Stuck In a Relationship That Leaves You Feeling Confused, Miserable, Ambivalent?

Do Your Feel Guilty When You Set Limits, Boundaries or Say No?

Do You Take Care of Others Better Than You Do Yourself and Feel Taken for Granted?

It’s Time To Put Yourself First

It makes us feel good when those around us are taken care of. Feeling acknowledged and appreciated in our relationships heightens our sense of well-being. There are times, however, when our nurturing and care-taking of others becomes an unhealthy preoccupation. This dynamic takes a predictable toll on both our health and relationships over time. Therapy is an introspective process that places your needs front and center. It offers a nurturing environment where you can begin to recover and reclaim the parts of you lost to self-neglect. 

What is Codependency?

The term codependency has been widely misunderstood and misused. In its simplest form, it describes a pattern of giving to others at the expense of self. It encompasses a continuum of behaviours, in which putting aside one’s own need to meet the needs of others becomes a habitual, anxiety-driven response. Although, not an official mental health disorder, codependency has significant potential to adversely impact mental health. 

Codependency, is not just an issue exclusive to romantic relationships but also happens in other significant relationships, including with family, friends and colleagues. Codependent behaviours become harder to sustain over time and frequently result in relationship ruptures. 

Seeking the support of a Counselling Associates therapist can help transform codependent behaviours and develop healthier relationships. 

Signs and Symptoms of Codependency

Common elements of codependency include behavioural traits such as: 

• Poor boundaries, difficulty setting limits

• Self-neglect, denial of needs

• People pleasing, approval seeking

• Low self-esteem, feeling ‘not good enough’

• Difficulty saying ‘NO’, being assertive

• Caretaking, fixing, rescuing

• Perfectionism, fear of judgement

• Unexpressed anger, prone to guilt and anxiety

• Identity, sense of worth derived from ‘feeling needed’

• Exhaustion, burnout and resentment

Do you see yourself reflected in some of these behaviours? Are these patterns present in one or more of your relationships? If you suspect that you are suffering from codependency, we are here to help! The therapists at Counselling Associates can serve as expert guides in your newly discovered path to empowerment and healthier relationships,

Codependency Risk Factors

Numerous life circumstances can make a person vulnerable to codependent behaviours.  Early life experiences often provide the most compelling clues that patterns of pervasive, all-encompassing and destructive codependency behaviours will develop.

Research shows that risks related to codependency increase for children raised in chaotic environments where they experienced or were exposed to: 

• Addiction (e.g. alcohol, drugs, gambling, food)

• Abuse (e.g. physical, emotional, sexual abuse)

• Illness (e.g. mental, physical)

• Neglect (e.g. lack of adult supervision )

• Trauma (e.g. unsafe neighborhoods, schools)

Growing up in a chaotic environment may cause  codependent behaviours in adults because of:

• Learned behaviours modeled by parents, caregivers family members etc.

• Survival based strategies developed to cope with the environment

• Internalized beliefs, rules and assumptions about their value, worth and ability to get their needs met in relationships.

Wherever the Roots of Your Codependency Lie, therapy and counselling can help You connect the dots

Counselling and Therapy For Codependency Can Help You Feel More Confident in Your Relationships

The decision to seek help for codependency is an important step toward discovering a new and empowered you. Learning to give yourself love, in ways you have so generously given to others, is possible, as our qualified therapists help guide you toward:

• Uncovering the roots of your codependency 

• Rediscovering who you are, what is important to you

• Gaining healthier perceptions of your value and self-worth

• Changing self-limiting beliefs that keep you stuck 

• Setting healthy boundaries for yourself and with others

• Managing emotions of change like guilt and anxiety

• Showing empathy and support to others in more balanced ways

• Being more authentic in your relationships 

• Practicing new ways of relating in current relationships

your codependency counselling and therapy experience will be uniquely customized to fit your needs and goals

You Do Not Have To Suffer Alone! We Are Here To Help!

If you suspect that your life and relationships bear the marks of codependency, you are not alone. When you are the person who is constantly giving, counselling and therapy offers a unique opportunity to get the care and attention you deserve. We have helped countless men and women reshape their lives and relationships and find freedom from codependency. Together, we can develop a road map to get you from where you are now to where you deserve to be. Contact us today to get started.