Do you often put everyone else’s needs before your own - and feel bad if you don’t?

In this episode, I’m joined by Kay from Place to Talk Therapy Practice to explore the deep connection between shame and people-pleasing. We talk about how shame begins, how it shows up in everyday life, and why it can feel so hard to break free from old patterns.

Kay shares her personal experience of living with shame, from body image struggles to those early messages we pick up about who we need to be in order to be accepted and loved. Kay explains:

• The difference between guilt and shame - and why shame runs so deep.
• How childhood experiences and cultural expectations shape people-pleasing.
• Gentle ways to notice and challenge shame-fuelled thoughts.
• What self-honour is and why it is the antidote to shame.
• First steps you can take to set boundaries and put your needs back on the table.

You can find out more about Kay and her practice at https://www.placetotalktherapies.co.uk/

Take the quiz! What's Your People-Pleaser Personality? and discover my 6 step method to unlocking Clarity, Change and Freedom so you can say yes to the real you - without anxiety and guilt.

Get your FREE Video Visibility Toolkit - discover how to go from cringe to confidence on video

Join me over on Instagram for regular updates, posts and talks about all things people-pleasing and being visible and feel free to DM me any content ideas: https://www.instagram.com/charlotte_bailey_therapies/

Visit my website for more information, resources and details on how to work with me https://www.charlottebaileytherapies.com/

I share what it’s really like to walk the well-worn path of people-pleasing - the one that promises peace, acceptance, and connection, but actually leaves you feeling lost and disconnected from yourself.

I talk about the hidden costs of always saying yes, the silent panic when you even think about saying no, and why it can feel like you don’t even know what you want anymore.

Most importantly, I explain why people-pleasing isn’t a fixed personality trait - it’s a nervous system survival response. You didn’t choose this path, but you can choose differently now. And even though stepping off it feels scary and uncertain, that anxiety isn’t a sign you’re doing something wrong - it’s a sign you’re heading off the path, to make a new one. One that will lead you back to yourself.

Take the quiz! What's Your People-Pleaser Personality? and discover my 6 step method to unlocking Clarity, Change and Freedom so you can say yes to the real you - without anxiety and guilt.

Get your FREE Video Visibility Toolkit - discover how to go from cringe to confidence on video

Join me over on Instagram for regular updates, posts and talks about all things people-pleasing and being visible and feel free to DM me any content ideas: https://www.instagram.com/charlotte_bailey_therapies/

Visit my website for more information, resources and details on how to work with me https://www.charlottebaileytherapies.com/

Past me would NEVER have done this.
This weekend I went to Creamfields on my own, volunteered with Blink Mental Health, gave therapy sessions in the middle of the thumping bass - and then did something that reminded me how liberating it is when you break free from people-pleasing.

When I was in my anxious, overthinking people-pleasing prime, I’d never have walked into a festival alone. I’d never have volunteered alongside a team I’d never met, doing something as unfamiliar as therapy in a bell tent. And yet, what struck me most this weekend was what didn’t happen: I didn’t spiral for days about what to wear. What to say. Whether people would think I was “too much” for asking questions. The fear of getting lost, looking stupid, or not fitting in. And afterwards, I didn’t replay every conversation, cringing at every word.

Instead of overthinking, I felt grounded. Present. Happy.
And what I chose to do after my shift really hit me deep.

If you’ve ever held back because of what others might think, or felt like you’re “too much and not enough” all at once - this episode is your reminder that freedom is possible. In your own way, at your own pace.

Take the quiz! What's Your People-Pleaser Personality? and discover my 6 step method to unlocking Clarity, Change and Freedom so you can say yes to the real you - without anxiety and guilt.

Get your FREE Video Visibility Toolkit - discover how to go from cringe to confidence on video

Join me over on Instagram for regular updates, posts and talks about all things people-pleasing and being visible and feel free to DM me any content ideas: https://www.instagram.com/charlotte_bailey_therapies/

Visit my website for more information, resources and details on how to work with me https://www.charlottebaileytherapies.com/

Have you noticed that so much content online sounds the same?
Lately, I’ve found myself scrolling and thinking, “this looks like AI wrote it.” And then the worry hits: what if people think the same about my content ?

In this episode, I’m talking honestly about:

• Why so much content feels repetitive or AI-generated
• The pressure to follow “scroll-friendly” formulas
• My own fear that my writing might not be seen as authentic
• Why quirks, pauses, and imperfections are what make your voice truly stand out

If you’re a woman in business, a content creator, or just someone tired of content blending into one big blur let me know via Instagram or Youtube comments if you can relate!

#AuthenticContent #AIContent #WomenInBusiness

Take the quiz! What's Your People-Pleaser Personality? and discover my 6 step method to unlocking Clarity, Change and Freedom so you can say yes to the real you - without anxiety and guilt.

Get your FREE Video Visibility Toolkit - discover how to go from cringe to confidence on video

Join me over on Instagram for regular updates, posts and talks about all things people-pleasing and being visible and feel free to DM me any content ideas: https://www.instagram.com/charlotte_bailey_therapies/

Visit my website for more information, resources and details on how to work with me https://www.charlottebaileytherapies.com/

A lot of people hadn’t realised I’m trained in Psychosexual Therapy and Sex and Porn ‘Addiction’ Counselling, and when I recently shared a post talking about my credentials, I was asked to do an episode on the subject of people-pleasing and sex.

And I’m really glad they asked, because it’s a topic that doesn’t get spoken about enough — and on reflection, I’m guilty of that too! Yet if you’re a people-pleaser and often say yes when you want to say no, struggle to express how you really feel or what you want, and strive to make everyone else happy — often at the expense of your own happiness — then of course people-pleasing is likely to show up when it comes to sex

In this episode, I chat about:

• The common ways people-pleasing shows up in your thoughts, feelings, body, and behaviour.
• Where sexual people-pleasing comes from and why it might continue to show up in the bedroom.

It’s my hope that this episode helps you feel less alone with any struggles or difficulties you have around this topic — and gives you hope that things don’t have to stay this way.

Look out for a second part to this episode in the near future, when I’ll be joined by a fellow psychosexual therapist to discuss more practical ways to address these difficulties, how to communicate your preferences, wants, and needs (and the things you don’t want!), and how to reconnect with your sexual self too.

I hope you find this helpful — let me know what you think over on Instagram.

Take the quiz! What's Your People-Pleaser Personality? and discover my 6 step method to unlocking Clarity, Change and Freedom so you can say yes to the real you - without anxiety and guilt.

Get your FREE Video Visibility Toolkit - discover how to go from cringe to confidence on video

Join me over on Instagram for regular updates, posts and talks about all things people-pleasing and being visible and feel free to DM me any content ideas: https://www.instagram.com/charlotte_bailey_therapies/

Visit my website for more information, resources and details on how to work with me https://www.charlottebaileytherapies.com/

In this episode I reflect on 8 years ago, when I started my business, my private practice. At that time I had a Facebook Page... and no other way to market myself. I rarely shared the Facebook Page because - I told myself I was being 'professional' - I didn't want to 'push' my services on to people, because that would be unethical.

Even as a self-aware therapist with 20+ years studying psychology it took me a while to notice that I was actually avoiding putting myself out there - it wasn't really about professionalism at all, it was actually about protection.

I'm sharing this with you alongside some ways avoidance can masquerade and thoughts to look out for - so you can spot when you might be avoiding visibility at and start noticing with curiosity not criticism, what might really be behind that avoidance and how to start taking manageable steps forward.

If you're a woman in business and this episode resonates I would love for you to join me and the other speakers at the amazing Reignite & Rise retreat taking place in the UK on 7 October 2025 at Carden Park Hotel Cheshire - I'll be delivering my talk/workshop 'Reignite From Within: Rise With Visibility That Feels Like You'. You'll discover what's really holding you back, reconnect with the 'why' behind what you do, identify what you can do to start moving forward with confidence and rise with visibility that feels like you. I'd love to see you there! More info here

Take the quiz! What's Your People-Pleaser Personality? and discover my 6 step method to unlocking Clarity, Change and Freedom so you can say yes to the real you - without anxiety and guilt.

Get your FREE Video Visibility Toolkit - discover how to go from cringe to confidence on video

Join me over on Instagram for regular updates, posts and talks about all things people-pleasing and being visible and feel free to DM me any content ideas: https://www.instagram.com/charlotte_bailey_therapies/

Visit my website for more information, resources and details on how to work with me https://www.charlottebaileytherapies.com/

What is people-pleasing?

and why do so many of us not realise we’re doing it?

In this episode I talk about what people-pleasing really looks like - from the outside and the inside. Because I never used to call it people-pleasing either. I just thought I was being “nice,” “easy,” “helpful.” But behind that laid-back, dependable exterior? I was anxious, overthinking, and quietly abandoning myself every single day.

I cover:

• Why people-pleasing isn’t the same as being kind
• The subtle, everyday ways it people-pleasing in plain sight
• The internalised rules that keep us stuck in people-pleasing and guilt.
• Where people-pleasing comes from
• And why it can be so hard to stop people-pleasing, even when we want to change

This is the episode I probably should’ve made sooner. Whether you’re just beginning to notice your patterns, or deep in the work of unlearning them, I hope this offers the clarity, compassion, and language you’ve been looking for.

Take the quiz! What's Your People-Pleaser Personality? and discover my 6 step method to unlocking Clarity, Change and Freedom so you can say yes to the real you - without anxiety and guilt.

Get your FREE Video Visibility Toolkit - discover how to go from cringe to confidence on video

Join me over on Instagram for regular updates, posts and talks about all things people-pleasing and being visible and feel free to DM me any content ideas: https://www.instagram.com/charlotte_bailey_therapies/

Visit my website for more information, resources and details on how to work with me https://www.charlottebaileytherapies.com/

In this episode, I’m covering a question I've been asked on Instagram a few times now: “How do I know if my child is a people-pleaser and what can I do to help?”

To do this episode justice, I’ve invited the brilliant Becky—an Anxiety Coach for Teenagers and fellow recovering people-pleaser—to join me in exploring this important topic. Becky talks about the work she does, what people-pleasing can look like in teens, and the early warning signs for you to look out for.

Becky shares practical, compassionate strategies for helping teens break free from self-sacrifice and begin to build confidence, self-trust, and important emotional boundaries. Whether you're a parent, therapist, or educator, this episode offers hope, clarity, and tools to support the young people in your life.

For more info about Becky and to access her FREE resources head to her website https://www.thebeckyfunk.com/ and check out her Instagram

Take the quiz! What's Your People-Pleaser Personality? and discover my 6 step method to unlocking Clarity, Change and Freedom so you can say yes to the real you - without anxiety and guilt.

Get your FREE Video Visibility Toolkit - discover how to go from cringe to confidence on video

Join me over on Instagram for regular updates, posts and talks about all things people-pleasing and being visible and feel free to DM me any content ideas: https://www.instagram.com/charlotte_bailey_therapies/

Visit my website for more information, resources and details on how to work with me https://www.charlottebaileytherapies.com/