In this episode of Secret Life of Therapists, Dr. Habiba Zaman peels back the layers of codependency: the invisible patterns that shape how we love, help, and lose ourselves in others. From the therapist’s couch to everyday relationships, we explore why “being the strong one” can quietly become a trap, how caretaking turns into self-erasure, and what it really means to set boundaries without guilt.
Blending clinical insight with honest reflection, this conversation challenges the fantasy of self-sacrifice and exposes the emotional costs of over-functioning. Whether you identify as a helper, healer, or chronic peacekeeper, this episode invites you to rethink connection, reclaim autonomy, and redefine what healthy attachment truly looks like.
Because sometimes, the most therapeutic question isn’t “How can I help?”, it’s “Who am I when I stop trying to save everyone else?”
