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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 support--you can release the longing to be needed and move away from relational burnout and toward authentic connection with friends, colleagues, and loved ones.
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 support--you can release the longing to be needed and move away from relational burnout and toward authentic connection with friends, colleagues, and loved ones.
- GenresNonfictionPsychology
233 pages, Hardcover
Published November 11, 2025
3 people are currently reading
1798 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 8, 2025
This Review Copy was provided by Broadleaf Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I will likely reference and think of the moments and guidance in this book for many years, as it was right up my alley. As an occasional people pleaser with anxiety, I also identify with the role of serial fixer. This book was really approachable and felt like a conversation with a comforting and supportive therapist.
I particularly loved the chapter on REAL self care, the kind that helps us reflect and recover in our day-to-day moments instead of band aiding or avoiding what really helps fulfill us. The chapter on creating space for yourself also hit me hard too. I think of my journal app and my chore list app as tools for self-care and space creation from my life that help me feel put together and self-compassionate when life (or my brain) feels a little overwhelming with thinking too much of potential problems, anxiety, or the ongoings of others’ lives.
So many of the concepts in this book resonated with me…emotional hangovers, (gosh, yes….); ‘getting the reps in’ for consistent practice in boundary setting and prioritizing your needs; the Four S’s; asking questions rooted in reality based on what you can control and can’t; how to respond in a way that is supportive but doesn’t solve the problem for someone…it all was so insightful.
I’ve read other books on people pleasing and boundary setting, but I loved that this one included a lot of practical methods and techniques for not only reducing and understanding your serial fixing tendencies, but ALSO for prioritizing your own needs and emotional/mental fulfillment. We focus so much on others and what MORE we could be doing, but this addressed why it’s important to care for ourselves FOREMOST and how to do that practically. It felt really well rounded in that way and had memorable concepts that felt easier to incorporate into daily life.
As someone who is working on boundaries, hates confrontation, and has anxiety and mental rumination, this book was like a comforting hug. If you relate AT ALL to the title of this book or think you might benefit from it, this book may be comforting and enlightening for you too. Thank you to Leah Marone for being a comforting and compassionate voice for all of us identified and ‘working on it’ serial fixers!
I will likely reference and think of the moments and guidance in this book for many years, as it was right up my alley. As an occasional people pleaser with anxiety, I also identify with the role of serial fixer. This book was really approachable and felt like a conversation with a comforting and supportive therapist.
I particularly loved the chapter on REAL self care, the kind that helps us reflect and recover in our day-to-day moments instead of band aiding or avoiding what really helps fulfill us. The chapter on creating space for yourself also hit me hard too. I think of my journal app and my chore list app as tools for self-care and space creation from my life that help me feel put together and self-compassionate when life (or my brain) feels a little overwhelming with thinking too much of potential problems, anxiety, or the ongoings of others’ lives.
So many of the concepts in this book resonated with me…emotional hangovers, (gosh, yes….); ‘getting the reps in’ for consistent practice in boundary setting and prioritizing your needs; the Four S’s; asking questions rooted in reality based on what you can control and can’t; how to respond in a way that is supportive but doesn’t solve the problem for someone…it all was so insightful.
I’ve read other books on people pleasing and boundary setting, but I loved that this one included a lot of practical methods and techniques for not only reducing and understanding your serial fixing tendencies, but ALSO for prioritizing your own needs and emotional/mental fulfillment. We focus so much on others and what MORE we could be doing, but this addressed why it’s important to care for ourselves FOREMOST and how to do that practically. It felt really well rounded in that way and had memorable concepts that felt easier to incorporate into daily life.
As someone who is working on boundaries, hates confrontation, and has anxiety and mental rumination, this book was like a comforting hug. If you relate AT ALL to the title of this book or think you might benefit from it, this book may be comforting and enlightening for you too. Thank you to Leah Marone for being a comforting and compassionate voice for all of us identified and ‘working on it’ serial fixers!
December 4, 2025
Book Reflection: The Serial Fixer by Leah Marone
I recently finished reading The Serial Fixer, and it’s one of those rare books that stays with you long after the final page. Leah Marone brings real depth to a topic many of us quietly wrestle with—the instinct to help, fix, or carry what isn’t truly ours to carry.
I especially connected with the references to sports and running, which made the lessons feel both personal and practical. The real-life examples brought the concepts to life in a way that felt authentic and usable, not theoretical.
I also had the pleasure of meeting Leah at the TEDx Mallard Creek event, which made reading the book even more meaningful. The book provides powerful tools to increase emotional intelligence, establish healthy boundaries, and support others without taking on false ownership.
For leaders, coaches, and anyone committed to personal growth, this is a thoughtful and impactful read. Highly recommend.
I recently finished reading The Serial Fixer, and it’s one of those rare books that stays with you long after the final page. Leah Marone brings real depth to a topic many of us quietly wrestle with—the instinct to help, fix, or carry what isn’t truly ours to carry.
I especially connected with the references to sports and running, which made the lessons feel both personal and practical. The real-life examples brought the concepts to life in a way that felt authentic and usable, not theoretical.
I also had the pleasure of meeting Leah at the TEDx Mallard Creek event, which made reading the book even more meaningful. The book provides powerful tools to increase emotional intelligence, establish healthy boundaries, and support others without taking on false ownership.
For leaders, coaches, and anyone committed to personal growth, this is a thoughtful and impactful read. Highly recommend.
December 2, 2025
Serial Fixer explores why so many of us end up in the role of helper, healer, or rescuer in our relationships. Leah Marone writes with empathy and clarity, and her tone is friendly rather than clinical. I liked how she illustrated patterns such as over functioning, emotional exhaustion, and the internal pressure to be the dependable one. It made the book easy to connect with.
The Support, not Solve model is the strongest part of the book. It encourages readers to shift from fixing to empowering, and the five steps offer a clean structure to follow. Marone explains complex emotional responses in a way that feels manageable rather than overwhelming. For someone who frequently takes on too much, this book could feel reassuring and grounding.
Where the book falls short is in originality. Much of the content repeats popular themes found in many self help titles focused on boundaries and burnout. Readers who have spent time in therapy or have read other titles in this space may find themselves already familiar with the majority of concepts.
Still, Serial Fixer succeeds as an approachable guide for beginners. It reinforces the idea that you can be supportive without sacrificing yourself, and that shifting your patterns is possible with small and intentional steps. A solid starter for anyone beginning boundary work.
ARC reader review.
The Support, not Solve model is the strongest part of the book. It encourages readers to shift from fixing to empowering, and the five steps offer a clean structure to follow. Marone explains complex emotional responses in a way that feels manageable rather than overwhelming. For someone who frequently takes on too much, this book could feel reassuring and grounding.
Where the book falls short is in originality. Much of the content repeats popular themes found in many self help titles focused on boundaries and burnout. Readers who have spent time in therapy or have read other titles in this space may find themselves already familiar with the majority of concepts.
Still, Serial Fixer succeeds as an approachable guide for beginners. It reinforces the idea that you can be supportive without sacrificing yourself, and that shifting your patterns is possible with small and intentional steps. A solid starter for anyone beginning boundary work.
ARC reader review.
January 19, 2026
Such a helpful read!
Really enjoyed this book and it was so helpful! As a working mom adjusting to life with 2 babies I picked up a lot of great tips, mostly around how multi-tasking (which I do way too much of) can actually be detrimental and cause burnout. Loved all of the anecdotal stories as well. Will be recommending to all my friends!!
Really enjoyed this book and it was so helpful! As a working mom adjusting to life with 2 babies I picked up a lot of great tips, mostly around how multi-tasking (which I do way too much of) can actually be detrimental and cause burnout. Loved all of the anecdotal stories as well. Will be recommending to all my friends!!
December 30, 2025
Practical read for me!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews