Trauma-Informed Therapy

Today, May 15th, is International Conscientious Objectors’ Day, a day to honour the people, throughout history and today, who have refused to take part in war, often facing personal cost for their choice. I only recently discovered this day (and the Peace Pledge Union) while researching the psychological and social impacts of WW1 and WW2. That it falls on today felt significant; a quiet alignment between my own inquiry and a longer tradition of peace work, remembrance, and re

In my practice, I often notice that clients come in with concerns about people pleasing. This can show up in many ways, like always saying yes, struggling to set boundaries, or feeling anxious about upsetting others. You might have heard it called fawning, approval seeking, over-accommodation, or codependent behaviour. No matter what words we use, the impact is real and can be exhausting. Reframing People Pleasing as Fawning I approach people pleasing as a survival response,