Setting and defending healthy boundaries saved Dana Skaggs’ life, and in this conversation, she breaks down exactly why.
Mike Desjardins sits down with Dana Skaggs, therapist and trauma specialist known for her work on boundaries, to explore how anxiety, people pleasing, resentment, and emotional exhaustion are often rooted in one core issue: weak or unclear boundaries.
Drawing from both her professional work and her own upbringing in a home shaped by unpredictability and emotional volatility, Dana shares how discovering boundaries changed not just her career, but her entire life.
Together, they unpack what boundaries actually are, why they feel so difficult to set, and what really happens when you start to change the dynamic in your relationships.
Dana introduces practical frameworks like the “yard” analogy, where your thoughts, feelings, and actions are yours to own, and explains why the pushback you receive after setting a boundary is not a sign you are doing it wrong, but often a sign you are doing it right.
They also explore people pleasing, the fear of losing relationships, and the reality that if someone cannot accept your “no,” the relationship may not be what you think it is.
This conversation offers a grounded, honest look at what it takes to move toward relationships built on strength, safety, and personal responsibility.
Episode Resources
Boundaries by Henry Cloud & John Townsend
Learn more about Dana Skaggs: Website
Connect with Dana: LinkedIn
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