How the Fawn Response Outsmarts Danger with Dr. Ingrid Clayton

Whitney Goodman interviews Dr. Ingrid Clayton about her new book "Fawning: Why the Need to Please Makes Us Lose Ourselves and How to Find Our Way Back." They explore fawning as the fourth trauma response, how it differs from people-pleasing and codependency, why children and marginalized people develop this survival strategy, and how it can masquerade as success while leading to complete self-abandonment.

Fawning: Why the Need to Please Makes Us Lose Ourselves-and How to Find Our Way Backhttps://www.ingridclayton.com/

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

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This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute 

for professional mental health advice.

00:00 Dr. Clayton's Discovery of Fawning Through Her Own Trauma

04:26 Why Fawning Isn't About Shame - It's About Survival

09:00 How to Recognize Fawning in Your Own Life

12:16 The Connection Between Fawning and Family Estrangement

19:49 Fawning vs. People-Pleasing vs. Codependency

22:13 When Fawning Looks Like Success

27:46 Growing Out of the Fawning Response

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