The Lifeworks Group, Inc.

By:   Jessica Gilstrap LMHC, Heartspoken Counseling Inc.   We commonly define boundaries as a border or a limit that is set. Usually we will personally establish these in our lives; occasionally those around us help to set our boundaries. We establish boundaries through our experiences and relationships as children, adolescents, and adults.   Every person has certain boundaries, which are usually not verbalized.   Personal space is a good example of this.   Individuals have varying levels of comfort when talking about personal space. What may be comfortable to one person may not be comfortable to another.   There are several types of boundaries, physical is just one; there are emotional, financial, sexual boundaries and numerous others too numerous to cover in such a short article.   There are many reasons why individuals do not set boundaries.   Very often people aren’t aware that there is a need for boundaries.   Sometimes people don’t know how to set them and maintain them

When you think about eating disorders do you only think about celebrities like; Mary-Kate Olsen, Karen Carpenter, Jane Fonda, or Paula Abdul?   Regrettably, many people do, they don’t really know or believe/understand how rampant this problem has become.   How familiar are you when it comes to the topic of eating disorders?   Did you know that eating disorders do not just affect girls, guys can develop them too?   According to the Eating Disorders Statistics on Anorexia, Bulimia, and Binge Eating Disorders, between 5% and 10% of girls and women and an estimated 1 million boys and men suffer with some form of an eating disorder.    Unfortunately we are living in a time where how you look and what you wear often defines who you are in the eyes of everyday society.   As I sit in my counseling office day after day working with young men and young women, I see so many kids that have major body image problems.   The pressure that adolescents (and adult for that matter) face today surroun