We learn emotional boundaries through the responses we get. When our feelings are met with disapproval, harshness, or stiff-upper-lip messages, we learn to push them down, to separate ourselves from our feelings, and to ignore the valuable information they have for us. When feelings are met warmly, when we are encouraged to talk about them and helped to identify them, and when a parent correctly interprets our facial expression, our body language, and the feelings connected with them, our understanding of our inner selves grows. Learning about and connecting with feelings is essential for
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