People-Pleasing Treatment for Individuals in Toronto & Across Ontario.
Does this sound familiar?…
You go against saying what you really want to in order to “keep the peace”.
You find yourself abandoning your opinions and thoughts because you don’t think they’re as valuable as others.
Setting boundaries and saying “no” causes you to feel immense guilt or feel like you’re a mean person.
You bend over backwards to help others but you find they don’t reciprocate the same, often making you feel resentment.
You overcommit to things and it leaves you drained, frustrated, and overwhelmed.
Doing things for others makes you feel like you’re gaining their approval.
You’re not alone
People-pleasing treatment is possible and therapy is an effective first step towards living a life that feels good again. People-pleasing can affect many facets of your life that are important to you such as your career, your relationships, and even your ability to function. You don’t have to navigate this experience alone. People-pleasing treatment will help you identify and manage the underlying causes, triggers, and patterns - so that you can gain more control and feel more fulfilment.
What is People-Pleasing?
A people-pleaser is someone who will go out of their way to make others happy at the expense of their own happiness. They tend to prioritize others needs at the cost of theirs. Those with people-pleasing traits are are highly emotionally attuned to others and are typically seen as agreeable, kind, and helpful. The other side of that is the inability to say “no”, having difficulty advocating for yourself, and issues setting boundaries - increasing the risk for burnout.
Who Struggles With People-Pleasing?
People-pleasing can occur due to cultural influences, upbringing, and trauma. It also has ties to low self-esteem, perfectionism, and insecurity. For example, those who experienced a traumatic childhood or relationship may try to please others and be agreeable (may feel like they’re “walking on eggshells”) to prevent triggering an abusive behavior.
It’s possible to feel like you’re confident and capable again. You don’t have to take on the weight of the world, therapy is a place to offload the pressure and collaborate on ways to move forward towards building empowerment.
How Can Therapy for People-Pleasing Help?
A trained therapist will walk alongside you and help you challenge negative thoughts, process challenging experiences, identify and develop strengths, foster self-compassion, build up self-esteem and self-worth, and help you reconnect your mind and body so you can feel more present, feel happy emotions, and enjoy activities again.
With time, you can develop the skills you need to identify and make choices to live in alignment with your values, communicate needs, and feel less resentment and fear. This can look like practicing boundary setting, assertive communication skills, self-compassion, and self-care activities.
What are the Best Therapy Treatments for People-Pleasing?
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Explore the causes of your people-pleasing.
Identify and manage factors that are contributing to your stress and anxiety.
Notice and challenge unhelpful thoughts and beliefs that may be keeping you stuck in a pattern.
Develop and practice new social-related skills (ex. assertive communication, boundary setting, advocacy, time management, communicating needs).
Identify your personal/professional values and cultivate meaning and purpose again.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Practice mindfulness skills to help you manage stress and anxiety.
Practice emotional regulation so you can feel in control of your emotions and responses.
Identify and release sources of pressure so you can feel lighter and more free.
Explore and redefine what failure and success look like to you.
Learn to successfully manage emotional distress.
Find effective new ways to practice self-care and recharge your batteries.
Somatic Therapy (Body Focused)
Relieve physical and emotional symptoms relating to stress and anxiety.
Feel more present, safe and grounded in your body.
Improve sleep and relaxation.
Rewire your brain to find peace and calm faster than before.
Feel more healthy control of your emotions.
Restore the balance between your body and mind and increase your resilience (the ability to bounce back from tough times).
Helpful Resources for People-Pleasing Treatment:
Struggling with more than just people-pleasing? Check out this list of our other specialties we can help with:
You’re One Step Closer to Finding Freedom, Relief, and Fulfilment.
Book Your Free Consultation Today.