The Approval Trap
Stacey Chillemi
You're smart, capable, and completely exhausted — because somewhere along the way, keeping everyone else happy became a full-time job. The Approval Trap is a candid, clinically grounded series hosted by Susan Podbielski, licensed psychotherapist, NYU Langone Fellow, and former network TV producer who lived this pattern before she spent a decade helping others break it. Each episode cuts through the noise on people-pleasing, perfectionism, anxiety, and the quiet cost of always being the capable one. This series is for high-achieving women who are ready to stop performing and start choosing themselves — with real tools they can use this week.