Are You a Serial Fixer: How to care deeply without losing yourself?

YOU KNOW THIS PERSON. When something goes wrong, everyone calls them. A relationship is falling apart. A colleague is overwhelmed. A child is struggling. A friend is in crisis. They listen. They step in. They solve. And eventually, they become the one who is exhausted. My guest, psychotherapist and author Leah Marone, calls this person the Serial Fixer. In this episode, we explore the hidden cost of being the person everyone depends on, and why the most caring, capable, high-performing people can be especially vulnerable to burnout. We unpack the difference between helping and fixing, how over-functioning shows up in families, relationships, and workplaces, and why taking responsibility for other people's problems can slowly make you disappear from your own life. Leah introduces her powerful Support, Don't Solve™ framework and her idea of “empathy with edges”, a different way to be there for people without carrying what belongs to them. We also challenge the self-care industry and explore what real self-care looks like when you're accustomed to putting everyone else first. Because boundaries aren't about caring less. They're about caring without losing yourself. And sometimes the most loving thing you can do is stop fixing what was never yours to fix to begin with. TIMELINE: 2:43 – What is a Serial Fixer  4:58 – Why We Serial Fix  6:58 – Fixing in the Workplace  8:40 – The Exhaustion of Being Steps Ahead  9:46 – From Athlete to Clinician  11:48 – Toxic Positivity & People-Pleasing  14:14 – Control Disguised as Compassion  20:03 – Curiosity Over Shame  23:10 – Support, Don't Solve  33:12 – Resentment in Relationships   See the Podcast on YouTube. CONTACT LEAH MARONE: Website Book — Serial Fixer Take the Fixer Quiz TEDx Talk Instagram All links (LinkedIn / TikTok / YouTube / Substack) CONTACT DR. ARDESHIR MEHRAN: Dr. Mehran Website LinkedIn Therapy Testimonials Podcasts Blogs YouTube Bestselling Book