Therapy Addresses People-Pleasing and Boundary Issues in Adults
Therapy services are increasingly targeting people-pleasing behaviors and boundary issues in adults, recognizing them as significant contributors to mental and emotional distress. Philip Monte Verde Counseling defines people-pleasing as a compulsion to give more than one receives in relationships, often stemming from a default question of 'what can I do to make the people around me happy?' This pattern can originate from unstable childhood environments where approval felt conditional, leading to a survival strategy that becomes an adult relationship style. The cost of this behavior includes unequal relationships, burnout in the workplace, and long-term feelings of depression, anxiety, and resentment.
