Abstract
Coaching literature often frames boundary struggles as skill deficits, yet highly conscientious professionals frequently fail to sustain boundaries despite adequate technique. Using Constructivist Grounded Theory, this study analysed 12 interviews conducted 1–10 years after a boundary coaching programme. Three theoretical contributions emerged: Stage Zero, a pre-self-authorship developmental position; the Values–Boundaries Paradox, in which cherished values inhibit self-protection; and Permission, an embodied mechanism enabling values–identity realignment. Findings reframe boundary coaching as developmental identity work rather than skills training, with implications for coaching assessment, intervention design and sustainable change.