A review by txjpjenny
Boundaries for Your Soul: How to Turn Your Overwhelming Thoughts and Feelings Into Your Greatest Allies by Alison Cook, Kimberly June Miller

2.0

DNF. Read more than half for a book group, but bc of people’s schedules and what-not, the group has gone on longer than I anticipated, and I had to drop out. Which means I could toss the book aside. I’ve heard that IFS therapy can be helpful for some, but aside from this book not being very well written (quoting CS Lewis out of context is an automatic deal breaker for me—they did this with many quotes and Bible verses), I could not wrap my mind around giving volition to my emotions and talking to them the way these authors describe. It feels like the opposite of integrating one’s whole being/self. The title of the book and the endorsement by Curt Thompson roped me in, but I have found little to no help or insight on establishing boundaries on emotions. Their technique and this therapy model seems really odd and in some ways just taking old wisdom and turning it into something seemingly new and innovative. Their frequent mantra of “lead [yourself] with your spirit-led self” was a real mind-bender. It is definitely not in the same vein as Cloud & Townsend’s Boundaries series—though one of the authors talks about talking to Townsend at the beginning of the book, plus he also endorses the book… use of the word “boundaries” then makes it seem like a marketing scheme. Trying to Christianize this secular therapy model ended up being really weird to me, at least the way it was presented in this book. It doesn’t seem like the type of thing that should be written for a wide audience but I’m open to the idea that it be used specifically by a trained specialist for a client for whom this therapy would specifically benefit. I’m pretty grumpy about spending so much time with this book.