Shruti Doss: Finding acceptance without people pleasing

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Have you ever felt guilty for setting boundaries? Felt uncomfortable after prioritizing your own needs? 

Imagine spending your entire life wearing a mask, constantly shapeshifting to meet everyone else's expectations.

In this episode of The Therapy Room, host Ankit sits down with Shruti Doss, a therapist and founder of Mynd Space, to unravel the world of people-pleasing, exploring how this behavior often stems from our earliest relationships, childhood experiences, and a fundamental human need for safety and acceptance. Shruti brings not just professional expertise, but deeply personal insights into this universal human experience. Together with Ankit, she peels back the layers of people-pleasing, revealing it not as a personal weakness, but as a survival mechanism deeply rooted in us.

If you've ever found yourself saying "yes" when you desperately want to say "no," constantly prioritizing others' needs at the expense of your own, or feeling exhausted from trying to keep everyone happy, this episode is your much-needed guide to understanding and transforming these patterns.

We discuss

1. If people-pleasing is really about wanting the best for others or if it’s about you.
2. Where people-pleasing stems from.
3. How we can start becoming aware of our people pleasing patterns.
4. Learning to work with feelings of guilt after setting boundaries.
5. Building a sense of self when you feel like you don’t have one.
6. How we can work towards feeling accepted and belong in healthy ways.
7. How people-pleasing shows up in romantic relationships.
8. How Shruti has learnt to prioritize her needs and build her sense of self.

Shruti’s bio

Shruti Doss is a therapist, who is currently building the The Mynd Space with the vision of building a holistic approach towards therapy. With a Master’s in Clinical Psycho-Oncology from Christ University, Shruti’s work is shaped by her understanding of the deep connection between the mind, body, and emotions. She is committed to creating a space where people can explore their stories, lived experience and connect to their authentic selves.

Connect with Shruti

 Instagram

QOTD

Talk to us about your people-pleasing struggles. Write in and tell us your story - podcast@myndstories.com 

Resources

• Maslow's hierarchy of needs

Credits

• Ankit Narasimhan, host and episode planner.
• Ravi Kumar, sound designer and editor.

Liked our episode? Visit www.myndstories.com for more. Find us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

*Disclaimer - The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling and is not to be taken as medical or mental health advice.