In this episode of The Therapist Thrival Guide, Miranda is joined by Letisha and Madison for a thoughtful, honest conversation about Set Boundaries, Find Peace by Nedra Glover Tawwab. This book sparked such a rich discussion—one that we know will resonate whether you’re a therapist, a client, or just someone trying to navigate relationships more clearly.
This episode dives into what healthy boundaries actually look like across different parts of life—family, friendships, work, and even social media—and share real-life examples of how boundary setting has shown up in our own lives and in our work. We also break down the different types of boundaries Tawwab describes, what gets in the way of holding them, and why boundaries are such an essential part of self-care and healing.
This episode is full of takeaways you can use right away, whether you're trying to have clearer communication, protect your energy, or show up more fully for yourself and others.
Link to the book: https://amzn.to/469AjWt
Timestamps:
00:00 – Welcome + Meet Letisha and Madison
01:37 – How we talk about boundaries in therapy
02:30 – A look at the different types of boundaries
03:55 – What makes boundaries actually work
05:08 – How we've struggled (and grown) with boundaries personally
08:38 – What makes boundary enforcement so hard
16:56 – Time and material boundaries in real life
19:34 – How trauma complicates boundary work
26:40 – Being clear and direct without guilt
28:41 – Family dynamics + long-standing patterns
36:22 – Setting boundaries with yourself (yes, that counts!)
42:26 – Final reflections and favorite insights
The Therapist Thrival Guide is a podcast by Ellie Mental Health. We want to move therapists beyond surviving and into the realm of thriving by covering all the things that graduate school didn't teach you! This mental health podcast is hosted by Miranda Barker, LICSW and a rotating cast of seasoned therapists. Each episode features a therapist speaking to their areas of expertise to help us learn how to thrive as therapists.
Miranda Barker, MSW, LICSW, has been practicing as a therapist for over three years. She previously worked as a child protection investigator, adoption social worker, and case manager. She loves soaking up all of the knowledge from the expert therapists in her life. She's currently the Director of Content and Production at Ellie Mental Health and believes that creativity is an important aspect of mental health care.
The Therapist Thrival Guide is one of many creative productions from Ellie Mental Health. Ellie is a national mental health brand organized around community-based outpatient mental health clinics. It all began with a single office in St. Paul, Minnesota back in 2015, and since then has expanded to over 24 clinics in Minnesota and an explosive number of locations nationwide after franchising our model in 2021. #therapy