DBT for Narcissistic Abuse Recovery

Is it hard to find a therapist that “gets” you?

Narcissistic abuse often involves manipulation, gaslighting, emotional neglect, and exploitation. Common symptoms include:

  • Low self-esteem

  • Difficulty trusting oneself or others

  • Chronic self-doubt

  • Emotional numbness or emotional dysregulation

  • Anxiety, depression, and trauma symptoms.

You’re in the right place!

Will DBT for Narcissistic Abuse help me?

  • DBT can help by providing tools to manage intense emotions, reduce self-blame, and set healthy boundaries. Narcissistic abuse can often leave you feeling confused, manipulated, and emotionally overwhelmed, and DBT helps build resilience and self-worth in such situations.

  • During and after experiencing narcissistic abuse, you may struggle with intense emotional reactions, such as anger, sadness, or fear. DBT teaches emotional regulation skills, like recognizing and labeling emotions, managing extreme emotional states, and reducing impulsivity in responses to overwhelming feelings.

  • Yes, DBT can be beneficial for individuals with Complex PTSD (CPTSD) resulting from narcissistic abuse. The emotional dysregulation and relationship difficulties commonly seen in CPTSD are areas where DBT's skills can help, especially in fostering healthier interpersonal relationships and reducing trauma-related symptoms

  • These are the Four Modules you will be learning. Mindfulness, Emotion Regulation, Distress Tolerence and Interpersonal Effectiveness

DBT can help you…

Build Emotional Regulation Skills : Through DBT, you can learn techniques for managing intense emotions, like mindfulness, distress tolerance, and emotional validation, which are essential in healing from trauma and abuse.

  1. Establish Healthy Boundaries: Recovery from narcissistic abuse involves recognizing and enforcing personal boundaries. DBT helps you to assert yourself without guilt or fear, enabling them to protect your emotional well-being.

  2. Self-Awareness and Self-Compassion: By engaging in mindfulness practices, DBT teaches you to stay present and develop self-awareness, while also cultivating self-compassion. This is vital in overcoming the shame and guilt often associated with narcissistic abuse.

  3. Rebuild Self-Worth: Narcissistic abuse often erodes self-esteem. DBT helps you to work on their self-identity and develop a sense of self-worth that is independent of toxic relationships and external validation.

  4. Develop Healthy Relationships: DBT encourages you to form healthy, supportive relationships by using interpersonal effectiveness skills. This is crucial for those recovering from narcissistic abuse, as you learn to trust others and create connections based on mutual respect.

Are you fed up with the sense that something is “broken” within you?

FAQs about DBT

  • DBT is a type of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) developed by Dr. Marsha Linehan. It focuses on helping individuals develop skills in four key areas:

    • Mindfulness: Becoming more aware of and present in the current moment.

    • Distress tolerance: Learning how to manage and survive crises without making the situation worse.

    • Emotion regulation: Understanding and managing intense emotions.

    • Interpersonal effectiveness: Improving communication and relationships with others.

  • DBT can help those who have experienced narcissistic abuse by providing tools to manage intense emotions, reduce self-blame, and set healthy boundaries. Narcissistic abuse can often leave a person feeling confused, manipulated, and emotionally overwhelmed, and DBT helps build resilience and self-worth in such situations.

  • The duration of DBT varies based on individual needs and goals. Typically, DBT involves a commitment of several months to a year. Survivors of narcissistic abuse may need longer therapy to address trauma-related symptoms, but many find significant improvement within the first few months.