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Co-dependent Behavior and Relationships

Growing up in addictive, abusive and/or dysfunctional family systems can deeply impact the development of an individual. Living in this kind of situation often causes a person to feel very different or separate from others.

The term "co-dependency" means many things to different people. What I mean by the term "co-dependent" is what happens when someone becomes too externally focused on others and loses touch with themselves.

Helping or serving other people, especially those struggling with addictions or abuse issues of their own, may come easily to a codependent individual. But meeting their own needs by asserting or protecting themselves often seems an impossible task. Sometimes the co-dependent person is not even able to identify their own needs, because they have focused solely on the needs of others for so long.

The way to healing is through learning to become more self-focused, and to become better able to identify personal rights and boundaries.

I help my clients understand how the early messages of their childhood get played out in their current reactions on a daily basis. Utilizing the techniques of psychotherapy, my codependent clients learn about themselves, and this knowledge sets the stage for a change in perception. With a different view of their place and value in the world, a client can then start making decisions that are more self-supporting and begin to move beyond copendency.