The fawn response is a survival strategy in which a person manages perceived threat by becoming excessively agreeable, helpful, and accommodating. Unlike the more widely known fight, flight, or freeze responses, fawning is relational. It works by making the other person feel good so they will not become dangerous. In children, this response develops when the source of threat is also the source of care, leaving the child with no option to fight or flee. In adult men, the fawn response may look like agreeableness, but it operates from a place of fear rather than genuine warmth.
Dr. David Steinbok helps men in the Delray Beach, Florida area recognize when their accommodating behavior is being driven by the fawn response rather than by authentic choice. A people pleasing therapist for men who understands the fawn response does not simply encourage assertiveness. The work involves understanding the original threat that made fawning necessary and examining whether that threat still applies in the patient's current relationships and circumstances.
