul-searching, I asked myself: Was it that I deep down inside do not feel good enough, thin enough, young enough or pretty enough....Sadly, apparently, I do not feel like I am "enough", particularly as I age.

Granted our culture is a culture of youth and beauty, and the media's idea of beauty is in our face constantly.... but that's society's perception. I decided I had to learn more about what my definition of beauty really is.

As luck would have it, I spotted a copy of a little book - believe it or not at the grocery store...The title? "Becoming Spiritually Beautiful: Seeing Yourself From God's Perspective".

In this precious book, the author Sharon Jaynes tells us how to experience a "faith lift"...There is one pivotal point in becoming spiritually beautiful: We must spend time with the Beauty Artist - God....Ms Jaynes states: "Being a reflection of His glory is a direct result of spending time in His presence embraced in His love and enveloped in His grace.'

She poses the question: Have you ever noticed how couples after being together a long time begin to look alike? The same is true with God....I will begin to resemble Him the more time I spend with Him. That's an exciting thought...doesn't cost any money and there are no terrible side effects. I think that's the beauty treatment I really need. I certainly don't fault anyone for doing whatever they can and want to do to make themselves feel better about themselves....But I have made a big decision: to go to the Author of all Beauty for my worth...

What do you think? Can 2 Corinthians 3:18 really become real if we spend time looking in His mirror. "We who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit"

I'm gonna try it!

To find out more about Stephanie, visit her website www.thetraumaqueen.com or to schedule an appointment, call her at 210-287-4002.

Thursday, June 09, 2011

EMOTIONAL SOBRIETY

I recently gave a talk to an Adult Children of Alcoholics group. It was a very lovely group and Im so glad I did. I happened to pick the topic of Emotional Sobriety and is often the case, I learned a lot while researching for this topic. The obvious things of course about emotional sobriety are that it involves the ability to self-soothe and regulate emotions.

Now you're probably thinking "Easier said than done!"...right? That's what I thought. Then I realized that the ability to regulate emotions requires one very important ingredient: A functional adult self on board.

For many people who are children of dysfunctional families (which involves alcoholic, mentally ill and/or narcissistic parents) this is what their recovery is all about - developing that Inner Loving Parent or Functional Adult Self (word coined by Pia Mellody and the Meadows).... The Functional Adult Self has the ability to affirm rather than criticize the self and to set respectful boundaries. Recovery groups like ACOA are very good at supporting its members in devloping the skills needed to do this.

Are you able to affirm yourself and to set boundaries? If not, you may need help developing your Functional Adult Self. I would encourage you to find a support group and/or therapist to help you with this very important task....

For more information about Stephanie, visit www.thetraumaqueen.com or give her a call at 210-287-4002 to schedule an appointment.

Thursday, December 02, 2010

10 STEPS TO CONQUERING LOVE ADDICTION

I admit it, Step one is gonna be hard, so prepare yourself. Here goes:

1) If at all possible, abstain from a love relationship for 6 months to a year...Yes, you're going to go into withdrawal, but we'll get into that in a minute....If you are married and it's not possible, practical or desireable to get out of your primary relationship, it is do-able, but harder. (See Pia Mellody's book, Facing Love Addiction)

2) Get a support system - preferably Love Addicts Anonymous, SLAA, ACA or AlAnon....begin to learn relating and connecting in healthy, non sexual ways.

3) You will go through withdrawal..It's very likely going to be very uncomfortable.Do not enter into another relationship to fix your feeligns at this crucial time! this is an important step in the process where you will....

4) Feel the feelings from your childhood that didn't get resolved and expressed....those feelings of pain, shame, anger and fear. It is very important to identify your feelings, feel them and express them....There's an old saying in twelve step circles, "You can't heal what you don't feel"....

5) Find a therapist who is trained in helping you do the trauma work you need to do to resolve these feelings that are from your past.....

6) Connect to your inner child, the part of you that was enmeshed, abandoned and/or abused in childhood. It's important to develop empathy for child feeling reality that you experiened back then.

7) Develop a Loving Parent inside who can connect to, nurture, protect and love the "true you" unconditionally.

8) Get a Higher Power - we cannot do this work alone!

9) Be clear on your trauma template...this is the template that was laid down when you were a child...it's who you're looking for - but usually not in a good way! When we're clear on the template, we will know which types of people will trigger our unhealthy love behaviors. (obsessing, avoiding, drama)

10. Transform your thinking and your life. With all these resources in place, your inner environment can be transformed. You truly can become a positive, powerful and optimistic person.....Then slowly re-enter or enter a love relationship......

For information on appointment fees and times, please call Stephanie Ecke, LPC at
210-287-4002

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

RADICAL SELF-CARE!

Just got back from what was supposed to be a 3-day weekend in Vegas.....It ended up being a 5 day weekend! We couldn't get a flight out to save our lives. I thought I was in groundhog day! Everyday we'd get up before dawn, hail our taxi and off to the airport we'd go. Then we'd sit and wait only to find out we weren't leaving! Talk about stress! Vegas is one town where when you're done, you're done! I prayed...I asked for favor....I affirmed and did everything I could....No go! I had to surrender. It was frustrating, but I did the best I could to really take good care of myself, by going to quiet places, journalling, taking bubble baths and extra vitamin C....going to bed extra early....Oh, of course, a part of me wanted to just eat that extra chocolate to treat myself,or say to heck with it and stay up all night at the slots. But I knew my stress level was high and that was the last thing I really needed. I'm proud of myself because I practiced "radical Self-care"

What do you do to manage times of extra stress? Eat more? Smoke more? Drink more? gamble more or do you double up on self-care efforts....extra vitamins, a nap, quiet time, journalling, eating extremely healthy - lots of extra fresh vegies and fruits, a long walk or run? That's what I call RadicalSelf-care!!! When everything in you wants to indulge yourself, but instead you take care of yourself!!! Don't regress - progress! (not perfection)...

Monday, October 11, 2010

Stockholm Syndrome???

Stockholm Syndrome: What is it? Wikepedia defines it this way: "A paradoxical psychological phenomenon wherein hostages express adulation and have positive feelings towards their captors that appear irrational in light of the danger or risk endured by the victims". This term came about in 1973 in Sweden when two bank robbers held four hostages, three women and one man, for 131 hours. The hostages were strapped with dynamite and held in a bank vault until they were finally rescued.

After their rescue, the hostages exhibited a shocking attitude considering they were threatened, abused, and feared for their lives for over five days. In their media interviews, it was clear that the hostages had bonded emotionally with their captors.
Another way to put this is that the hostages had more empathy for their captors than they did for themselves and what they had been through. Stockholm Syndrome is what likely kept Jaycee Lee Dugard (rescued last year) with her captor for 18 years.

Therapists are very accustomed to seeing this phenomena in victims of trauma, such as, abused children, battered women, Prisoners of War, cult members, incest victims, criminal hostage situations, and concentration camp prisoners.

In our Healing Pathways 3-day Trauma Intensive, my co-therapist and I often look for signs of Stockholm Syndrome in the participants. It subtly shows up as super-loyalty to their childhood abusers and more awareness of their abusers' (often their parents) feelings than their own....The client will say things like, "Yes, my mom abused me, but she had me so young, she didn't know what she was doing." or "My dad sexually molested me, but he was also molested as a child."....All this sounds like the person truly has worked through something, but upon further questioning, they have not.

To recover, trauma victims must first get back in touch with their child feeling reality that they have suppressed and minimized- what it felt like to be the child experiencing the pain that they suffered. The victim must in a way re-experience that pain and have empathy for themselves as the child who went through it and for the moment stop having empathy for the abuser.

Empathy is very different from self-pity. It is is a special form of compassion. Being able to have compassion or empathy for ourselves as a child who experienced pain takes us out of the Stockholm Syndrome and moves us forward.......and is a vital first step toward self-love!

Easier said than done....Next post: How to develop empathy for ourselves

Friday, September 03, 2010

IT'S NOT UNCHRISTIAN TO NEED HELP!

Ok, I love Joyce Meyer....so I was listening to a CD on my walk today when I hear her say, "I was abused as a child and I just had to CHOOSE to get over it"....This is the kind of verbage which I often hear in Christian circles that makes my head spin. It makes it sound so easy...."I just had to choose to get over it!"

When you hear statements like this, do you wonder if God has forgotten you? Or if maybe you're doing something wrong?

I dont know about you, but just choosing didn't work for me. In fact, it took a lot of work and a lot of help for me to get over the traumas which occurred in my childhood. While I do believe that God can heal us in an instant, He seems to often use a process to get the job done. Maybe in order for us to have time to catch up with our healing and change those old habits of thought and habits of feeling.

Back in the day, sufferers of unresolved trauma would just have to suffer with panic attacks, severe depression, dissosiative disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, OCD, phobias, etc. They were given diagnoses of Borderline Personality Disorder, Multiple Personality Disorder, etc. But with the strides made in the last two decades in the field of trauma and recovery some of these problems can be eraadicated - healed. EMDR, EFT, some of the new energy therapies, etc are all boons to this field. And new medications which pinpoint serotonin, dopamine and other neurotransmitters have helped. tremendously..(more on that topic another time)....

There's a saying in 12 step circles, "It takes what it takes"...and while in the end, I do have to CHOOSE to get well, sometimes that choice has to be followed by actions.....

Monday, August 30, 2010

Detaching with Love?? What is it?

There is an excellent little one page Al-Anon pamphlet entitled "Detachment".....I don't know where the "With Love" part came from, but I know I've heard the phrase in Al-Anon. It sounds great, but what exactly does it mean.

Basically, Detachment means putting the focus on taking care of ourselves. As described in the previous article, the codependent gets caught up in the cycle of reacting and enabling....which both lead to misery. This cycle, which is progressive, gets harder and harder to stop. Detaching is a great tool for breaking the cycle of misery.

In the "Detachment" pamphlet, it states, "Detachment is neither kind or unkind. It does not imply judgement or condemnation of the person or situation from which we re detaching. Separating ourselves from the adverse effects of another person's (negative behavior) can be a means of detaching; this does not necessarily require physical separation."

"Detachment allows us to let go of our obsession with another's behavior and begin to lead happier and more manageable lives, lives with dignity and rights, lives guided by a Power greater than ourselves. We can still love the person without liking the behavior."

Easier said than done, I know....but simply stated, when we find ourselves obsessing about someone else, either positively or negatively, we can stop ourselves by figuring out what we need in the moment and then doing it. By doing this our lives will dramatically change for the better!

Thursday, August 26, 2010

???WHAT IS CODEPENDENCY???

This word has been in popular use for at least 20 years but there's still no clear-cut definnition
...Many people think it means being "dependent", but it really doesn't necessarily have anything to do with being a dependent person. While looking it up I found this definition in the Alcohol Self-Help News
"Codependency is a condition that results in a dysfunctional relationship between the codependent and other people. A codependent is addicted to helping someone. They need to be needed. " And I think these definitions come pretty close to the truth. However, the other day, I came across a definition of codependency which I found intriguing. It is, "Anyone who subjects himself to a problem person."
Now, admittedly, this definition is a tad bit broad. But I would simply add one word to it: repeatedly. A Codependent is anyone who repeatedly subjects himself to a problem person.
The word repeatedly makes all the difference. If I repeatedly place myself in a position where I am with a problem person there are only a few choices I have.....What will happen to a codependent is that they will find themself in a cycle of reacting and enabling, which inevitably leads to anger, strife and frustration. Not exactly happy, joyous and free.
What if you are caught in this cycle? A lot of times the "problem person" is one who has a substance problem or is highly narcissistic. Twelve Step programs, particularly Al-Anon can help one get out of the cycle of reacting and enabling. They do this by teaching a very powerful tool called "Detaching With Love".....Also, Pia Mellody's book, "Facing Love Addiction" has some quite in depth instructions on "How to Put a Relationship On Hold"....
If you get caught in the codependency cycle of repeatedly putting yourself in a position where you are with a problem person and these self-help measures don't work, you may need professional help. Often times what lies at the root of this issue is a repetition compulsion -repeating a childhood wounding experience over and over. A therapist trained in this type of work can help you begin to heal the origins of these patterns.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Stay tuned for future blogs......

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

WITHDRAWING FROM LOVE ADDICTION

Well, it's Christmas and this is often the time that the love addicted tango comes to a screeching halt....I get lots of calls this time of year from love addicts in the throes of withdrawal....So, what is it and how does one get through it?

Basically, love addiction withdrawal occurs like any other addiction withdrawal when the addictive substance is removed. In this case, when the object of the love addict's affection is removed, all the feelings come up that the love addict has been stuffing down.

Since love addiction is an addiction issue caused by childhood trauma, neglect and abandonment, it is the feelings from the original wound that come up during withdrawal...the feelings of shame, pain, abandonment, fear, grief and anger. This can be an excruciatingly painful and difficult time for the love addict. A good support system such as SLAA (Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous), LAA (Love Addicts Anonymous) or Al-Anon can be invaluable during the withdrawal process.

Besides attendance at meetings, some tools to help cope with withdrawal are: 1) taking it one day at a time; 2) calling a support person when obsessing; 3) journalling about feelings; 4) having some child-like fun; 5) going for a walk or exercising; and most importantly 6) working the Steps with a sponsor.

The main thing is to resolve the child trauma experiences. It is for this reason that I have teamed up with Amy Fisher Hodges, RN, LCDC to conduct Healing Pathways, our Three-Day Trauma Intensive.....Through this process, participants have enough time and group support to resolve much of the trauma that drives the love addiction...

This frees the Love Addict up to take all the energy they have been using on their addiction and use it on loving and taking care of themselves.....NOW THAT'S A GREAT CHRISTMAS GIFT! HAPPY HOLIDAYS

For more info: contact Stephanie Ecke, LPC, LCDC at 210.287.4002

Sunday, October 04, 2009

BOUNDARIES AREN'T UNCHRISTIAN

I've been thinking about this lately. So many of the Christians I work with need boundary work. They seem to think that having boundaries is bad. A good book that addresses this topic is Boundaries by Cloud and Townsend.

What are boundaries? They serve several purposes - they protect us from offensive behavior and they contain us from being offenders ourselves. They also keep the good stuff in and let the bad stuff out, keep the bad stuff out and let the bood stuff in.

According to Pia Mellody, there are three kinds of boundaries. Physical, Sexual and Internal. It is the Internal Boundaries where most of us have problems.

There are two parts to our internal boundaries - listening and talking. Of key importance in our talking boundary is speaking our truth in love. Many Christians are trying to be "nice" instead of telling the truth. Telling the truth doesn't mean I have to be rude. Telling the truth with boundaries and moderation works! When I am with someone who I know will be honest with me, I feel safe!

Here'ssomething Jesus said along this topic: "Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one". Matthew 5:37.

Looks like Jesus believed in boundaries, too!

If you need help with your boundaries or would like to learn more about them, you can contact Stephanie at 210.287.4002 or through her website at www.stephanieecke.com