December 21, 2020
Tawwab, a relationship therapist with more than half a million Instagram followers, debuts with a comprehensive guide on how to understand and establish interpersonal boundaries. The first section explains what boundaries are, how they are crossed, and the short- and long-term implications of consistent boundary violations. She identifies six types of boundaries—physical, sexual, intellectual, emotional, material, and time—and dispenses tips on how to uphold personal limits (such as “I’m more of a handshaker” for those setting a physical boundary) and detect when a boundary might be crossed (such as overly sexual joking being a red flag for “sexual boundary violation”). In the second section, Tawwab suggests scenarios in which boundaries need to be set—including with family, work, and social media—and walks the reader through them with examples and stories. For instance, Tawwab explains how to respond to microaggressions at work through assertiveness, how to dissuade oversharing through redirection, and ways to stand firm in the face of “guilt trips.” Readers who follow Tawwab on social media and those who find setting boundaries especially difficult will appreciate the advice. Agent: Laura Lee Mattingly, Present Perfect Literary.