Empower Yourself with Somatic Therapy for People Pleasing

Empower yourself with Somatic Therapy for People Pleasing

We’ve all heard of the fight, flight, and freeze responses to trauma.

But there’s a lesser-known survival mechanism called the fawn response.

This often shows up as people-pleasing behavior, where individuals prioritize others’ needs over their own to avoid conflict.

While it may seem harmless, people-pleasing can lead to burnout, stress, and low self-worth.  

That is where Somatic Therapy for People Pleasing comes in.

What is the Fawn Trauma Response?

The fawn response is a way people deal with stress by focusing on others’ needs to avoid potential threats or conflicts.

For many, this behavior starts in childhood as a way to maintain safety in an unstable environment.

These patterns can continue into adulthood, where individuals struggle to assert boundaries or say no.

Adults who develop this pattern often have trouble asserting themselves and may constantly seek approval from others.

Why People-Pleasing Starts

People-pleasing is often a learned behavior from early experiences.

For instance, children who grew up in homes where being quiet or agreeable was the only way to stay safe may carry these patterns into their adult relationships,

feeling the need to constantly please others.

The Mental Health Impact of People-Pleasing

People-pleasing might seem like a way to maintain peace, but it can have long-term effects on mental health, including:

Loss of Self: Constantly adapting to others’ expectations can make it hard to know what you want. Always putting others first can cause individuals to lose sight of who they are.

Chronic Stress:  Worrying about others’ approval creates ongoing stress and anxiety.

Emotional Burnout: Over time, trying to make everyone happy can lead to emotional exhaustion and resentment. 

How Somatic Therapy in San Diego Helps

Somatic therapy helps people reconnect with their bodies and emotions.

By focusing on physical sensations, somatic therapy teaches individuals how their bodies respond to stress and how to manage these responses.

Techniques Used in Somatic Therapy

Somatic therapy includes methods like nervous system regulation, grounding exercises, and focusing on body sensations.

These techniques help clients become aware of their emotional triggers and learn healthier ways of responding.

Benefits of Somatic Therapy

Somatic therapy offers many benefits for people who struggle with the fawn response:

Emotional Control: Clients learn to manage overwhelming emotions through body awareness.

Self-Connection: They gain insight into their emotional triggers by listening to their body.

Inner Peace: Grounding exercises help create a sense of safety and calm, reducing the need for external approval.

Overcoming People-Pleasing

Here are three key steps to overcoming people-pleasing:

Set Boundaries: Learn to say no and recognize that your needs are important too.

Practice Self-Care: Engage in activities that make you feel good, whether it’s therapy or hobbies.

Get Support: Working with a trauma therapist can help you break free from people-pleasing and develop healthier habits.

How Shay Can Support You in San Diego and all of California

If people-pleasing is taking over your life, Shay DuBois can help.

With a focus on somatic therapy, Shay works with individuals to reconnect with their body, set boundaries, and prioritize self-care.  

Shay is an experienced trauma therapist in San Diego and works with people all over California.  

Shay works with all kinds of trauma and anxiety whether it is PTSD, CPTSD, or anxiety; Shay knows how to help.

Start your journey toward healing today by booking a session with Shay.

Use the button above or email shay@overcomeanxietytrauma.com

Read more:   Shay was a contributor to National Geographic on Somatic Therapy!

Breath Of Fresh Air:

If you’ve been wondering whether your stress, anxiety, or relationship patterns could be connected to signs of childhood trauma showing up in adulthood, you’re not alone—and you don’t have to figure it out alone either. Working with a trauma-informed therapist in San Diego who understands people pleasing, the fawn response in adults, and how early experiences shape your nervous system can be a powerful step toward healing.

At Overcome Anxiety Trauma, Shay combines somatically healing approaches like Brainspotting, EMDR, EFT for trauma, and parts work therapy to help you reconnect with your body, rewire patterns of fear and avoidance, and finally feel safe being yourself. Whether you’re struggling with agoraphobia, depression, anxiety, or just feel stuck, change is possible—and it starts with one email.

Ready to take that first step? Reach out directly at **Shay@overcomeanxietytrauma.com**. Your healing journey is waiting.