THERAPY SERVICES > RELATIONSHIPS> BOUNDARIES & PEOPLE-PLEASING
Therapy for Boundaries & People-Pleasing for Adults in Ontario
Finding Room for Your Needs
in Your Relationships
Psychotherapy for adults seeking to understand patterns of people-pleasing, set healthier boundaries, express their needs, and navigate guilt in their relationships.
WHEN YOU CARE DEEPLY ABOUT OTHERS…
But Your Needs Keep Coming Last
YOUR NEEDS SHOULDN’T ALWAYS COME LAST. LET’S MAKE SOME ROOM FOR YOU, TOO.
You may have agreed to something you didn't really want to do, stayed quiet to avoid upsetting someone, or worried about how they might react if you said no. Afterwards, you may find yourself second-guessing what you said, feeling guilty, or wondering whether you should have handled things differently.
When you care about others, it can be easy to put their needs and feelings ahead of your own. Over time, this can leave you feeling overwhelmed, resentful, or unsure of what you need.
Therapy can help you understand what makes it difficult to set boundaries, recognize when you may be taking responsibility for how other people feel, and consider what feels reasonable for you in your relationships. You can begin making more room for your own needs without losing sight of the people you care about.
Does This Sound Familiar?
YOU MAY BE EXPERIENCING
Resentment after giving more than you wanted to give
Difficulty asking for what you need
Guilt or worry that you’re being selfish when you set a boundary
A sense that you’ve lost sight of yourself in certain relationships
Saying yes when you really want to say no
Feeling responsible for other people’s feelings or reactions
Avoiding conflict or difficult conversations
Putting your own needs aside to keep the peace
When Your Needs Keep Getting Pushed Aside
Putting Others’ Needs First
You rarely stop to consider what you need or want before accommodating someone else.
Taking Responsibility for Others
You feel responsible for keeping other people happy or preventing them from becoming upset.
Second-Guessing Yourself
You often wonder whether you were unreasonable, selfish, or should have handled it differently.
BOUNDARIES & PEOPLE-PLEASING
How Psychotherapy May Help With Boundaries & People-Pleasing:
Psychotherapy helps you understand what makes it difficult to say no, express what you need, or set limits in your relationships.
Together, we’ll explore where these patterns may be showing up, what makes boundaries difficult, and where you may be taking responsibility for other people's feelings or reactions. We’ll work on communicating your needs more clearly, setting boundaries that feel reasonable to you, and working through the guilt or uncertainty that may come with doing things differently.
Setting boundaries doesn’t mean caring less about other people. It means making room for your needs within your relationships, too.
-
Setting a boundary can feel uncomfortable, particularly at first. You may worry that someone will be disappointed, upset, or think differently of you.
Feeling guilty doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve done something wrong. It may simply mean you’re doing something differently.
-
Yes. Setting boundaries doesn’t change the person you are. It simply means making room for your needs as well. When people understand your comfort levels, expectations become clearer and relationships may feel more manageable.
You can care about someone while still having limits around what you give, accept, or take responsibility for.
-
If you’ve communicated a boundary respectfully, someone becoming upset doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve done something wrong. It may feel uncomfortable simply because you’re responding differently than you have in the past.
You can be thoughtful about how you communicate your needs, but you cannot control how someone else responds. Learning to tolerate another person’s disappointment or discomfort is an important part of setting and maintaining boundaries.
-
It can be difficult to make changes in relationships, particularly when you’re used to putting other people first. Psychotherapy provides a space to explore situations that are difficult to navigate, consider what feels reasonable for you, and work through the guilt or uncertainty that may come with doing things differently.
You can care about your relationships while also learning to make room for yourself within them.
Frequently Asked Questions
VIRTUAL THERAPY IN ONTARIO
Take the First Step
I’m ready to make more room for my own needs without feeling guilty for having them.
A free 15-minute consultation gives you a chance to ask questions, learn more about psychotherapy at Anchored in Wellness, and see if working together feels like the right fit.
