Boundaries and Relationships: Knowing, Protecting and Enjoying the Self [Paperback]

Charles Whitfield (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1994

More than personal boundaries, this book is really about relationships--healthy and unhealthy ones. Here bestselling author and psychotherapist Charles Whitfield blends theories and dynamics from several disciplines into practical knowledge and actions that your can use in your relationships right now.

This comprehensive book opens with clear definitions and descriptions of boundaries, a self-assessment survey and a history of our accumulated knowledge. Going deeper, it describes the 10 essential areas of human interaction wherein you can improve your relationships. These include age regression, giving and receiving (projection and projective identification), triangles, core recovery issues, basic dynamics, unfinished business and spirituality. It shows in countless practical ways how knowledge of each of these is most useful in your recovery and everyday life.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Charles L. Whitfield, M.D., is a psychotherapist in private practice in Atlanta. He is a nationally known speaker and a bestselling author.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: HCI; 1 edition (April 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 155874259X
• ISBN-13: 978-1558742598
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #40,133 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #42 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Mental Health > Codependency

More About the Author

Charles L. Whitfield, M.D., is a physician, psychotherapist, and internationally recognized expert on mental illness, behavioral problems, and recovery. He has been on the faculty of the Rutgers University Summer Institute of Alcohol and Drug Studies since 1978, and in private practice of medicine and psychotherapy since 1976. He has been voted by his peers as one of the Best Doctors in America every year since 1994. He lives in Atlanta, GA, and is in private practice with his wife, author and therapist, Barbara Harris Whitfield.

For the most up-to-date information about Dr. Whitfield and his work, please visit:
Barbara-Whitfield.Blogspot.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book on boundaries and relationships!, June 3, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Boundaries and Relationships: Knowing, Protecting and Enjoying the Self (Paperback)

This to me is one of the best books ever written on boundaries and relationships. Talks of the structure of a person's boundaries, ways to know where your boundaries are, the necessity of having boundaries within your relationships. Written with sensitivity and love. Anything further that I could say about this book would fall short of its quality. I consider this a must read for anyone from any kind of dysfunctional background, especially those struggling with boundary issues.

123 of 136 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Lacking substance, January 30, 2001

By 

G. Jordan "ginazone" (Adirondacks, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Boundaries and Relationships: Knowing, Protecting and Enjoying the Self (Paperback)

I had expected from this book on setting Bondaries in relationships, at least an example of exactly how one does that. Not once does the author give step by step examples or instructions on how to set a boundary. I believe in the entire 234 pages (before I got to the appendix on using psychic abilities??? No idea why that's in there!) he only used 3 ambiguous case stories which rarely proved a point or educated.

The most annoying intrusion into my book-buyer's boundary of not being advertised & spammed to in a book I've paid for, was on almost everyone of those 234 pages, he plugs ALL of his other books. Instead of explaining his point he would say "refer to chapter whatever of his other book(s) #1-#5). In one chapter he actually used a big topic heading only to write below, for this topic see such & such of my other books! So he expects me to buy ALL of his books in order to read THIS book.

He also repeats himself over & over, which seems like he is trying to fill blank space just to meet a quota since none of the repititions were needed to prove a point & instead felt intrusive & unnecessary to the point of irritation. As one other reviewer said already, he also hasn't decided who his audience is & tries to write to both at once, failing to reach anyone by alienating the reader.

I gave this book a 3 because the ideas the author expressed were useful & mostly on target and applicable. His theories deserve attention & expansion, and this book will at least be helpful in illuminating the need for healthy boundaries.

34 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The title of this book REALLY says it all!, February 3, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Boundaries and Relationships: Knowing, Protecting and Enjoying the Self (Paperback)

The issue of boundaries, whether in a therapeutic setting or interpersonal, this book will be helpful in going from dysfunctional states to holding and containing your core SELF boundaries thereby experiencing life in a manner that is enjoyable...JOY! Written with examples from Family situations - also relationship situations (boyfriend/girlfriend,etc.)- this book is practical in its approach but teaches from a technical point of view that is based on sound academics. It even has a section written by a massage therapist which is very nice in that is describes how ultra-sensitive people can really experience loose boundaries in the psychic/mental realm and how this can affect you. I'm rereading this book for the 5th time. It always seems that I get new depths of understanding each time I find a passage to read for the day at hand. It's for true recovery work. I share this book with lots of folks and they all benefit from it. This book had helped me heal!Really! Move forward and evolve my inner self. And isn't that the goal of any therapy.