Have you ever caught yourself saying yes when every part of you wanted to scream no? That’s not weakness — it’s survival. Dr. Ingrid Clayton, clinical psychologist, trauma expert, and author of “Fawning: Why the Need to Please Makes Us Lose Ourselves and How to Find Our Way Back,” unpacks the fawn response — the trauma survival pattern we’ve been taught to applaud as “being nice,” “helpful,” or “easygoing.”  Dr. Clayton joins Inside the Wellspace with Cathy O’Brien to share how chronic fawning disconnects us from our true selves, how it shows up in our relationships, and what it really takes to heal. Drawing from her own story and two decades of clinical experience, she reveals how reclaiming your voice and learning to “unfawn” can transform your sense of agency, authenticity, and safety.Guest Resources: Dr. Ingrid Clayton - https://linktr.ee/IngridclaytonTimestamps: 00:00 Introduction to Fawning and Trauma Responses02:50 Understanding the Fawn Response05:50 The Journey to Recognizing Fawning08:48 Fawning in Relationships and Power Dynamics11:53 Identifying Fawning in Ourselves14:56 The Impact of Fawning on Self-Identity17:56 Personal Journeys and Breaking Free from Fawning20:43 Navigating Anger and Self-Agency23:45 The Role of Hormones and Aging in Fawning28:47 The Complexity of Forgiveness33:25 Understanding Conflict and Triggers34:43 Redefining Relationship Chemistry36:51 The Journey of Unfawning38:54 Owning Our Trauma40:42 The Importance of Radical Honesty43:20 Dissociation and Overwhelm45:35 Understanding Trauma and Its Impact47:29 Exploring Trauma Therapy Modalities52:41 Finding the Right Therapist54:44 The Power of Shared StoriesSUBSCRIBE: YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@UC13tfnPU0OHsNxmMXSs6saw Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2TQtov8ByjgieslPS5B1IM Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inside-the-wellspace-women-wellbeing-wisdom-with/id1812799800Visit The Well Space for Women: https://www.insidethewellspace.com/ Follow along on Instagram: @thewellspaceforwomen https://www.instagram.com/thewellspaceforwomen/

Ver todos los episodios