As an entrepreneur, it’s natural to want to please your clients and customers. However, constantly trying to please everyone can be dangerous, particularly when you’re running your own business. This is especially true for therapists and somatic coaches, who are tasked with providing effective and compassionate care to their clients.

In this article, we’ll explore the dangers of people-pleasing when running your own business, and offer some tips for how to strike a balance between meeting your clients’ needs and upholding your own values and standards.

Compromising Your Values and Boundaries

When you’re constantly trying to please others, it’s easy to lose sight of your own values and boundaries. This can be particularly dangerous for entrepreneurs, who need to maintain a strong sense of purpose and direction in order to succeed. When you’re constantly saying yes to every request or demand, you may find yourself taking on clients or projects that don’t align with your values or that exceed your capacity to deliver.

As a therapist or somatic coach, it’s important to establish clear boundaries and guidelines for your practice. This means being honest with yourself and your clients about what you can and can’t do, and sticking to those boundaries even when it’s uncomfortable or difficult. By maintaining a strong sense of purpose and direction, you can avoid compromising your values and stay true to your mission as an entrepreneur.

Compromising the Therapeutic Relationship

One of the most significant dangers of people-pleasing in therapy or coaching is that it can compromise the therapeutic relationship itself. When you’re more focused on pleasing your clients than on providing effective therapy, you may be more likely to avoid addressing difficult or uncomfortable issues that arise in the course of treatment. This can ultimately harm your clients by preventing them from getting the help they need.

Additionally, people-pleasing can lead to an inconsistent therapeutic approach that lacks clarity and direction. Clients need to feel safe, supported, and empowered in their therapeutic relationship with you. But if you’re always trying to please them, you may be more likely to lose sight of their actual needs and goals in therapy.

Losing Sight of Your Clients’ Needs

People-pleasing can also lead you to lose sight of your clients’ actual needs and goals in therapy or coaching. When you’re too focused on pleasing them, you may end up catering to their every demand, rather than providing the guidance and support they actually need to achieve their goals. This can result in a lack of progress, a sense of aimlessness, or even harm.

Instead of people-pleasing, it’s important to maintain a strong focus on your clients’ actual needs and goals. This requires you to be an active listener and an effective communicator. Be clear about the goals of therapy or coaching, and work collaboratively with your clients to develop a treatment plan that addresses their unique needs and challenges.

Burnout and Compassion Fatigue

Finally, people-pleasing can lead to burnout and compassion fatigue, which can impact your ability to provide effective therapy or coaching. When you’re constantly trying to please your clients, you may find that you’re neglecting your own needs and limits as a practitioner. This can ultimately lead to exhaustion, frustration, and a loss of passion for your work.

To avoid burnout and compassion fatigue, it’s essential to prioritize self-care and maintain healthy boundaries with your clients. This means setting realistic expectations for yourself and your clients, and being clear about your own needs and limitations. Taking breaks, seeking support from colleagues, and engaging in other self-care practices can help you stay energized, focused

and passionate about your work, which ultimately benefits both you and your clients.

Tips for Balancing Client Needs and Personal Values

So, how can you strike a balance between meeting your clients’ needs and upholding your own values and standards as a therapist or somatic coach? Here are some tips to help you find a healthy balance:

1. Establish clear boundaries: Be clear about your role as a therapist or coach, and establish clear boundaries with your clients. This means being honest about what you can and can’t do, and sticking to those boundaries even when it’s uncomfortable or difficult.
2. Focus on client goals: Instead of trying to please your clients, focus on their actual needs and goals in therapy or coaching. Work collaboratively with your clients to develop a treatment plan that addresses their unique needs and challenges.
3. Practice self-care: Prioritize self-care and maintain healthy boundaries with your clients. This means taking breaks, seeking support from colleagues, and engaging in other self-care practices that help you stay energized and focused.
4. Communicate effectively: Be an active listener and an effective communicator with your clients. Be clear about your expectations and goals for therapy or coaching, and make sure your clients are on board with those goals.
5. Be true to your values: Finally, remember to stay true to your values and standards as a therapist or coach. Don’t compromise your principles for the sake of pleasing your clients or growing your business. Instead, focus on providing effective, compassionate care that aligns with your values and mission.

Conclusion

People-pleasing can be a dangerous trap for entrepreneurs, particularly for therapists and somatic coaches who are tasked with providing effective and compassionate care to their clients. By compromising your values and boundaries, you can harm both yourself and your clients. However, by maintaining a strong sense of purpose and direction, focusing on your clients’ actual needs and goals, prioritizing self-care, communicating effectively, and staying true to your values, you can strike a healthy balance between meeting your clients’ needs and upholding your own values and standards.