58| Holy Boundaries: Protecting Your Peace with Family This Holiday Season

In this powerful conversation, Melissa sits down with Meghan Lemery-Fritz, LCSW — a licensed clinical social worker with over 25 years of experience — to talk about healthy boundaries, emotional safety, narcissistic family members, and how to protect your peace during the holidays as a Christian woman. Meghan shares how her Catholic + charismatic upbringing, her mom’s late-in-life social work career, and even old HBO movies sparked her fascination with relationships and human behavior. From there, she unpacks what boundaries actually are (and what they’re not), why so many Christian women confuse self-abandonment with holiness, and how the Holy Spirit often speaks through our discomfort, intuition, and lack of peace. You’ll hear practical, faith-filled guidance on: What a healthy boundary really is (hint: it’s about your actions, not their behavior) How to recognize when you’re dysregulated, drained, or ignoring your intuition Why “being nice” and being kind are not the same — and how authenticity is actually more Christ-like How to prepare for family gatherings with a clear plan, exit strategies, and time limits What to do if you’re dealing with a narcissistic or emotionally unhealthy relative Why it’s okay — and sometimes necessary — to go low contact or no contact How to say no without over-explaining, and how to stop abandoning yourself in the name of “being a good Christian” This episode is especially timely if you’re heading into Thanksgiving, Christmas, or extended-family events and already feeling anxious, guilty, or overwhelmed Chapters 00:00 – Welcome & Introduction to Meghan Lemery-Fritz 00:39 – Meghan’s Family, Faith Background & Local Connection 02:11 – How HBO Movies, Bible Study, and Her Mom’s Career Shaped Her Calling 05:41 – Growing Up Catholic with a Charismatic, Scripture-Rooted Twist 07:29 – What Is a Healthy Boundary (and What It’s Not)? 10:00 – Are Boundaries Unloving? A Catholic Perspective on Dignity & Self-Respect 12:45 – Dysregulation, Intuition, and the Holy Spirit’s “Still Small Voice” 15:27 – People-Pleasing vs Inspiration: Are You a Cheerful Giver? 16:18 – Nice vs Kind: Serving from Ego vs Serving from the Spirit 18:39 – Self-Abandonment, Oxygen Masks, and Feeling “Dead Inside” 20:27 – Time in the Word, Quiet, and Why We Need Space to Heal 22:04 – Practicing “No”: Simple Phrases for Protecting Your Peace 23:25 – The Power of Authenticity: The Strongest Energy in the Room 24:44 – Holiday Triggers: Birth Order, Old Patterns, and Family Expectations 27:51 – Melissa’s Christmas Story & Redefining What the Day Looks Like 29:35 – Discomfort as Information: Listening to Your Body (Not Just “Anxiety”) 30:54 – Setting Clear Expectations: Offensive vs Defensive Boundaries 32:14 – Safe Words, Exit Plans, and Handling Intrusive Questions 33:44 – Hosting, Over-Functioning, and Letting Others Help 35:27 – “I Have Anxiety” vs “I Have Feelings”: Learning to Hold Space 36:16 – Narcissistic & Emotionally Unhealthy Family Members: First Steps 37:40 – Low Contact, No Contact & Moving Toward Safety as a Christian 40:14 – How You Feel Around Someone as a Clue to Personality Disorders 42:38 – Where to Find Meghan Online & Her Personality Disorder Content 44:41 – Melissa’s Closing Thoughts & Meghan’s Upcoming Podcast 🔗 Links Mentioned in the Episode Meghan’s Telehealth Psychotherapy Practice Fritz & Tanger Psychotherapy (serving clients in Pennsylvania, Vermont, Colorado, New York, and New Hampshire) 👉 https://www.fritzstanger.com/  https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/meghan-lemery-fritz-glens-falls-ny/1051148 Meghan on TikTok – Personality Disorders & Boundaries Short, powerful “crash course” videos on personality disorders, narcissism, boundaries, and emotional health 👉https://www.tiktok.com/@personalitydisordercoach?_r=1&_t=ZP-91B6y1NRN1D  or  Search “Personality Disorder Coach” on TikTok Healthy boundaries Christian women, Catholic boundaries, Christian mental health, holiday family stress, narcissistic family member, personality disorders, emotional safety, people-pleasing, Christian women saying no, Catholic moms and boundaries, holiday triggers, Christian therapist boundaries, Holy Spirit and intuition. Connect with Melissa:  Book Melissa to Speak at Your Event Website Facebook Instagram Instagram Anchored with Purpose Tribe Email