THERAPY FOR FAMILY NARCISSISTIC ABUSE

What is Family Narcissistic Abuse?

Narcissistic abuse within a family is a particularly insidious form of abuse, with the potential to inflict long-lasting emotional and psychological damage on its members. This is especially true when the abuser is a parent, sibling, or spouse.

Family narcissistic abuse involves various types of emotional and psychological abuse.

Victims often feel confused, invalidated, angry, powerless, and isolated. They may start to doubt themselves and feel stuck in a no-win situation.

Signs of Narcissistic Abuse in Families

• Projection: Blaming you for their own shortcomings or emotional instability.

• Lack of Empathy: Inability or unwillingness to understand your emotions or needs.

• Lack of Apology: Not apologizing for mistreatment.

• Gaslighting, Minimization, and Denial: Making you doubt your memories or perceptions.

• Emotional Manipulation: Using guilt, shame, or fear to control decisions.

• Triangulation: Pitting family members against each other.

• Scapegoating: Creating a narrative that one person is bad and others are good.

• Silent Treatment and Cutoffs: Refusing to talk to victims as a way of gaining power and control.

Effects of Family Narcissistic Abuse

• Low Self-Esteem and Shame: Feeling inadequate or unworthy of love.

• Codependency: Becoming overly reliant on others for validation or direction.

• Anxiety & Depression: Emotional exhaustion from constantly managing the abuser's mood.

• Trust Issues: Difficulty forming healthy, trusting relationships outside the family unit.

• Emotional Dysregulation: Struggling to identify or control your emotions due to years of abuse and having to stuff down your feelings.

How Therapy Can Help

Recovering from narcissistic abuse can be a complex and painful journey, but you don't have to do it alone. In therapy, we will work together to dismantle the harmful narratives you've internalized and rebuild a strong foundation of self-respect, confidence, and emotional resilience.

As a therapist specializing in recovery from family narcissistic abuse, I offer a compassionate and safe space to begin the healing process. My approach focuses on:

• Identifying Patterns of Abuse: Gaining clarity on the manipulative behaviors that have shaped your experience.

• Rebuilding Self-Worth: Helping you reclaim your identity and autonomy by validating your feelings and experiences.

• Setting Boundaries: Learning to establish and maintain healthy boundaries with family members, including the narcissist.

• Healing Trauma: Resolving traumatic experiences from childhood or adulthood.

• Trusting Yourself: Empowering you to trust yourself again, encouraging healthier, more authentic relationships.

• Recovery from Family Scapegoating: Escape the toxic dynamics and know your worth.

Whether you're just beginning to recognize the signs of narcissistic abuse, or have already tried to address toxic family dynamics, I’m here to support your healing at every step.