Hey, People Pleasing Nature Therapy needing person. I see you. You’re standing there, clutching your watered-down iced coffee like it’s the last remnant of comfort in your carefully constructed world. The one where you’ve mastered the art of surviving on succulents and “I’m fine” statements. The one where your Google calendar looks like a game of Tetris gone wrong, packed with everyone else’s needs while yours collect dust in the “maybe someday” folder.
Nature Therapy: A New Path for People Pleasers in Aurora
I see you there, at the edge of those dark woods, wondering if there’s more than this endless loop of meeting expectations and dimming your light to make others comfortable.
Here’s what nobody tells you about being the resident people pleaser: it’s not just about saying yes when you want to say no. It’s about carrying an invisible backpack filled with:
- The weight of unspoken needs
- A compass that points to everyone else’s true north
- A trail mix of other people’s emotions you’ve claimed as your own
- An emergency kit for everyone else’s crises
You’ve gotten so good at reading the trail markers of fixing other people’s needs that you’ve forgotten how to read your own. Like that time you stayed late at work again, your cold brew turning into sad bean water while you helped with “just one more thing.” Or when you rescheduled your self-care hike for the third time because someone needed you to be their emotional support human
Finding Authentic Self Through Forest Therapy
But here’s the thing about standing at the edge of these woods: you don’t have to keep following that well-worn path of people pleasing. Nature therapy for people pleasing offers a new way of walking in your day to day. There’s another trail calling, one that leads through the liminal space between who you’ve been and who you’re meant to be.
The First Step: Acknowledging Your Location
Just like any good hiker knows, you can’t plot a new course until you know where you’re starting. Take a moment. Pull out your journal. Ask yourself:
- What views am I missing while tending to everyone else’s garden?
- Whose footsteps am I actually following?
- What would my path look like if I let my inner compass lead?
Your “neurospicy” brain might be firing off all the reasons why you can’t possibly change course. That’s normal. Those are just your protective parts doing their job, like overeager trail guides who’ve memorized only one route through the woods.
Here’s why Nature-Based Counseling Works for Overwhelm
The Truth About These Woods: You can be your most authentic self. The forest does not require you to be someone, it does not demand people pleasing. It just asks that you show up for your nature therapy. This is the way of certified forest therapy guides: that we guide you to the forest, so the two of you can get to know each other authentically.
Here’s what I know from both sides of the trail: those dark woods you’re facing? They’re not as scary as your mind makes them out to be. Yes, they’re unknown. Yes, they require you to trust yourself. But they also hold the promise of:
- Morning light filtering through leaves of authenticity
- Clearings where your voice can finally echo
- Springs of genuine connection (not the watered-down kind)
This is where the real adventure begins. Not the kind where you’re carrying everyone else’s gear, but the kind where you finally get to explore your own path. In the coming weeks, we’ll venture deeper into these woods together, mapping out the territory of your authentic self.
But for now, just stand here with me at the edge. Take a sip of that coffee (maybe treat yourself to a fresh one), and acknowledge the courage it takes to even consider a different trail.
Aurora’s Outdoor Therapy Approach to People Pleasing
Nature therapy in Aurora Colorado
Whether we’re exploring the hidden trails of Cherry Creek State Park or finding quiet spaces in Jefferson County’s Open Spaces, nature provides the perfect setting for this transformative work. Check out the work I do here.