Fawning is an unconscious, reflex-based survival strategy that prioritizes maintaining relational connection to ensure safety when fighting or fleeing are perceived as ineffective or dangerous.

“The fawn response is essentially connection as protection. It's leaning into these very relationships sometimes that are causing you harm because it's the it's sort of the last house on the block. It's when a fight response might make things worse, when a flight response is not available to you.”