Intentional Therapist: Putting You In Your Schedule

“No” is a Complete Sentence: A Conversation with Kim Long about the Importance of Boundaries

Dec 1, 2023

In this conversation, psychologist Kim Long digs into the vital topic of setting boundaries for female clinicians. She highlights common misconceptions and the unique challenges women face in maintaining self-care. Kim emphasizes the importance of recognizing warning signs that boundaries need strengthening and how bodily awareness can guide this process. With her engaging insights, she suggests that resentment may often be envy cloaked in discomfort. Listeners will appreciate her unconventional self-care strategies, merging emotional health with physical activity.

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Intro

00:00 • 3min

The Fluidity of Boundaries

02:32 • 19min

Understanding and Navigating Emotional Boundaries

21:51 • 6min

Establishing and Communicating Boundaries

27:32 • 11min

Listening to Your Body: The Key to Self-Care and Boundaries

38:30 • 3min

Exploring Self-Care Strategies and Resources for Mental Health Practitioners

41:12 • 6min

As clinicians we often speak with our clients about the importance of boundaries but how often do we actually apply that same wisdom to our own self-care?

In this episode we speak with psychologist Kim Long about the incredibly important yet uncomfortable topic of boundaries. Kim shares some of the common misconceptions about boundaries, some of the reasons why this is so hard for female clinicians, and how this might show up differently if we’re working in a public versus private setting. We go on to explore the warning signs that might suggest we need to strengthen our boundaries and Kim shares her perspective about how resentment is actually envy in disguise. Kim also explains why listening to our bodies is such an important step in identifying our boundaries.

Episode highlights:

The common misconceptions about boundaries
Why setting boundaries is so hard for female clinicians
Warning signs that suggest we need to work on our boundaries
Why listening to our bodies is such an important step towards identifying our boundaries
Kim’s favorite “non-conventional” self-care practices

Kim Long has a master’s degree in counseling psychology and is a registered psychologist in Alberta. In 2016 Kim opened Dochas (the Gaelic term for hope) Psychological Services. Kim’s practice has grown over the years and now includes a team of professionals who work with clients to discover their strengths, identify what’s getting in their way, and help them find the life they want. Kim and her team have also developed The Dochas Life Jacket App, a free app that provides self-regulation support: https://www.dochaspsych.com/lifejacket-app/

Connect with Kim:
https://www.dochaspsych.com/
https://www.instagram.com/dochaspsych/
https://www.facebook.com/DochasPsych/

Connect with Melissa & Karen at Intentional Therapist:
intentional@intentionaltherapist.ca
https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmelissatiessen/

Share one of your own self-care experiments via our SpeakPipe page at: https://www.speakpipe.com/intentionaltherapist

Disclaimer: This podcast seeks to be educational in purpose and is not to be used as clinical advice. Please connect with a therapist one-on-one for personalized support.