In this episode, Dr. Whitney explains different types of boundaries that we can create in our lives, three reasons why women have a harder time creating and keeping healthy boundaries, and three ways to build the skill of boundary building.
Key takeaways:
- There’s often two ends of the spectrum when it comes to unhealthy boundaries: porous boundaries where you let people walk all over you and rigid boundaries, where you’re always the one setting the very strict restrictions.
- Examples of different types of boundaries:
- Time: how much of my time will I commit to giving you?
- Physical: I don’t feel comfortable with you touching me that way.
- Emotional: I’m not going to let you make me feel that way.
- Self: I’m going to choose to pay attention to my own emotions, not get invested in everyone else’s all the time
- We have to get to a point where we’re truly desiring healthy boundaries for ourselves and our families and caring less about others’ reactions to those boundaries.
- Three reasons we, as women, have a harder time holding healthy boundaries for ourselves:
- The way we were trained as girls when we were growing up teaches us to accommodate everyone else so we don’t rock the boat. We’re told that personal relationships, and the emotional status within them, are more important than how you feel.
- Women are taking on the overwhelming majority of the physical, emotional, and mental tasks that it requires to run a home and manage a family. And then we let that spill over to our work tasks as well. We constantly feel like we have to put other people’s needs before our own.
- We have no idea who we are. Which leads us to wonder if we even know what we want out of life–which naturally allows soft boundaries to come into play because you can’t create a boundary around something that you don’t even know how you feel about it. And the way out of that is pretty easy:
Have a centered vision for your life (know what you want!) You have to decide if you’re worthy of having a fulfilling life.
Build body-awareness. What do you feel when you aren’t holding your boundaries? What are you noticing in your body when a boundary is crossed? When you’re able to pay attention to that, you’re much more able to recognize that it’s happening and really start to hold your own boundaries.
Don’t try to do this by yourself. Surround yourself with people who want the same things as you. A therapist, a parenting coach, other women who are wanting to head in the same direction as you. One of our favorite places to see this happening is in our Modern Mamas Club !
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About the Episode: In this episode, Dr. Whitney sits down with Dr. Jay Gargus and Dave Justus from NeuroQure to discuss the power of early clarity when it comes to autism detection and why earlier intervention can fundamentally change outcomes for childre n and families. Dr. Gargus explains the science behind early behavioral therapies and why their impact goes far beyond short-term skill-building. Research shows that early, evidence-based interventions can lead to measurable, lifelong improvements in IQ, so cial skills, independence, and educational placement, often determining whether a child can thrive in mainstream education or requires ongoing specialized support. The conversation also tackles a critical and often overlooked issue: access. Dave Justus shares the personal motivation behind NeuroQure’s work and explains why the test is being launched at cost, with installment plans and employer subsidies, while the team works toward insurance coverage. The goal is to prevent families from losing precious years waiting for answers. Together, they emphasize a hopeful message for parents: families don’t need to wait for a future “silver bullet.” We already have therapies that work and getting kids connected to them earlier can change the course of a lifetime. In this episode, we discuss: Why early autism detection leads to lifelong changes—not just short-term gains What a 17-point IQ difference actually means for education, independence, and quality of life How early intervention can shift developmental trajectories as early as 6 months The science and validation behind current autism therapies Why NeuroQure is pricing testing at cost while pursuing insurance coverage How early clarity can reduce long-term strain on families, schools, and healthcare systems This episode is a powerful reminder that timing matters and that early access to answers can make an extraordinary difference for children and the families who love them. About Our Guest: Dr. Jay Gargus, MD, PhD is a physician-scientist and nationally recognized expert in neurodevelopmental disorders, with decades of experience researching the biological underpinnings of autism. His work has focused on translating well-established science into meaningful, real-world interventions that can improve lifelong outcomes for children. Dr. Gargus emphasizes that early, evidence-based therapies are already available—and that connecting families to them sooner can fundamentally change developmental trajectories. Dave Justus is a parent and the founder of NeuroQure, whose work is driven by personal experience navigating delayed autism diagnosis and intervention. Motivated by the belief that early clarity can spare families years of uncertainty, Dave is focused on expanding access to early testing through cost-based pricing and ongoing efforts to secure insurance coverage. His mission is simple but powerful: ensure families don’t have to wait for answers that could change everything. Want to Start Raising Body-Confident Kids Today? 📘 Order the Book Order your copy of My One-of-a-Kind Body 👉 www.raisingbodyconfidentkids.com/books 🎁 Claim Your Free Bonus When you order on our site, you’ll also get access to a FREE video mini-course with five bite-sized lessons for parents. In just 25 minutes, you’ll walk away with: Simple, script-style ways to respond when your kid says, “I hate my thighs” How to talk about health without weight talk What to do when your own inner critic shows up How to interrupt diet culture at home The first step to raising a body-confident kid, even if you didn’t grow up as one 📩 Subscribe to The Modern Mommy Doc Podcast for more episodes on parenting with confidence and clarity. Leave a review using the hashtag #ModernMommyDoc.
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