Survivors of Narcissistic Relationships
Individuals who seek out my services are typically stuck in narcissistic relationships. Their first impression of the narcissist was either of a charming, outgoing individual or a deeply misunderstood person. Then, the narcissist progressively engaged in behaviors that felt manipulative, controlling, or attention-seeking. Nothing my clients did seemed to be enough for the narcissist to stop these behaviors. I often see the lights come on when clients realize that the behaviors of the narcissist are not going to change. It is so easy to fall into the trap that we are not doing enough to help, but the truth is that due to the nature of narcissism, we never could do enough.
It’s not in the stars to hold our destiny, but in ourselves. - William Shakespeare
Narcissistic relationships often reach a point at which we need to create boundaries. If helping the narcissist is out of our control, it means we need to identify what is in our control. Individual therapy can help you learn the skills of identifying narcissistic behavior, understanding it’s impacts, and choosing how you respond. Many of my clients enter therapy with doubts about setting boundaries and communicating needs inside of narcissistic relationships. It can be done. You deserve to learn how to advocate for yourself and create distance that allows you to prioritize your mental health.
It’s also typical that the individuals seeking my services have already distanced themselves from the narcissist, but notice themselves continuing to carry the relationship with them. Processing the trauma of these relationships is so important to healing. During your sessions, we will use a combination of EMDR (a specialized trauma therapy) combined with several trauma-informed approaches to provide you relief and freedom from the painful memories.
Finally, in my clinical experience, I’ve noticed clients tend to have very few people in their social circles who truly understand the taxing nature of narcissistic relationships. If you are seeking support from a community of people who have similar lived experiences, group therapy can help. The Survivors of Narcissism group can help you form relationships with people committed to healing from these experiences in a safe space.