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123 | How to Overcome People Pleasing, Self Abandonment, and Good Girl Syndrome with Sara Fisk

  • Emily Reuschel
  • Nov 21, 2024
  • 5 min read

Gather in Growth Podcast episode #001

LISTEN TO HOW TO OVERCOME PEOPLE PLEASING, SELF ABANDONMENT, AND GOOD GIRL SYNDROME WITH SARA FISK ON: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Your player of choicePodcast


I’m excited to welcome Sara Fisk onto the podcast today!


We’re diving DEEP into the concept of ‘people pleasing’, where it comes from, what to do about it, and more. There is sooo much juice to this topic, and one that women know all too well.


Sara Bybee Fisk is a Master Certified Coach and Instructor who has a passion for teaching and coaching. She teaches women how to tame the rampant people pleasing, perfectionism, and codependency that causes them so much frustration and resentment.


Sara understands that people pleasing really is the plague of womanhood, because it robbed her of time, energy, and effort for far too long. After growing up in a very conservative, religious environment, she found herself always looking for others’ approval, and questioning her worth. Sara eventually learned that yes, she was (and IS) ‘enough’, and she doesn’t need anyone’s stamp of approval to have a fulfilling and empowering life!


In today’s episode, we talk about how to overcome people pleasing, self abandonment, and good girl syndrome. As women, we’re taught from a very young age that our value is found in what we do for others. We’re taught to give and to serve, self-sacrifice, and do it ALL with a smile on our face. We lack the inner knowing that ‘I am good’ is actually separate from WHAT we do – whether that’s in the home, in our career, at church, etc.


We tend to have a love-hate relationship with people pleasing. We find fulfillment and joy from the service that we’re doing, but…we’re also exhausted, angry, resentful, and really freaking burned OUT.


People pleasing is uncomfortable, but so is NOT people pleasing. When we’re able to work through the discomfort that comes with no longer people pleasing (like having those not so fun conversations with loved ones), freedom and sovereignty awaits us on the other side! Self abandonment is no longer the norm for us; we’re choosing to move away from the micro-conditioning that was ingrained into us for so long, and instead, actively connecting to what our bodies and our souls are craving.


We don’t have to completely lose ourselves in motherhood – we SHOULD have desires and dreams and goals that are just for us! We can find joy in showing up for and taking care of our families, without constantly putting everyone and their needs before our own.


Taking time to define what it looks like for YOU to be a ‘good mom’ is super important – it’s probably not going to look like every other mom out there. I believe that we truly will change the world when we learn to know, love, and trust ourselves. It amplifies the light that is already within us, it allows us to be healthy and whole, and it paves the way for more women, too.


This was a beautiful conversation with sooo much wisdom and valuable insight from Sara. If you’re on a journey of learning how to overcome people pleasing, self abandonment, or good girl syndrome, you’re in the right place, friend!!


Sara Bybee Fisk is a Master Certified Coach and Instructor who teaches women how to tame the rampant people pleasing, perfectionism, and codependency that is causing them so much frustration and resentment. She uses the lenses of feminism and the tools of Somatic Experiencing and Internal Family systems in her work with clients privately and in group settings.


She is an anxious optimist and born again feminist who listens to more books than she actually sits down to read. She loves a good hike, good dark chocolate, and good conversations. Her big dreams include learning to sail and to sing and dance like JLo, and helping thousands of women create the big, juicy lives they want to be living. She is a wife and mom of 5, and she enjoys those roles (most of the time).


In this episode about how to overcome people pleasing, self abandonment, and good girl syndrome, we cover:

  • Sara’s journey with people pleasing + how it led her to the work she does today

  • How the church & religion influences women + the way they show up in the world

  • What people pleasing looks like from a young age + what happens when it starts to feel like a burden

  • Why both people pleasing and not people pleasing is uncomfortable + how to process the discomfort that comes with not people pleasing

  • How to ‘find’ yourself again when you feel completely lost in motherhood

  • How to have those ‘tough’ conversations with those around you when you’re done with people pleasing

  • Redefining what it actually means for you to be a ‘good mom’

  • Internal Family Systems + how we can connect to this and move past people pleasing

  • Being willing to have very honest conversations


Connect with Sara:


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More about the Gather in Growth podcast: 

Gather in Growth is more than a podcast—it’s a sanctuary for women coming home to themselves and each other. A sacred space to expand horizons, reignite our power, and live unapologetically as our fullest, most authentic selves.


Hosted by Emily Reuschel, this is a gathering place for the doers, dreamers, and seekers who crave connection, purpose, and meaningful impact. Through raw conversations and soul-deep reflections, we’ll embrace curiosity, step to the edges of our comfort zones, and defy expectations.


Picture this: women gathered around a fire, sharing stories with open hearts—connecting, healing, and evolving together. That’s the spirit of Gather in Growth. This is our space to awaken and embody the lives we’ve been yearning for—lives rooted in alignment, guided by intuition, and built with intention.


If you’re ready to move beyond limits and labels, cultivate deep inner trust, and courageously embrace the magic of who you are, then welcome home. Together, let’s Gather in Growth.


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