Traversing through narcissistic abuse is one of the most difficult things you will do. You are not alone.
You may benefit from support if you're struggling to…
Trust your own judgment after a relationship involving gaslighting or manipulation.
Feel anxious, hypervigilant, or emotionally exhausted after prolonged relationship stress.
Set boundaries without overwhelming guilt or fear.
Understand childhood experiences that continue to affect adult relationships.
Reconnect with your identity, values, and sense of self.
Build healthier relationships while processing painful past experiences.
Think you are too much or no one is out there who will love you.
You don't need to have all the answers before beginning therapy. We can start with where you are today. These are all symptoms of emotional abuse from a cluster B person. Whether your parent was not emotionally mature or they exhibited Narcissistic Personality Disorder or Borderline Personality Disorder traits, these struggles are all possible.
They don’t have to be part of your future self. Let me help you recognize the patterns and heal so you can become who you want to be.
It can seem bleak. I am here to help.
Understanding narcissistic abuse
I understand narcissistic abuse as a pattern of control that slowly wears away a person’s sense of self. It rarely starts with obvious cruelty. More often it starts with intense warmth and attention, and then shifts into criticism, gaslighting, guilt, and unpredictable withdrawals of affection. Over time, many of my clients stopped trusting their own memory, feelings, and judgment. They came to believe the problem was them. Survivors often feel they do not know who they are anymore. That confusion makes complete sense given what they lived through. It is not a sign of weakness.
Why the inner child matters
In my experience, these relationships often reach back to much older wounds. Many survivors grew up in homes where love felt conditional, where they had to read the room to stay safe, or where their needs came last. Those younger parts of us learned to hide, to please, or to stay small in order to survive. A narcissistic relationship can reopen those wounds, because it repeats the same message: your feelings don’t matter, and you can’t trust what you see. Healing means turning toward those younger parts with the care and protection they didn’t get back then.
How I help clients heal
My work is trauma-informed and draws on Psychodynamic psychotherapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS), along with skills from CBT and DBT. Together we get to know the parts of you that carry fear, shame, or hypervigilance, and the parts that work hard to protect you. We approach them with curiosity rather than judgment. As those younger parts feel heard and safe, the intense reactions and self-blame often begin to ease. We also build practical skills for grounding, setting boundaries, and handling contact or co-parenting with a difficult person.
Rebuilding self-trust
Ultimately, I want to help my clients come home to themselves. To discover who you are becoming. Self-trust grows through small, repeated experiences: noticing a feeling and believing it, making a decision and honoring it, and saying no without over-explaining. In our sessions you’ll practice these steps in a space where your perceptions are taken seriously. Over time, the voice that once said “maybe I’m overreacting” is replaced by a steadier one that says “I know what I experienced, and I deserve better.” That is the future self I hope to help you meet.
What are traits of the narcissist?
-
Wolf in Sheep's Clothing
The narcissist seems like a charismatic, confident, charming person. They come across to the world as magnetic and interesting. Deep down, they are conniving and learning how to manipulate more successfully.
-
Fragile Self Image
The narcissist is the most critical person. They enjoy tearing people down as it makes them feel superior. However, their own self-image is so distorted and delicate, they cannot take criticism.
-
Manipulation
The manipulation used by the narcissist can include love-bombing, gaslighting, feigning humility and empathy, twisting reality to meet theirs, using the empathy of others to gain power, and maintaining a constant supply.
