Therapy for People Pleasing in Burlington

Does this resonate with you?

  • You go to great lengths to avoid conflict with others, which often results in putting your own thoughts and feelings on the back burner

  • You have difficulty saying no to those around you, leading to feelings of stress and overwhelm as you try to juggle everything you’ve committed to
  • Neglecting your own needs and prioritizing those of other people is leading you to feel exhausted and maybe even burnt out
  • You know that setting boundaries is probably a good idea, although thinking about doing so makes you feel guilty and anxious

You’re allowed to put yourself first, and I want to help you get there.

People pleasing often feels like a never-ending cycle of prioritizing the wants and needs of others and forgetting the wants and needs of ourselves. This cycle can be difficult to break because intense feelings of guilt and anxiety keep it going until we feel exhausted or in some cases, resentful of our people. Those who struggle with people pleasing often feel anxious when they think about communicating their needs, saying “no” or setting boundaries. So, the cycle continues and they find themselves doing things that they don’t really want to do and not saying things that they actually want to say. People pleasing might also be impacting your self-esteem, anxiety, depression and energy levels.

You can have healthy, loving and fulfilling relationships while also prioritizing your own needs and wellbeing.

Your relationships with those you love are important – I get it! There is nothing wrong with caring about and wanting to support your loved ones. However, you might find that putting everyone else above yourself is leading to relationships that don’t feel so good.

What if you could honour and prioritize your relationships, without making your own needs an afterthought?

How Can Therapy Help?

Therapy for people pleasing can help you:

  • Establish healthier relationships that are reciprocal, satisfying both the important people in your life and you
  • Learn how to communicate your thoughts and feelings, without feeling overwhelmed with shame and guilt
  • Set boundaries and make decisions about when and how much support you provide to the people you love
  • Feel the ease and empowerment that comes from showing up as your authentic (and wonderful!) self
  • Balance caring for yourself while also nurturing healthy, fulfilling relationships in your life

My approach to therapy for people pleasing involves first getting to the root of what’s causing these patterns and addressing the underlying factors.

For many, people pleasing may be rooted in childhood experiences where one was required to put the needs of others before their own. For others, these patterns developed later in life to cope with stressful environments, trauma, low self-worth or anxiety. Because people pleasing can result from so many different factors, therapy will look different for each person.

Tailoring therapy to your unique needs, circumstances and experiences means that you’ll get an individualized approach that focuses on your goals, and what you need to achieve them.

Erica Preville, MSc | Registered Psychotherapist

Let’s get started