
10/09/2025
At first glance, kindness and people-pleasing can look the same—but the difference lies in motivation and how it impacts our well-being.
Kindness grows from empathy, compassion, and self-assurance. People-pleasing often comes from a place of fear—fear of rejection, conflict, or not being “enough.” Both come from wanting to connect, but one tends to leave us feeling nourished, while the other can leave us feeling drained.
In therapy, you can explore where your patterns come from, learn how to set healthy boundaries, and discover that it’s possible to care for others without losing care for yourself.