Therapy for People-Pleasing in Ottawa & Online Across Ontario
End the Cycle of Self-Abandonment and Build Self-Trust: People-Pleasing Therapy in Ottawa
If you are seeking people-pleasing therapy in Ottawa or virtual psychotherapy for people-pleasing in Ontario, I provide specialized support for adults struggling with self-abandonment, guilt, and the weight of overextending for others.
People-pleasing, difficulty setting boundaries, and struggling with assertiveness are often misunderstood as communication issues. In reality, these patterns are frequently rooted in early relational experiences where emotional safety felt inconsistent or conditional.
My approach to psychotherapy for people-pleasing in Ottawa focuses on helping you understand why these patterns developed. By addressing the relational and attachment roots of people-pleasing, we work to reframe the survival strategies that once kept you safe, allowing you to show up authentically and stay connected to yourself while staying connected to others.
Understanding the “Fawn Response”: Why Your Body Chooses People-Pleasing
From a relational and attachment-based perspective, people-pleasing is a learned survival strategy—often referred to as the Fawn Response.
Many people grew up in environments where they had to adapt to emotional unpredictability or conditional approval.
Over time, your nervous system may have learned that staying agreeable, helpful, or self-sacrificing was the safest way to maintain connection. Even in adulthood, when you are no longer in those environments — your body may continue responding as if peace equals safety.
Understanding this can be deeply healing — these patterns developed to protect you.
Common Signs of People-Pleasing and Boundary Struggles
The Fawn Response: Overthinking conversations and worrying about how others perceive you
Boundary Guilt: Feeling anxious or irresponsible when you say no or prioritize your own rest
High-Functioning Anxiety: Masking your internal restlessness with caretaking, perfectionism, or overachievement
Loss of Self: Difficulty expressing your own needs, preferences, or disagreements in close relationships
These patterns often show up most strongly in close relationships — where the fear of disconnection, conflict, or disappointing others feels most intense.
Relational Therapy for People-Pleasing: How We Create Lasting Change 
Meet Gal Zohar, Psychotherapist Specializing in People-Pleasing, Boundaries, and Assertiveness
In therapy with me, we go beyond symptom management. While coping skills can be helpful, lasting change comes from understanding the emotional and relational roots of your patterns.
My approach is relational, attachment-based, and trauma-informed. Together, we can explore:
How people-pleasing and boundary difficulties show up in your body, emotions, and relationships
The anxiety or guilt that arises when you assert yourself
Early relational patterns that shaped how you learned to stay safe
Protective strategies (such as caretaking, perfectionism, or emotional shutdown) that once served a purpose
What emotional safety, attunement, and self-trust feel like
Healing happens through consistent emotional safety, attunement, and understanding — allowing your nervous system to learn that you no longer need to stay in survival mode.
Relational & IFS Therapy for People-Pleasing in Ontario
In my practice, we can work with the parts of you that learned to prioritize others to maintain safety.
Therapy together can help you:
Recognize and soften protective patterns
Respond from the present instead of old survival responses
Build an internal sense of safety and self-trust
Practice boundaries that feel grounded rather than reactive
Stay connected to yourself while staying connected to others
Healing can mean learning how to stay connected without self-abandonment.
Online Psychotherapy for Assertiveness Across Ontario
If this resonates, you’re welcome to book a free consultation. It’s a chance to talk through what you’re experiencing, ask questions, and see whether working together feels like the right fit for you.