Serial Fixer: Break Free from the Habit of Solving Other People's Problems

Stop taking false ownership of others' problems, and learn to support others without losing yourself.

Many of us can regurgitate why healthy boundaries and saying "no" are important. So why are we still over-accommodating and actively participating in imbalanced relationships that fuel anxiety and exhaustion? If you tend to over-function in relationships and then get resentful of other people's demands on your time and energy, it's time to break old patterns and discover new ones.

In Serial Fixer, psychotherapist and wellness consultant Leah Marone will help you break old habits of fixating on--and fixing--the problems of others. The book is an upbeat, practical guide toward emotional awareness that will recalibrate your relationships with others and yourself. Examine your habitual need to control, understand why you feel so invested in other people's drama, and explore ways to release perfectionism's grip.

Along the way, you'll discover the roots of stress, anxiety, emotional hangovers, burnout, and compassion fatigue. You'll become proficient at creating the space, setting the tone, tapping in with curiosity, fueling strength, and maintaining connection. You'll learn how to create healthy boundaries--ones you can actually sustain, not just talk about. Through real-life stories and practical strategies, Marone empowers you to foster genuine connections and allow joy, peace, and satisfaction to flow organically.

The key to Marone's approach is her Support, don't Solve framework, designed to help you align your life with your values, set healthy boundaries, recognize triggers, and find more moments of happiness. By learning five steps--validate, empathize, inquire, motivate, and reconnect--you can release the longing to be needed and move away from relational burnout and toward authentic connection with friends, colleagues, and loved ones.

Leah Marone, LCSW, is a psychotherapist, keynote speaker, mental wellness consultant, former D1 athlete, and recovering perfectionist. She has more than two decades of experience working therapeutically with individuals as well as collaborating with companies, nonprofits, and schools to address issues such as anxiety, stress, burnout, and compassion fatigue. A regular contributor to Psychology Today and an expert voice for Newsweek and The Atlantic, Marone shares insights on navigating mental health challenges, setting healthy boundaries, and building resilience. She lives in Tega Cay, just over the border from Charlotte, North Carolina.