‘Boundaries’ Questions at Ask the Psychologist: Online Clinical Psychologist

Q: I have been with my husband for over 7 years. My mother-in-law has always been extremely controlling and manipulative, and she is only getting worse as time goes on. She tries to control EVERYTHING in everyone’s life. I always knew that she was like that but never realized until recently that when you didn’t [...]

Q: I am the oldest girl out of four children, two boys and two girls. We are all very close in age (31, 30, 29, 27). My father is a manipulative, abusive, and controlling but “functioning” alcoholic. He has always held a job, but he is incredibly lazy at home and very old fashioned about [...]

Q: I have read your book In Sheep’s Clothing and found it a very valuable guide to understanding and dealing with two of my stepchildren. One of them threatened to kill me four years ago, and he never backed down, apologized for his actions, or sought counseling. As a result, he is not allowed to [...]

Q: I am seeking advice on how to deal with an emotionally abusive family member.
My older sister displays all the symptoms of a borderline personality disorder or possibly even sociopathy. After dealing with the lies, guilt, manipulations, aggression, and financial dependency for as long as I can remember, I cut off contact with her 2 [...]

Q: My husband and I married six weeks ago. About two weeks after we were married, I discovered an email he sent to an ex-girlfriend two weeks before our marriage. In the email he told her that she was the “one that got away,” and that if he was the one who caused the break [...]