People Pleasing & Burnouts

Saying yes when you’re already stretched thin. Trying to meet everyone else’s needs while quietly pushing your own to the side. Working harder and harder to be “good enough” in relationships, at work, or in your family—even when it leaves you drained.

People pleasing can start as a survival skill—keeping the peace, avoiding conflict, or chasing approval. But over time, it can take a toll: exhaustion, resentment, self-doubt, or even full-on burnout. You might find yourself wondering: Why am I always the one holding everything together? Why does saying “no” feel so impossible?

Therapy gives you space to press pause and gently examine these patterns. Together, we can:

• Explore the roots — understanding how early experiences may have taught you to put others first in order to feel safe or valued.

• Untangle guilt from boundaries — learning that saying no doesn’t make you selfish; it makes you human.

• Reconnect with yourself — noticing what you need, what actually restores you, and what balance looks like in your life.

• Build new patterns — practicing ways of relating that feel mutual and sustainable, rather than one-sided.

Working on people pleasing isn’t about becoming less kind or less generous—it’s about learning to include yourself in the care you so readily give to others. When you do, you move from running on empty to living with more balance, authenticity, and ease.