Being the Safe One: A Somatic Therapy Guide to Parentification and the Cost of Being the Regulated One

If you are the calm one everyone leans on, you are paying a hidden cost. A somatic therapist on parentification, the regulated-one pattern, and how to turn the capacity homeward. By Abi Beri | Integrative Therapist & Nervous System Specialist · Dublin & Online TL;DR. If several people in your life would name you first […]
Rejection Sensitivity Isn’t an Overreaction: A Somatic Therapy View on Why Silence Hurts So Much

If a delayed text can ruin your afternoon, your nervous system isn’t broken — it’s hypervigilant. Here is the body-based path back to safety. By Abi Beri | Somatic Therapist & Integrative Practitioner, Dublin & Online Picture this. Someone you care about texts you. It is shorter than usual. No emoji. Just the words. And […]
Why Your Body Says Yes When You Want to Say No: The Somatic Truth About People-Pleasing

Understanding People-Pleasing as a Nervous System Pattern, Not a Character Flaw Your friend asks for a favor. Before your mind even processes the request, your body has already responded: shoulders tensing, breath quickening, jaw clenching—and then your mouth says “yes” while every cell in your body screams “no.” You leave the conversation feeling exhausted, resentful, […]
Understanding People-Pleasing: The Hidden Psychology Behind Approval Addiction

By Abi Beri, Integrative Holistic Therapist What Is People-Pleasing Really? People-pleasing goes far beyond being considerate or helpful. It’s a compulsive behavioral pattern where your sense of safety and self-worth becomes entirely dependent on others’ approval. Unlike healthy accommodation, people-pleasing involves systematically abandoning your authentic needs, desires, and boundaries to avoid conflict or potential rejection. […]