Codependency & Narcissistic Abuse Recovery Psychotherapy in Edinburgh, London & Online.
A Path to Healing
Healthy relationships are built on trust, mutual respect, and emotional safety. However, in relationships marked by codependency and narcissistic abuse, these essential elements are often missing, leaving individuals feeling trapped, confused, and emotionally drained. At The Life Academy, we offer Codependency & Narcissistic Abuse Recovery Psychotherapy, a holistic approach designed to help individuals break free from toxic relational patterns and regain their sense of self. Our therapy integrates a range of evidence-based techniques that support emotional recovery, self-empowerment, and personal growth.
Understanding Codependency
Codependency is a behavioral pattern in which individuals prioritize the needs, desires, and emotions of others over their own, often to the detriment of their well-being. Those who are codependent may feel an overwhelming need to please, care for, or fix others, which can lead to unhealthy and emotionally draining relationships.
Key characteristics of codependency include:
Difficulty setting boundaries.
A tendency to feel responsible for others' emotions and actions.
Seeking validation and approval from others to feel worthy.
Neglecting one's own emotional needs to support or appease others.
People struggling with codependency often find themselves in relationships with narcissistic or emotionally unavailable partners, reinforcing a cycle of low self-esteem and emotional exhaustion. Breaking these patterns can be challenging without professional guidance and support.
What Is Narcissistic Abuse?
Narcissistic abuse occurs when someone with narcissistic personality traits or narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) uses manipulation, emotional exploitation, and control tactics to dominate their partner. Narcissists often:
Exhibit an inflated sense of entitlement.
Lack empathy and compassion for others.
Require constant admiration and attention.
Engage in manipulation tactics such as gaslighting, a form of emotional abuse where they make the victim doubt their own perceptions, memories, and reality.
In relationships with narcissists, the non-narcissistic partner (often codependent) may feel confused, emotionally manipulated, and trapped in a cycle of abuse. Narcissists use tactics such as love-bombing (lavishing attention to gain control) and devaluation (emotionally undermining their partner) to maintain dominance and control, leading to a destructive and emotionally damaging relationship dynamic.
The Codependency and Narcissistic Abuse Cycle
The codependency-narcissism dynamic is a self-reinforcing cycle that traps individuals in toxic patterns. Codependent individuals may feel responsible for "fixing" or "saving" their narcissistic partner, believing that their love or support will eventually change the relationship. Meanwhile, the narcissistic partner thrives on the codependent’s emotional labor and lack of boundaries, manipulating their vulnerabilities to maintain control.
This dynamic leads to profound emotional harm, including:
Low self-esteem: Narcissistic partners devalue and manipulate codependents, eroding their sense of worth and confidence.
Chronic anxiety or depression: The unpredictability and emotional volatility of a narcissistic relationship often result in long-term mental health challenges.
Emotional exhaustion: Constantly catering to a narcissist’s needs and neglecting one’s own leads to burnout and feelings of hopelessness.
Difficulty trusting others: After experiencing gaslighting and manipulation, codependents may struggle to trust others and their own judgment in future relationships.
Adult Children of a Narcissistic or Borderline Parent
Many individuals struggling with codependency and narcissistic abuse are adult children of narcissistic or borderline parents. Growing up with a parent who exhibits narcissistic or borderline personality traits can create deep-rooted emotional wounds and unhealthy relational patterns. These parents often create environments of emotional instability, manipulation, and conditional love, leading to issues with self-worth, boundaries, and trust in adulthood.
Adult children of narcissistic or borderline parents may:
Develop people-pleasing behaviors to avoid rejection or emotional punishment.
Struggle with self-esteem, having grown up in environments where their emotions and needs were invalidated.
Seek out relationships with narcissistic partners, repeating the toxic dynamics they experienced in childhood.
Healing from these deep-seated patterns requires addressing the core wounds of childhood, exploring attachment issues, and learning to set healthy boundaries in relationships.
The Healing Process: A Holistic Approach
At The Life Academy, our Codependency & Narcissistic Abuse Recovery Psychotherapy is designed to support individuals in breaking free from these harmful dynamics and reclaiming their emotional independence. Our approach is holistic, addressing the emotional, psychological, and somatic effects of narcissistic abuse and codependency.
1. Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy
Internal Family Systems (IFS) helps clients explore the different "parts" of themselves that have been impacted by narcissistic abuse and codependency. For example, parts of the psyche may have developed to protect the individual by accommodating others, even to the point of self-neglect. IFS therapy enables clients to reconnect with their core Self, the compassionate and wise part of their identity, which can facilitate healing and inner harmony.
2. Attachment-Based Therapy
Many people who struggle with codependency have insecure attachment patterns developed during childhood, often linked to their relationships with caregivers. Attachment-Based Therapy helps individuals explore these early relational dynamics and how they shape their adult relationships. By healing attachment wounds, clients learn to form healthier relationships, set boundaries, and trust themselves and others.
3. Somatic Therapy
Somatic Therapy focuses on the body’s role in holding and expressing trauma. Narcissistic abuse and codependency often lead to physical manifestations of emotional stress, such as chronic pain, tension, or fatigue. Somatic therapy helps clients reconnect with their bodies, using techniques like breathwork and movement to release stored trauma and improve emotional and physical well-being.
4. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is particularly effective for managing the intense emotions associated with narcissistic abuse. DBT teaches clients how to regulate their emotions, manage distress, and improve their interpersonal effectiveness. By learning how to assert boundaries and reduce emotional reactivity, individuals can break free from the cycle of emotional manipulation.
5. Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT)
Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) is essential for individuals recovering from narcissistic abuse and codependency, as it fosters self-compassion. Many survivors of narcissistic abuse struggle with feelings of shame and self-blame, often believing that they are responsible for the abuse they endured. CFT encourages clients to develop a kind, compassionate attitude toward themselves, helping to rebuild self-esteem and reduce the inner critic.
6. Neurofeedback Therapy
Neurofeedback offers a non-invasive way to regulate the brain’s response to trauma. Individuals who have experienced long-term emotional abuse often develop a dysregulated nervous system, leading to chronic stress, hypervigilance, and anxiety. Neurofeedback helps retrain the brain to achieve greater emotional stability, resilience, and mental clarity, supporting the overall healing process.
The Importance of the Therapeutic Relationship
A key component of recovery from codependency and narcissistic abuse is the therapeutic relationship. At The Life Academy, we emphasize creating a safe, empathetic, and trusting space where clients feel supported in their healing journey. Many survivors of narcissistic abuse have had their trust eroded by manipulation and gaslighting. In therapy, we work to rebuild that trust, allowing clients to explore their experiences without fear of invalidation or judgment.
Our therapists collaborate with clients, empowering them to take charge of their healing process and develop the skills they need to set boundaries, foster self-compassion, and regain their sense of identity.
Spiritual Counselling: Rebuilding Meaning and Purpose
For many survivors, narcissistic abuse and codependency can leave them feeling disconnected from their sense of purpose and meaning in life. Spiritual Counselling provides a space to explore deeper existential questions and reconnect with one's values, goals, and identity. Through this process, clients can begin to rediscover their inner strength and create a future that aligns with their authentic selves.
Reclaiming Your Life After Narcissistic Abuse
Healing from codependency and narcissistic abuse is a complex but deeply transformative journey. At The Life Academy, our Codependency & Narcissistic Abuse Recovery Psychotherapy provides the support, tools, and guidance needed to break free from toxic relational patterns, heal from emotional wounds, and reclaim your sense of self. Whether you are recovering from a narcissistic relationship, healing childhood wounds, or seeking to establish healthier relational boundaries, our holistic approach will guide you toward emotional resilience and personal empowerment.
We are here to help you take the first steps toward healing and reclaiming your life.