Trauma Therapy for High-Functioning Women Navigating People Pleasing in Cincinnati, Ohio
On the outside, people-pleasing can look like kindness, reliability, and generosity.
On the inside, it often feels exhausting.
Online therapy available throughout Ohio, Indiana, Florida & Puerto Rico
You may be stuck in people-pleasing if you often…
Say yes when you want to say no.
Worry about disappointing others.
Feel responsible for other people’s emotions.
Avoid conflict, even when something matters to you.
Apologize too much.
Give so much that you end up feeling drained, resentful, or unseen.
If you have ever wondered, “Why is it so hard for me to set a boundary?” you are not alone.
People-pleasing is not a weakness. It is often a survival strategy — a way of staying safe, keeping the peace, or holding onto connection.
If you’re looking for people-pleasing therapy in Ohio, Indiana, Florida, or Puerto Rico, I offer secure online therapy designed to help you understand where this pattern began — and how to gently shift it.
Why People-Pleasing Develops
Many women learn early on that being agreeable, helpful, and easy to be around keeps the peace.
You may have learned that saying no creates tension, that your needs are too much, or that keeping other people happy is the safest option.
Over time, those patterns can become automatic. You start putting yourself last, avoiding conflict, and feeling responsible for everyone else’s emotions.
What once protected you can later leave you feeling anxious, burned out, resentful, and disconnected from yourself.
In therapy for people-pleasing, we explore these patterns with compassion — not criticism.
Meet Dr. Ana Baratta, LPCC
I'm Dr. Ana Baratta, a bilingual licensed therapist helping women in Ohio, Indiana, Florida, and Puerto Rico move through anxiety and people-pleasing. Most of my clients come in feeling like they've lost themselves — exhausted from carrying everyone else, grieving quietly, or stuck in anxiety they can't explain. Over time, they leave with clearer boundaries, a calmer nervous system, and a better sense of who they are outside of what they do for others. I offer therapy in English and Spanish, use EMDR when it's the right fit, and take a warm, direct approach that respects your story and your time.
A Thoughtful Approach to Therapy in Cincinnati, Ohio
In our online therapy sessions, I focus on helping you:
Understand the deeper roots of your people-pleasing.
Work through painful experiences that may have shaped these patterns.
Feel less guilt when you set boundaries.
Trust yourself more.
Stay grounded through discomfort without giving yourself up.
My approach is trauma-informed, and I use EMDR when appropriate to help loosen patterns that feel deeply ingrained.
All sessions are conducted online through a HIPAA-compliant platform for women located in Ohio, Florida, and Puerto Rico.
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People-pleasing in relationships can look like chronic over-giving, difficulty expressing needs, agreeing to things you resent, avoiding conflict at all costs, or feeling responsible for other people's emotions. Recovery isn't about becoming selfish — it's about learning that your needs are just as valid as everyone else's. In therapy, we work on identifying your own feelings and values (often separate from everyone else's expectations), practicing boundary-setting in a graduated way, and processing the guilt and fear that come up when you start to change these patterns.
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Yes — and this is one of the most meaningful pieces of work we do together. Setting limits for the first time is uncomfortable, even when it's right. Therapy helps you understand why boundary-setting feels so threatening, work through the underlying fear of rejection or abandonment, and practice new ways of communicating that are honest without being harsh. Over time, my clients find that their relationships don't collapse — in fact, the healthiest ones often get stronger, and the ones that couldn't survive their growth reveal themselves for what they were.
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I am a private-pay practice and do not bill insurance directly. If applicable, I can provide a superbill that you may submit to your insurance company for possible out-of-network reimbursement.
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My current private-pay fees are:
Ohio & Florida: $ 150 per session
Puerto Rico: $ 100 per session
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My style is warm, trauma-informed, and collaborative. I tailor therapy to your needs and goals, and we move at a pace that feels supportive while still making meaningful progress.
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You can contact me through my website, email, or phone to schedule a free 15-minute consultation. If we decide to move forward, we will schedule your first appointment and I will send you the next steps for paperwork and intake.
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For many people, yes — people pleasing is a learned survival strategy, often rooted in childhood environments where love or safety felt conditional. When saying "no" or having needs felt dangerous, learning to prioritize everyone else's comfort became adaptive. The problem is that what protected you then keeps you stuck now. Therapy helps you understand the origins of the fawn response, build the capacity to tolerate discomfort when you disappoint others, and develop an identity that isn't built entirely around being needed or approved of.
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Genuine kindness comes from a place of choice and reciprocity — you give because you want to, not because you're afraid of what happens if you don't. Codependency is driven by anxiety, fear of abandonment, or the belief that your worth depends on how much you do for others. The key question is: what happens inside you when you say no? If the answer is intense guilt, panic, or a sense that the relationship will collapse, that's worth exploring in therapy. I work with clients to distinguish authentic generosity from compulsive self-erasure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Out of Network Benefits Calculator
Out-of-network means I am not directly contracted with your insurance plan. Some clients may still be able to use their out-of-network benefits and receive partial reimbursement from their insurance company.