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Writer's pictureNikki White

Learning to establish and maintain healthy boundaries when struggling with abandonment issues



Establishing and maintaining healthy boundaries and relationships when struggling with abandonment issues can be challenging, but it's a crucial step toward healing and building fulfilling connections. Here are some strategies to help navigate this process:

  1. Understand Your Triggers and Patterns: Take time to reflect on past experiences and identify the situations or behaviors that trigger your abandonment fears. Recognize any patterns in your relationships that may be influenced by these triggers.

  2. Educate Yourself About Boundaries: Learn about healthy boundaries and their importance in relationships. Understand that setting boundaries is a way to protect your well-being and communicate your needs effectively.

  3. Communicate Your Needs Clearly: Practice expressing your needs, feelings, and expectations openly and assertively. Use "I" statements to convey your thoughts without blaming or accusing others. For example, say, "I feel hurt when plans change without notice. It's important for me to have clear communication."

  4. Start Small and Gradually Progress: Begin by setting small boundaries in low-risk situations and gradually progress to more challenging ones. This could be as simple as saying no to an invitation or expressing your preferences about activities or plans.

  5. Seek Professional Support: Consider therapy to work through abandonment issues and learn how to set and maintain healthy boundaries. A therapist can help you understand the root of your struggles and provide guidance on setting appropriate boundaries.

  6. Develop Self-Awareness: Practice self-reflection to understand your needs, values, and limits. Learn to listen to your instincts and trust yourself. Recognize when you feel uncomfortable or unsafe in a situation and take appropriate action.

  7. Practice Self-Care: Prioritize self-care activities that nurture your mind, body, and soul. When you prioritize yourself, you strengthen your sense of self-worth, making it easier to establish and maintain healthy boundaries.

  8. Build a Supportive Network: Surround yourself with understanding and supportive individuals who respect your boundaries and encourage your growth. Engage with a support group or community where you can share experiences and learn from others.

  9. Be Patient with Yourself: Healing and building healthy relationships take time. Be patient with yourself as you navigate this journey. Celebrate your progress, no matter how small, and acknowledge your efforts.

  10. Practice Self-Compassion: Be kind to yourself throughout this process. Understand that healing from abandonment issues is a significant undertaking, and you deserve compassion and understanding as you work on it.

Remember, healing and establishing healthy boundaries are ongoing processes. With self-awareness, education, support, and practice, you can gradually overcome abandonment issues and cultivate fulfilling, respectful relationships.


Need Help Developing A Plan For Self-Care


Do you want help developing a self-care plan that works for your busy schedule? Do you want accountability in implementing a self-care plan? If you or someone you love is struggling to maintain optimal mental and emotional health, consider reaching out to Spiced Life Conversation Art Wellness Studio and Botanica. We are a Metro Atlanta, Conyers Georgia area. We are a coaching and counseling practice with empathetic, skilled counselors and recovery coaches who can help you set goals, develop a self-care routine, and move forward to build a more fulfilling life. Our team would be happy to work with you either just for a couple of sessions to develop and implement a Self-care plan or longer term to work toward overall better mental health within our membership site or other programs.



Dr. Nikki LeToya White
Dr. Nikki LeToya White

About The Author:


Dr. Nikki LeToya White MSEd-TL, Ph.D. RHN is the founder, director, and full-time board-certified trauma-informed nutritionist, folk herbalist, and wellness consultant at Spiced Life Conversation Art Wellness Studio and Botanica. She created Spiced Life Conversation, LLC


Art Wellness Studio and Botanica to provide the Metro Atlanta area with counseling and coaching services where clients are carefully matched with the right program for healing abandonment and childhood emotional neglect trauma that cause codependency, emotional eating, financial stress, and imposter syndrome as it relates to fear of success and being abandon. We help you begin your emotional healing journey with ease. Recently, we have expanded to include an online membership site so we now provide support to people living all over the world. All of our recovery coaches provide at least one evidence-based treatment to assist in your recovery. Dr. White is a big proponent of self-care and helping people live a fulfilling life! She has been in full remission with both codependency and emotional binge eating disorder since 2016. In living a life in recovery from sugar addiction. Loving her low-sugar balance lifestyle.


Best Regards


Dr. Nikki LeToya White

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