Foster Daughter’s Incessant Apologizing

I have a foster daughter, she worries excessively just like you have described, but she also apologizes profusely as soon as she begins to feel that a correction is coming. This “I’m sorry, I’m sorry” quickly falls out of her mouth (I mean fast), either that, or it’s more of an “oh ok, um, I’m sorry?” like she’s just covering all bases, just in case.

This excessive apologizing is CONSTANT and I feel stuck, like I can’t have a productive conversation with her because when she says “I’m sorry” I instantly feel bad for her try to lighten the mood of the conversation, or make the issue seem less important.

Is this excessive apologizing a manipulative behaviour? And is it appropriate to give an instruction, or make it a family standard not to use apologies lightly like this?

On a side note: she has soooooo many behaviours that need correcting, I don’t actually know the best place to start. How do I do this without overwhelming her?