ARE YOU MAD AT ME? is now available for pre-order!
ARE YOU MAD AT ME?
is now available for pre-order!
"A cure for chronic people-pleasing."
- Adam Grant, #1 NYT Bestselling Author of Think Again
Pre-order Now
Available August 5, 2025 in 17 different languages and territories.
"Are You Mad at Me unlocks a secret door in the house of healing: understanding the fawn response. Honest, relatable, and totally binge-worthy, Josephson's work has the power to change your entire life. If you struggle with that screensaver type of anxiety that's always on - constantly worrying that you're doing something wrong or that people don't like you - this book will feel like coming up for air. Read it and get free"
– Katherine Morgan Schafler, Psychotherapist and Author of The Perfectionist's Guide to Losing Control
Are you...
Constantly worried about what people think of you, if they like you, if they’re mad at you
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Anxious, a perfectionist, or an overachiever
Always overextending yourself (and then resentful)
Someone who avoids conflict at all costs
Fearful of getting in trouble or being seen as “bad”
Silencing your needs for the comfort and happiness of everyone else
Prone to overexplain or over-apologize
Continually performing in your relationships
Eternally obsessing over why someone texted with a period instead of an exclamation point?
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In her groundbreaking debut self-help book, psychotherapist Meg Josephson explodes the idea that people-pleasing is a personality trait. Instead, she illuminates how it’s actually a common trauma response (known as “fawning”); an instinct often learned in childhood to become more appealing to a perceived threat, in order to feel safe. Yet, many people are stuck in this way of being for their whole lives.
Meg weaves her own moving story, fascinating patient case studies, and thought-provoking exercises to show readers how to:
Identify all the roles you might play—from peacekeeper to performer to caretaker to perfectionist to lone wolf to chameleon—that keep you far from yourself.
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Stop fearing your thoughts and emotions, even if they’re unpleasant.
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Rethink conflict and boundaries as an opening for deeper connection.
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Practice “leaning back” in relationships.
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“I can count on one hand the number of books that have settled my nervous system within the first three pages of reading. It’s so rare to be able to say: I needed this book, me too, thank you."
—Holly Whitaker, author of Quit Like A Woman
Meg Josephson, LCSW, is a licensed psychotherapist. In her private practice, she specializes in trauma-informed care through a compassion-focused lens. She holds a Master of Social Work from Columbia University, and is a certified meditation teacher through the Nalanda Institute. Meg also shares accessible insights via her social media platforms, reaching over five hundred thousand followers.
About Meg
Photo by David Goddard
@megjosephson
Connect with me on Instagram for gentle reminders and tangible tools
