How to Strengthen Relationships
by Thomas Schultze
Relationships are good things to cherish, and there are ways of strengthening them. To understand this subject, the Student Wellness Association teamed up with Independence House to create the “Healthy Boundaries in Relationships” workshop to teach about relationship boundaries and how they work. It was held Sept. 21st, in Frank Wilkens Room 105 from 3-3:45 P.M.
The Independence House is an organization that specializes in helping victims of physical abuse, depression, and sexual abuse. The workshop was facilitated by Deborah Riggs, the clinician in Student Wellness. The purpose of the workshop was to make relationship boundary issues known among college students in a way that doesn’t shame anyone who struggles with those issues. It taught about subjects such as consent and the different types of boundaries that are to be set.
As discussed in the workshop, boundaries are important because they help us practice self-car and self-respect. They help us communicate our needs in a relationship, make time for friendly relations, and set healthy limits. According to the workshop slideshow, there are six types of boundaries that can be set. They include physical, intellectual, sexual, emotional, material, and time boundaries. Physical boundaries involve the body, personal space, and privacy. Emotional and intellectual boundaries deal with self-esteem and capability of resisting others’ words, thoughts, and actions without feeling hurt. There are reasons why we refuse to apply boundaries. Reasons include fear of rejection, and/or abandonment, fear of confrontation, safety concerns, guilt, or some of us were just not taught healthy boundaries.
The Independence House will hold other upcoming workshops such as the “Red Flags vs. Green Flags in Relationships,” which takes place on Oct. 19-20 from 3-4 P.M. in Frank Wilkens Room 105. The next workshop is “Bystander Intervention,” taking place on Nov. 16-17 from 3-4 P.M. in Frank Wilkens Room 118. Both workshops will be offered in-person and through Zoom.
For more information on the Independence House, visit their website at
https://independencehouse.org/
For more on how to set Healthy Boundaries visit
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