Narcissistic Abuse Therapy in Lynnwood, WA
Specialized Therapy for Survivors of Narcissistic Abuse
If you've been through narcissistic abuse, you know it's not just a "bad relationship." It's systematic emotional abuse that leaves you questioning your reality, walking on eggshells, and feeling like you're going crazy. I'm here to tell you something important: what you experienced was real, it wasn't your fault, and healing is absolutely possible.
I'm a therapist who specializes in narcissistic abuse recovery, and I understand what you're going through. Maybe you're the woman who is always over-functioning and people-pleasing until you're completely exhausted. And these traits play a major role in being in these types of relationships. You are people pleasing in order to find love and connection in the relationship, only to find yourself twisted up in knots and not knowing which way is up. If this resonates with you, you’re in the right place.
Getting out of this type of abusive relationship is like coming out of a spell. You are disoriented, unsure of what’s real, and confused about what has happened. It takes time to find balance again and it’s important to work with someone who really knows what that experience is like and how tiring it can be. At the end of it though, you will find not only yourself again, but a stronger and more empowered self who has survived and evolved.
Understanding Narcissistic Abuse and Its Impact
Narcissistic abuse involves manipulative and controlling behavior designed to undermine your sense of self. Whether it came from a narcissistic partner, narcissistic parent, or other family member, this psychological abuse creates lasting impacts on your mental health and emotional well being.
People with narcissistic personality disorder or significant narcissistic traits often use emotional manipulation tactics like:
Love bombing followed by devaluation
The silent treatment to punish and control
Constant criticism that chips away at your self esteem
Gaslighting that makes you question your own reality
Controlling behavior that isolates you from support systems
Experiencing narcissistic abuse often leads to low self esteem, intense emotions, self doubt, and a dysregulated nervous system. Many survivors develop symptoms similar to post traumatic stress disorder, along with anxiety, depression, and sometimes eating disorders as coping mechanisms. Many survivors end up with the diagnosis of complex-PTSD, meaning that you sustained traumas over a long period of time, causing related to sense of self and identity, emotional regulation issues and challenges in relationships.
Why You Can't Just "Get Over It"
Here's what I wish more people understood: when you've been through narcissistic abuse, your nervous system gets completely dysregulated. You're not being dramatic when you can't just "move on"—your brain and body are literally stuck in survival mode. Your stress hormones are running the show for days, weeks and even years on end, so you get totally disconnected from yourself as a regulated person.
The constant stress of living with abusive behaviors rewires your brain for hypervigilance. That's why you might feel anxious even when nothing's wrong, have trouble sleeping, or feel unable to sit still. This is a normal response to abnormal treatment, not a personal failing.
My Approach to Narcissistic Abuse Recovery
I get it. I’ve been there. And I know what it takes to recover from narcissistic abuse. I'm going to be right there with you, helping you figure out what happened and how we're going to move forward. This is trauma therapy that actually gets results.
Psychoeducation to Understand
When recovering from narcissistic abuse, it’s important to learn all there is to know about what you just went through. There are certain terms that are helpful to understand so that you can better organize yourself to begin to map out what the relationship was, how your personality played a role, and what to expect while healing.
Brainspotting for Deep Healing
Sometimes trauma lives in your body in ways that talking can't reach. Brainspotting helps us access and process traumatic experiences stuck in your nervous system. Your brain has been in survival mode for so long it's forgotten how to relax. This technique helps your system finally feel safe enough to heal.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACT isn't about pretending everything's fine or forcing positive thoughts. It's about getting honest about what you value and building a life that's actually yours. For many clients, this is the first time they've asked themselves what THEY want, separate from what they think they should want. This part is such a fun part because we get to play around with the true YOU and what makes your heart light up, gives you purpose and helps you connect with yourself and others.
We work on accepting difficult feelings as part of being human while committing to actions that align with your values. This helps counter the cognitive distortions narcissistic abuse creates and rebuilds authentic self esteem
Person-Centered Therapy: You're the Expert
In abusive relationships, you're told you don't know what's best for you. Here, you're the expert on your own experience. My job is creating a space where you can reconnect with your own wisdom and practice self discovery. I have some fun exercises to do that are hands on ways for you to begin to learn about the person you are in your core.
Intensive Sessions for Accelerated Healing
Sometimes weekly therapy feels too slow when you're ready to heal. I offer intensive sessions—longer, deeper work that can help you make significant progress in a shorter timeframe on your healing journey.
Addressing the Eating Connection
Narcissistic abuse often completely disrupts your relationship with food and your body. When you've learned your needs don't matter, when you've been criticized and controlled, it shows up in how you eat. Many survivors develop eating disorders as coping skills.
Through Intuitive Eating Therapy, we rebuild trust with your body and hunger cues. We work on the radical idea that you can trust yourself around food—that eating doesn't have to be another area where you're performing for approval.
For those with Binge Eating Disorder, I offer group therapy where you can connect with other women who understand the shame and secrecy around food struggles.
Group Therapy: You're Not Alone
My Women's Group Therapy brings together women who've been through similar experiences to do the real work of healing. There's something magical that happens when you realize you're not the only one who's been living this way.
We talk about:
How to trust yourself again
Setting healthy boundaries without guilt
Breaking toxic relationship patterns
Building healthy relationships that nourish you
Developing emotional regulation skills
What Narcissistic Abuse Recovery Actually Looks Like
Recovery isn't a straight line up. Some days you'll feel strong and clear. Other days you'll want to crawl back into bed. Both are part of the recovery process.
Real recovery looks like:
Learning to trust your instincts again
Setting boundaries without immediately apologizing
Saying no without detailed explanations
Understanding your own traits that may attract you to a narcissist
Recognizing manipulation and trusting that recognition
Building a life that reflects your authentic values
Developing self compassion for your healing journey
Building Healthy Boundaries (The Real Kind)
If you've been people-pleasing your whole life, boundaries can feel terrifying. They feel selfish and mean. But boundaries aren't about being mean to others, they're about being kind to yourself. Instead of taking care of others, you begin to take care of yourself and let others be responsible for their own feelings and reactions.
Real boundaries aren't about controlling other people's behavior. They're about deciding what you will and won't accept in your life. They're recognizing that someone else's emotions aren't your responsibility to manage.
We practice setting boundaries in small, manageable ways, building up to harder conversations. Boundaries are a skill that gets easier with practice (I promise!)
Breaking the "Good Girl" Pattern
If you were raised to be compliant, helpful, never cause problems, and always put others first, recovery involves serious unlearning. You'll question everything you were taught about what makes you valuable.
You'll learn:
Your worth isn't tied to what you do for others
It's okay to have needs and express them
Conflict isn't the end of the world
Disappointing people sometimes is part of being human
You deserve love for who you are, not what you do
Working with Trauma and Intense Emotions
Narcissistic abuse is trauma, even without physical violence. Understanding your experiences through a trauma lens helps you have self compassion and recognize why certain things feel so hard.
We'll work on:
Managing anxiety that comes from hypervigilance
Processing past trauma that's affecting your present
Developing new coping skills to replace unhealthy ones
Building emotional regulation techniques
Addressing any co occurring conditions like depression or anxiety
Why My Approach Works
I understand what you're going through because I get it. I know what it's like to question everything about yourself and your relationships. But I also know healing is possible because I've seen it happen repeatedly.
I've watched women who thought they were broken beyond repair discover their strength. I've seen women who couldn't trust their instincts learn to trust themselves completely. This work isn't just my job—it's my calling.
In-Person and Online Therapy Options
I offer both in person therapy and online therapy to meet you where you are. Sometimes leaving the house feels impossible during early recovery, and online sessions can be a lifeline while maintaining the same quality of care.
Breaking the Cycle: Why Patterns Repeat
If you keep finding yourself in similar situations, you're not broken. If you experienced childhood trauma, especially with a narcissistic parent, you learned that love comes with conditions and control. This becomes normal, and you unconsciously seek familiar patterns.
People with narcissistic traits are skilled at identifying empathetic, caring people used to putting others first. Understanding these patterns is crucial for breaking the cycle and building truly healthy relationships.
Your Mental Health Matters
If you're recognizing yourself in these descriptions, you don't need to wait for crisis to seek professional help. If you're feeling trapped, constantly anxious, unable to trust your judgment, or stuck in repeated toxic relationship patterns, therapy can help.
You don't need to minimize your pain or compare it to others. If your experiences are causing distress and impacting your daily life, you deserve support. Truly.
Ready to Start Your Healing Journey?
Narcissistic abuse recovery is possible. You don't have to live feeling dysregulated and disconnected from yourself. You don't have to keep attracting the same patterns. You don't have to keep being the "good girl" who puts everyone else first.
You can learn to trust yourself again. You can build relationships that actually nourish you. You can create a life that feels authentically yours. You can develop the emotional regulation skills needed to thrive.
I offer a free consultation to ensure we're a good fit before working together. This isn't about convincing you—it's about both of us determining if I'm the right therapist for your journey.
In our consultation, we'll discuss what you're going through, what you hope to change, and how I might help. No pressure, no sales pitch—just an honest conversation about where you are and where you want to go.
You deserve so much better than what you've been settling for. Let's work together to help you reclaim your life.
Ready to break free from narcissistic abuse?
Schedule your free consultation today. I'm here to support you every step of the way as you reclaim your authentic self and build the life you actually want.
Serving Lynnwood, WA and surrounding areas through in-person and online therapy sessions.