(You can also listen to this episode via Spotify or Apple Podcasts, as well as the Substack app)
Hello there! I hope you’ve had a fabulous weekend! I’ve had a lovely time hosting family - it’s been great to catch up, eat good food and go on some sunny dog walks together.
This week on the podcast, I’m talking about something that shows up all the time in my coaching conversations—whether it’s tricky team dynamics, feeling stuck in people-pleasing, or that exhausting sense of holding everything (and everyone) together.
It’s called the Drama Triangle, and once you start noticing it, you’ll see how easy it is for our default patterns to quietly chip away at your energy and confidence - and make those tricky relationships even harder than they already are.
I see this play out so often with clients—especially those who are feeling over-responsible at work, doubting themselves, or wondering why the same frustrating situations keep repeating.
And I see it a lot in my medical work too - particularly in my menopausal patients - because ultimately the quality of our relationships can affect our health in various ways.
And like all of us - I’ve been there too. Learning to spot when I was slipping into Rescuer mode (the person who fixes, holds it all together, and says yes when I really wanted to say no) has been a vital shift for me for me. It’s helped me set clearer boundaries, protect my energy, and feel more confident in myself . I’m not necessarily saying it was simple to change those things - but noticing how the Drama Triangle was playing out for me was key to starting to make those changes,
In this episode, I’m sharing how to recognise the roles of Victim, Rescuer, and Persecutor, and how we can shift towards a more empowered way of relating—one that brings more ease, better boundaries, and a lot less burnout through the Empowerment Triangle, which has been such a helpful framework, both for me personally and in the work I do with clients.
If you’ve ever found yourself second-guessing, saying yes when you want to say no, or feeling like it’s always down to you—this one’s for you.
🎧 Have a listen—and let me know what resonates!
I’ve got a very full couple of weeks ahead, so it may be a couple of weeks before I’m back in your inboxes, depending on how things play out - so I’ll see you then!
Rachael x
How else I can support you:
Dive into the archives and read all the previous pieces here
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1-1 coaching: Evidence-based coaching that supports you to live and work in a way that feels good - and allows you to be the person you want to be - instead of always feeling busy, burntout and being consumed by your to-do list. If you’d like to find out more, check out my Shine Bright coaching programme here. If you’d like to discuss working together, you can book in for an enquiry call here. You can check out all my 2025 coaching options here.
Outside of my coaching work - I work privately as a GP and (peri)menopause specialist at Rowena Health and Manchester Menopause Hive, seeing patients remotely by videolink. I offer individualised and evidence based care that supports hormonal health. I also provide talks and educational events around women’s health to organisations and groups - do get in touch if you’d like to discuss arranging a talk or workshop.
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