On a Friday evening, we met with beautiful, curious, and sincere people at the “Power of Personal Boundaries” workshop organized by the Baza Ghilgal Foundation. It was an intense few hours, full of revelations, deep questions, and moments of awareness. We gathered in a safe space where every voice mattered, every experience was listened to, and every step toward clarity was gently encouraged.

The workshop was facilitated by Iulian Micu, personal development counselor, and Simona Tripon, mentor and consultant. Together they created a friendly, relaxed and at the same time profound atmosphere, guiding participants on a journey of self-knowledge, reconnecting with their own needs and rediscovering the courage to say “no” when needed.

We started with the question: What are personal boundaries and how do we recognize them in our lives? The discussion was lively, with each participant sharing thoughts and real-life examples. We looked at the differences between healthy, rigid and overly permissive boundaries. We talked about how a healthy boundary protects but does not isolate, how a rigid boundary can build walls instead of bridges, and how an overly permissive boundary can make us lose ourselves in the effort to please others.

This was followed by an interactive session on the six types of boundaries: physical, emotional, mental, social, professional and financial. With the help of a self-assessment questionnaire, everyone was able to analyze their own boundaries. It was a moment of honesty – surprising for some, liberating for others – in which many realized that they had never consciously set these boundaries or that, at times, they had allowed others to violate them out of fear, guilt or mistrust.

A turning point was the discussion about what stops us from setting boundaries. Three obstacles stood out: fear of rejection, guilt and lack of confidence in our own worth. It was an intense but nourishing conversation, in which we discovered that we are not alone in these inner struggles. Each participant was encouraged to identify what exactly is blocking them and to formulate a clear first intention for change.

In the practical part, the participants were challenged to practice saying a clear, firm, but respectful “no”. Through role-playing and examples from personal and professional life, we tested assertive communication techniques together. It was an exercise with a lot of energy and involvement – ​​family scenes, workplace situations, interactions with friends or colleagues were played out. Laughter, emotions, but also many “Aha!”s. In a setting where no one judges, learning becomes natural, and change – possible.

A special moment was the awareness of their own spatial boundaries. The participants were invited to visualize their own personal space – that inner place where they can say “here I am, and I have the right to protect myself”. It was a powerful experience. For some, it was perhaps the first time they realized that they have the right to feel safe in their own bodies, in their own choices, in their relationships.

Towards the end, I discovered a new set of tools: reflection questions, concrete examples, statements that can be used to formulate personal boundaries, but especially with a deep awareness: having boundaries does not mean rejecting others, but respecting yourself.