As adults, it can evoke a lot of shame as we witness ourselves becoming dependent on our partners and accepting more and more bad behaviour, or when we find ourselves burnt out because it is too difficult to put boundaries in place. As you explore this response, I invite you to be gentle with yourself. To stay in contact with the child within who didn’t receive the love, attention and care they deserved. Pause for a moment and imagine your child. A child who was struggling for connection. A…

💛The fawn response typically develops as a coping mechanism in response to trauma. When a child or adults natural fight or flight responses are ineffective or dangerous, they may learn to “fawn” as a way to survive. If this occurs in childhood, this pattern can persist into adulthood, leading to a habitual way of interacting with the world. Here are some signs of being stuck in the fawn response: 🌱 Prioritizing others’ comfort to feel safe. 🙇‍♂️ Overly pleasing others, neglecting your…

The FAWN Response Highly aware of others somatic cues People-pleasing Lack of identity Conflict avoidant Difficulty setting boundaries Difficulty saying ‘no’ Eyes reaching or scanning Caretaking or co-dependence Disconnected from own body and needs

The fawn response is a common stress reaction - most common for people who’ve experienced complex, inescapable trauma in the past. Fawning is active – it involves attuning to the threat and figuring out what will appease or neutralize it. The "fawn" response usually gets simplified to #peoplepleasing, conflict avoidance, and neglecting one's own needs, but there are more specific markers we might look out for if we suspect we might be prone to respond to stress by moving into the fawn state.