Setting Boundaries with Controlling Parents: Healing from Religious or Narcissistic Family Systems

For many people raised in high-control religious systems or narcissistic family dynamics, the idea of setting boundaries feels foreign—sometimes even dangerous. You may have been taught that obedience was love, that self-denial was holiness, or that saying “no” was selfish. In environments like these, boundaries aren’t just discouraged—they’re often actively punished. But here’s the truth:…