CPTSD Therapy for the Lasting Impact of Emotionally Unsafe Relationships

You don’t need to be certain this applies to you yet. Many people arrive here with questions first, not answers.

This work is provided through individual therapy focused on the lasting impact of emotionally unsafe, neglectful, or controlling relationships.

Many adults find themselves searching for “CPTSD” because it describes the impact they live with: chronic self-doubt, emotional shutdown, or staying on alert in relationships, even when life looks fine from the outside.

Often, these patterns develop in emotionally unsafe, neglectful, or controlling environments. There may not be a single event to point to. Instead, there were repeated experiences of being minimized, overridden, blamed, or psychologically worn down over time.

You do not need certainty about how to label what happened to begin.

When CPTSD fits, it often shows up as

chronic second-guessing and self-doubt
feeling tense when someone is displeased with you
emotional shutdown, numbness, or going blank
sudden waves of shame or self-blame
difficulty trusting your perceptions
over-explaining, over-functioning, or people-pleasing to stay safe
feeling “on guard” even when nothing is happening
repeating confusing or one-sided relationship patterns

CPTSD Therapy for the Lasting Impact of Emotionally Unsafe Relationships

Therapy here is not about pushing insight faster than your system can tolerate, or forcing emotional exposure before you feel safe enough.

We work carefully and collaboratively to understand how your nervous system learned to adapt in order to stay connected, avoid conflict, or protect yourself when your needs could not be expressed freely.

The focus is on rebuilding internal safety and self-trust, so boundaries begin to feel protective rather than frightening, and your internal reference point becomes steadier and clearer.

This is likely a good fit if

you were shaped by emotionally unsafe, minimizing, controlling, or chronically invalidating dynamics (in childhood, adulthood, or both)
you want paced work that prioritizes consent, emotional safety, and nervous system capacity
you are not looking for symptom-focused or diagnosis-driven therapy

This may not be the right fit if

you need crisis care, urgent safety intervention, or a higher level of care
you are looking for an intensive or rapid-exposure model
you want therapy that stays only at the level of coping skills without deeper pattern work

Practical Details

In-person therapy is available in Scottsdale.

Telehealth is available to adults located in Arizona, California, and Massachusetts.

Eligibility is confirmed before scheduling.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a CPTSD diagnosis to start therapy?
No. Many people use the term CPTSD because it describes their experience, not because they have a formal diagnosis.

Is CPTSD always caused by childhood trauma?
Not always. Some people develop CPTSD patterns from long-term emotionally unsafe or controlling relationships in adulthood, or from a combination of experiences.

Will I have to talk about everything that happened?
Not at the start. We focus first on safety, pacing, and stabilizing the patterns that are happening now.

Can this work be done via telehealth?

Yes. Telehealth can be a strong fit for this work when it supports regulation, consistency, and containment.

What does healing from emotional abuse and neglect actually involve?

Recovery from emotional abuse and neglect is about reclaiming your sense of self, agency, and emotional safety. It is work for adults who are ready to engage thoughtfully and deeply, and who want their past to stop quietly organizing their present.

For those who want support focused on how these patterns affect adult life, therapy focused on emotional neglect can help rebuild self-trust, emotional clarity, and internal safety.

In trauma-specialized therapy, we work to:

Understand your history without minimizing or rationalizing what happened
Reduce shame and internalized self-blame that developed in response to chronic emotional harm
Rebuild trust in your own perceptions, emotions, and needs
Develop boundaries that feel stabilizing and protective, not dangerous
Support relationships rooted in mutual respect, clarity, and emotional safety

You don’t need certainty about what happened to begin.
We can slow things down, make sense of the pattern, and move forward from there.
If this feels relevant, you’re welcome to take the next step.

Schedule a Free 15-Minute Consultation