This engaging and self-reflective 3-hour CEU training is designed for mental health professionals who struggle with over-accommodation, avoidance of conflict, or difficulty saying "no" in the therapeutic relationship. Grounded in ethical codes (e.g., NASW, APA), interpersonal neurobiology, and countertransference theory, this course will help clinicians identify how their own people-pleasing patterns may affect client care, professional integrity, and boundary clarity. Through experiential exercises, real-world vignettes, and practical tools, therapists will learn to uphold ethical standards while maintaining self-awareness and self-compassion.
https://frumtherapist.com/workshops/ThePleaser2/viewThe Pleaser in the Chair:
Navigating Ethics & Boundaries as a Therapist with People-Pleasing Tendencies (Recorded)
Previously Recorded
Presenter: Rebecca Canzonieri, LCSW-C, LICSW
Course Length: 3 Hours
This workshop Offers 3 Continuing Education Credits
This webinar is recorded and will not grant live credits.
This engaging and self-reflective 3-hour CEU training is designed for mental health professionals who struggle with over-accommodation, avoidance of conflict, or difficulty saying "no" in the therapeutic relationship. Grounded in ethical codes (e.g., NASW, APA), interpersonal neurobiology, and countertransference theory, this course will help clinicians identify how their own people-pleasing patterns may affect client care, professional integrity, and boundary clarity. Through experiential exercises, real-world vignettes, and practical tools, therapists will learn to uphold ethical standards while maintaining self-awareness and self-compassion.
Welcome & Overview
Introduction to people-pleasing as a professional liability
CE requirements and objectives
Module 1: The People-Pleasing Therapist – Origins & Impacts
Understanding the roots: childhood roles, attachment dynamics, fawn response
How people-pleasing shows up in clinical work
Ethical red flags: overextending, unclear fees/scheduling, blurred boundaries
Module 2: Ethics in Action – Codes, Conflicts & Countertransference
Review of relevant ethical codes (e.g., NASW, ACA, APA)
Case vignettes: dual relationships, gift giving, over-availability, client over-dependence
The role of guilt, fear, and self-worth in therapist behavior
Interactive Activity: Mapping your own ethical “triggers”
Break
Module 3: Reclaiming Boundaries with Compassion
Boundaries as a trauma-informed and ethical necessity
Scripts and strategies for saying no, setting limits, and repairing ruptures
Supporting client disappointment and managing your internal discomfort
Practice Exercise: Boundary setting role-plays (client cancellations, fee discussions, session limits)
Module 4: Rewriting the Pleaser Narrative
Internal Family Systems (IFS)-informed view of the pleaser part
Journaling and guided reflection: Who are you protecting? What are you afraid will happen?
Cultivating the therapist's self: Boundaried, ethical, attuned
Wrap-Up & Post-Test
Final reflections, Q&A
Knowledge check for CE credit
Resource packet: reflection worksheet, ethical decision-making tools, boundary-setting scripts