In this interview, I’m joined by Dr. Ingrid Clayton, a licensed clinical psychologist, trauma therapist, and author whose work has helped countless people understand the hidden dynamics of complex trauma. Ingrid holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and an M.A. in transpersonal psychology. She’s the author of the best-selling memoir Believing Me: Healing from Narcissistic Abuse and Complex Trauma and of the new book FAWNING: Why the Need to Please Makes Us Lose Ourselves and How to Find Our Way Back.

In this conversation, we explore the fawn response — the often-misunderstood trauma pattern that makes us over-adapt, appease, and lose touch with our authentic selves. We discuss the difference between fawning, codependency, and people-pleasing; the nervous-system mechanics behind this survival strategy; and why body-based, somatic work is essential for true recovery.

We also dive into the role of power in reinforcing fawning, how toxic positivity and spiritual bypassing can block healing, and the vital process of reclaiming the fight response and self-trust after years of self-gaslighting.

If this episode resonates, please follow, subscribe, rate, and share to help us expand this trauma-educated conversation and bring nervous system awareness to more people around the world.

If you want to understand where you currently are in your nervous system healing after complex trauma and what your next steps can be, take my Nervous System Healing Quiz here https://www.effiekli.com/quiz

For science-backed tools to help you process emotions on a deep body-level, watch my free workshop The Alchemy of Emotional Processing After Trauma here https://www.effiekli.com/optin