Are you always helping people?

Are you one of life's unsung heroes, the person who is always willing to help others no matter what the cost?

I wonder what drives you to help others? A sense of self gratification? A warm sense of fulfillment? Or is there a desire to feel wanted and needed, a need for validation that you are useful and worthwhile?

There are many different reasons that we help others but as a therapist, it's important to encourage my clients to understand what drives them to do this. If there is a sense of internal validation then this is great, it means that we are feeding into our own self belief. However, if we seek validation from those around us, this can lead to a sense of not being worthy unless we are doing something for others, creating a belief from external expectations.