Relationship Patterns: Understanding Why You Keep Reliving the Same Dynamics

Illustration of a person standing alone while a distant group talks in the background, symbolizing feeling unseen or disconnected in relationships.

Most people who seek relationship patterns therapy fall into one of two groups: some have a strong awareness of the patterns they keep repeating — shutting down, over-giving, fixing, choosing emotionally unavailable partners — and feel frustrated that they can’t seem to change them. Others arrive without any clear sense of a “pattern” at all. […]

Self Esteem & Self Criticism Therapy: Healing the Parts That Keep You Small

Illustration of a woman and her harsh inner critic, representing self-esteem challenges and self-criticism therapy themes.

People often begin self esteem and self criticism therapy after noticing something familiar inside — a sinking feeling after a small mistake, a tightening in the chest when someone offers feedback, or a quiet inner voice that speaks more harshly than they ever would to anyone else. These reactions can feel automatic and overwhelming, but […]

Perfectionism & People-Pleasing Therapy — Understanding the Parts That Work So Hard

A glowing star standing out among dark stars, symbolizing the pressure of perfectionism and the desire to be seen.

If you’re considering perfectionism and people pleasing therapy, you already know how tiring it is to hold yourself to impossible standards or keep everyone else comfortable. The pressure shows up in your chest, your jaw, your stomach — and somewhere inside, a part of you is tired of doing it all alone. These patterns didn’t […]

Anxiety Therapy in Calgary — Understanding the Parts Behind the Overwhelm

Person gently placing a hand on their body, reflecting how anxiety shows up through nervous system sensations.

Most people assume anxiety shows up only as worry, panic, or racing thoughts — but anxiety therapy in Calgary with Connect Heal Grow Psychology often starts with something far quieter: the parts inside us that are trying their best to keep us safe. Anxiety rarely comes from nowhere. It is usually a response from protectors […]

The Body’s Story: How the Nervous System Holds Trauma When Words Can’t

(IFS + Somatic Healing at Connect Heal Grow Psychology) Most of us have moments when our body reacts before our mind catches up — a familiar sign of how trauma stored in the body can show up in everyday life. You’re washing dishes and your chest suddenly tightens.You get a text from someone and feel […]

When Pleasing Others Means Losing Yourself: How People-Pleasing Affects Relationships

Two people sitting back-to-back in silence, each looking distressed, symbolizing the emotional disconnection that can result from people-pleasing in relationships.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing everything right in a relationship — being helpful, accommodating, easy to be around — and still ended up feeling lonely or unseen, you’re not alone. In this post, we’ll explore how people-pleasing affects relationships, and why this protective part of you can unintentionally block the very connection it […]

Recognizing People-Pleasing in Adulthood — From the Inside Out

Woman holding a smiling mask in front of her face while looking sad, symbolizing the emotional conflict and hidden struggle of people-pleasing in adulthood.

In our last post, we explored the roots of people-pleasing — and in this one, we’ll look at what people-pleasing looks like in adulthood, including the behaviors, emotions, and relational impacts this pattern often carries. But what happens when that same protective part continues into adulthood? Have you ever found yourself saying yes with a […]

How People-Pleasing in Adulthood Begins — and Why It Makes Sense

Child gazing out a window with a soft reflection, symbolizing early emotional sensitivity and the roots of people-pleasing behavior.

People-pleasing in adulthood often feels automatic. You say “yes” before you’ve had time to check in with yourself. You offer support, soften your voice, suppress your needs — not because you want to manipulate, but because some part of you learned that keeping others happy felt like the safest path to connection. This post explores […]