The “fawn” response is often referred to as the fourth response to stress or danger, alongside the more commonly known “fight,” “flight,” and “freeze” responses. It involves immediately acting to please or appease a threat in order to avoid conflict. This can be a result of long-term conditioning, often from a young age, where a person has learned that pleasing others can be a way to avoid or minimize violence, criticism, or emotional abandonment.Changing a fawn response involves several steps t