Boundaries: When to Say Yes, When to Say No To Take Control of Your Life

Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend are the co-authors of Boundaries and share a practice in Newport Beach, California. Cloud received his BS in psychology from Southern Methodist University and his PhD in clinical psychology from the Rosemead School of Psychology at Biola University. An accomplished therapist and author, Cloud continues to devote his career to faith-based therapy and leadership consulting. Townsend received his BA in psychology from North Carolina State University and also received his PhD in clinical psychology from Rosemead. To this day, Boundaries remains their most notable work together.

Within the context of the book, Cloud and Townsend often mention clients they worked with in order to illustrate key points about boundaries. As seasoned therapists, their approach is to analyze and interpret their work working with others, as opposed to revealing details about their own personal lives. Cloud and Townsend are at their most personal when it comes to their shared Christian faith, when they allude to the Bible as the ultimate source of wisdom—which helps ground their understanding of why boundaries are important on a spiritual level.