OPG Services: Supporting Healthy Family Boundaries
Boundaries are invisible lines we draw which separate ourselves from others in a healthy way which protect us from harm. We communicate our boundaries directly through conversation or indirectly through our actions by telling people where our limitations are for their actions and behaviors.
There are three kinds of boundaries an individual has for themselves which apply to the family system. First are physical boundaries. Physical boundaries decide how and where we allow ourselves to be touched and by whom. Second are emotional boundaries. Emotional boundaries put a strong starting and finishing line between our emotions and the emotions of others. Lastly are mental boundaries. Mental boundaries define how far we are willing to let someone else into our mind.
In the family system, there are individual boundaries and family boundaries. For example, siblings tend to loathe when another sibling barges in their room unannounced, because a physical boundary has been crossed. Quite literally, someone else has entered their private space. Parents have boundaries for how children are allowed to act or behave toward parents, each other, and others.
When addiction or a mental health diagnosis has entered the family home, family boundaries are critical for healthy recovery. Families easily become consumed by a loved one’s suffering and consequent recovery process. Getting overly involved in a loved one’s recovery process can quickly blur the necessary lines of boundaries.
O’Connor Professional Group offers services which take the guesswork out of recovery, helping the family focus on healing as a family. Our Case Managers keep all the details of a loved one together, managing all the many treatment providers and contacts who need to stay informed. Monitoring services take the role of policing off the family’s hands and puts accountability into the hands of a professional team. Where family members fall short of offering the experiential understanding of living with addiction and recovering from addiction, therapeutic recovery coaches or companions can help bridge the gap.
Our services help families stay families and focus on healing individually, as a family, and as a home.
Let the O’Connor Professional Group take the guesswork out of putting a treatment plan together. Our combined personal and professional experience empowers us to empower you with a private consultation and customized plan of action for getting the help you need. Call us today for information: 617 910-3940
