People-pleasing can look like kindness from the outside, but inside it may feel like anxiety, guilt and self-abandonment. This article explores how the Adapted Child in Transactional Analysis can help explain why saying no can feel unsafe, and how therapy can support healthier boundaries.

In Transactional Analysis, the Critical Parent is one way of understanding the harsh inner voice that can fuel self-criticism, shame, perfectionism, anxiety and low self-worth. This article explores where that voice may come from, how it can show up, and how therapy can help you respond to it differently.