Healthy Boundaries Without Guilt: Glen Alex on Redefining Self-Respect

If you've ever said yes when you meant no, and then spent the rest of the day resenting it, this episode is for you. Host Somya sits down with Glen Alex, LCSW, author and boundaries educator, to unpack why healthy boundaries have nothing to do with being cold or selfish, and everything to do with keeping yourself safe.

Glen breaks down the two most common boundary breakers she sees in her practice, oversharing and over-yessing, and walks through the difference between appropriate guilt and the kind that just keeps you stuck. If you're ready to stop apologizing for choosing yourself, this conversation offers a clear, compassionate place to start.

About the Guest:

Glen Alex is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and author who has spent years studying what it means to live with boundaries that support both connection and self-respect. She is the author of Living in Total Health and Living Boundaries, and offers complimentary consultations through her practice.

Key Takeaways:

• Boundaries aren't walls built to keep people out. They're agreements you make with yourself about what you will and won't carry.
• Watch for the two most common boundary breakers: oversharing (giving people ammunition before trust is earned) and over-yessing (saying yes when the honest answer is no).
• Learn to tell appropriate guilt (your conscience flagging a real value you violated) apart from inappropriate guilt (a looping "I should" that has no corrective action attached).
• Start where the discomfort actually is. If anxiety or burnout is showing up, trace it back to the specific relationship or ask that needs a boundary.
• Slipping up doesn't mean you failed. The moment you notice, you step back in, no self-punishment required.
• A boundary only holds if your "why" is strong enough to outlast the pushback from people used to getting their way.

Connect With the Guest:

• Website: https://glenalex.com (complimentary consultations, signed copies of Living in Total Health and Living Boundaries)
• Living Boundaries is available in 18 countries on Amazon, with country-specific links on Glen's website
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/glenalex/
• Podcast: The Glen Alex Show

Episode Chapters: