Healing the Fawn Response: From Self Abandonment to Choice

A somatic approach to understanding the fawn response and restoring agency from the inside out.

Many of us learned early on that staying safe meant staying agreeable.

Saying yes when we meant no.
Soothing others before tending to ourselves.
Tracking the emotional climate of a room instead of our own needs.

This is often referred to as the fawn response — a nervous system survival strategy rooted in connection, not weakness. And for many people, it lives not just in the mind, but deeply in the body.

In this somatic healing workshop, we’ll gently explore how the fawn response shows up in the nervous system and fascia — and how choice, voice, and self-trust can begin to return without force or pressure.

This is not about “fixing” yourself.
It’s about creating enough safety for your body to stop abandoning itself.

What we’ll explore together:

• How the fawn response develops as a nervous system adaptation
• How self-abandonment can show up subtly in the body
• The difference between people-pleasing and embodied choice
• Gentle somatic practices to support safety, orientation, and voice
• How to begin noticing choice again — without guilt or collapse

You’ll be guided through slow, optional, body-based practices designed to meet you where you are. Sharing is always optional. You’re welcome to participate quietly, with your camera on or off.

This space is for you if:

• You find yourself prioritizing others at the expense of your own needs
• You feel responsible for others’ emotions or comfort
• You struggle to speak up or feel tension around your throat, chest, or belly
• You’re tired of understanding these patterns intellectually and want a body-based approach
• You’re curious about healing that doesn’t require reliving the past

What to expect:

• A calm, grounded container
• Nervous-system education woven with somatic awareness
• Optional journaling and reflection
• Practices that emphasize choice, consent, and pacing
• A supportive, non-judgmental environment

This is a somatic, trauma-informed space. You are always in control of how much you participate.

About the facilitator:

Natalie Bussell is a Somatic Healing & Embodiment Coach who works from a nervous-system-first, body-led approach. Her work centers on creating safety in the body so healing can unfold naturally — without force, pressure, or self-abandonment.

Format: Google Meet
Length/Group Size: 90 minutes/small group
Pricing: Donation-based (suggested $35)

Led by: Natalie Bussell
Somatic Healing & Embodiment Coach | NB Holistic Health
Trauma-informed. Nervous-system aware. Body-based healing.