Set Boundaries, Build Confidence
Therapy for Women in Colorado to Help You Stop People-Pleasing, Set Healthy Boundaries, and Speak Up For Yourself
Do You Struggle to Speak Up, Worrying About Disappointing Others While Ignoring Your Own Needs?
You’ve noticed that you’re always the one accommodating, smoothing things over, being easygoing, or making sure everyone else is comfortable, even when it takes a toll on you. You say yes when you want to say no. You avoid disappointing others, even if it means disappointing yourself. To the outside world, you seem helpful, dependable, and kind. But inside, you feel stretched thin, anxious, or unsure of where your needs fit in.
You feel a tightness in your chest when you even imagine setting a boundary. Your mind spins with “What if they’re upset?” or “Am I being too much?” Over time, this constant worry about other people’s moods and expectations leaves you exhausted, disconnected from your own wants, and unsure of how to show up authentically in relationships. The guilt, overthinking, and self-doubt create a loop you can’t seem to step out of, caught between wanting to be true to yourself and fearing that honesty will cost you connection.
Therapy can help you understand why people-pleasing shows up and guide you toward more balanced, confident, and grounded ways of relating.
How Our Work Together in Therapy Can Help You Break Free From People-Pleasing:
Understanding the Roots of People-Pleasing: We’ll look beneath the behaviors to understand what shaped them: fear of conflict, a longing for approval, past experiences in which being easygoing felt safe, or early messages about worth and responsibility. By understanding where these patterns began, you can start choosing new ways of responding that feel aligned with who you are now.
Easing the Fear of Disappointing Others: People-pleasing often comes from the anxiety that speaking up will lead to rejection, anger, or disconnection. Together, we’ll explore these fears, challenge the expectations you place on yourself, and practice speaking up in ways that feel confident and grounded without letting guilt or overwhelm take over.
Building Confidence and Self-Trust: You’ll learn how to tune into your body’s signals, identify what you actually want, and trust your inner sense of direction. You’ll develop the confidence to show up more honestly in your relationships without feeling like you have to shrink, mask, or perform.
Creating Boundaries that Feel Supportive, Not Harsh: You’ll build practical tools for setting boundaries with clarity and compassion, rather than fear or avoidance. We’ll practice setting boundaries, explore emotional reactions, and create routines that allow you to show up for others while staying connected to yourself.
Therapy offers a space to explore the long-standing patterns that keep you prioritizing others at your own expense. Together, we’ll develop the skills to communicate your needs, tolerate discomfort, and build relationships rooted in mutual respect rather than self-sacrifice.
When you say ‘yes’ to others, make sure you aren’t saying ‘no’ to yourself.
– PAULO COELHO
What You Can Expect in Therapy:
In therapy, we’ll explore the patterns that drive you to prioritize others and the toll this takes on your confidence, energy, and relationships.
Together, we’ll examine the moments when you feel pressure to please or avoid conflict and gradually loosen the intensity of those expectations.
You’ll learn how to recognize people-pleasing impulses earlier, manage the anxiety that comes with saying no, and communicate your needs in grounded and honest ways. As you grow more comfortable asserting yourself, you’ll notice a deeper sense of ease in your relationships, a stronger connection to your intuition, and more compassion for yourself.
Sessions are available in 50- or 80-minute lengths. I recommend meeting weekly for at least the first eight weeks to maintain momentum, build trust, and support the ongoing changes you’re working toward.
Take Your First Step Toward Therapy
Ready to get started with counseling? Reach out to book your first session for therapy in-person in Denver or online throughout Colorado and begin untangling people-pleasing so you can build relationships that feel balanced, healthy, and true to who you are.