Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life Podcast

The Rescuer Trap: The Schema Trap featuring Dr. Jeff Perron

Nov 5, 2025
Dr. Jeff Perron, a clinical psychologist and author of 'Psychology of Happiness,' joins hosts Dr. Scott Waltman and Kasey Pierce to dissect the 'Rescuer Trap.' They explore how childhood schemas like Self-Sacrifice and Subjugation shape adult behaviors, leading to people-pleasing. Perron offers insights on setting boundaries, recognizing conflicting values, and nurturing an 'Inner Sage' to combat these patterns. Delving into approval-seeking and emotional inhibition, he emphasizes the necessity of healthy self-care while balancing altruistic values.
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INSIGHT

Schemas Are Unconscious Core Lenses

  • Schemas are core, often unconscious lenses that shape how you see yourself, others, and the world.
  • They form from temperament plus childhood environment and drive behavior long before conscious thought.
INSIGHT

Modes Explain Contextual Behavior Shifts

  • Modes are the situational parts through which schemas manifest emotionally and behaviorally.
  • Different modes can activate in different contexts, explaining why someone acts assertive at work but passive at home.
ADVICE

Check If You Live Schemas Or Values

  • Ask whether you're living your schemas or living your values to guide change.
  • Use schema awareness to choose actions aligned with your intrinsic values, not autopilot coping.
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