Struggling with sleep issues, anxiety before bed, and insomnia related to PTSD and CPTSD from being in an emotionally abusive romantic relationship? Racing thoughts and overthinking before bed? Nightmares and flashbacks around evening time? Panic attacks or sudden jolts awake due to memories of narcissistic abuse and emotional abuse? Fear of being alone at night due to fight, flight, and freeze responses? Difficulty falling or staying asleep due to hypervigilance from narcissistic abuse and emotional abuse? Chronic fatigue despite getting sleep due to surviving emotional trauma? At Wisdom Within Counseling, our therapists specialize in insomnia, sleep issues and anxiety before bed due to PTSD and CPTSD from being in an emotionally abusive romantic relationship.
When you have symptoms of PTSD and CPTSD due to psychological abuse and narcissistic abuse, it is common to struggle with sleeping.
The Wisdom Within Counseling trauma therapists have specialized training in narcissistic abuse recovery counseling to support healing from PTSD and CPTSD using somatic therapies.
Sleep is essential for overall well-being. When you endure daily emotional abuse in your romantic relationship, restful sleep feels impossible.
When you are in a relationship with a narcissistic person, one way you can know is by having sleep issues. Sleeping problems indicate that your nervous system is out of balance. Feeling anxiety that you will be called a cruel name, yelled at, or criticized, leads to sleeping problems.
Our holistic team of therapists at Wisdom Within Counseling helps you rebuild self-esteem, confidence, and positive coping skills after experiencing narcissistic abuse, emotional abuse, and psychological abuse.
Nighttime anxiety, insomnia, and sleep disturbances are common when you live with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Complex PTSD (CPTSD).
At Wisdom Within Counseling, our holistic team of therapists specializes in supporting survivors of narcissistic abuse and emotional abuse. Counseling helps you recenter yourself when you have deep wounds from emotional and narcissistic abuse. Our therapists help you find relief and healing through holistic, trauma-informed therapy.
Why Emotional Abuse Leads to Sleep Problems
Emotional abuse leaves invisible scars that deeply affect the nervous system. Whether it was gaslighting, manipulation, silent treatment, or constant criticism, these experiences trigger fight, flight, freeze, or fawn responses in the body, making it difficult to relax.
Your brain remains hypervigilant, fearing further emotional pain or abandonment, leading to:
- Racing thoughts and overthinking before bed
- Nightmares and flashbacks
- Panic attacks or sudden jolts awake
- Fear of being alone at night
- Difficulty falling or staying asleep due to hypervigilance
- Chronic fatigue despite getting sleep
These symptoms stem from trauma responses embedded in your nervous system. Also, painful memories of being yelled at and emotionally betrayed keep your body on high alert, even when you are consciously aware that the abuse has ended.
What Does Narcissistic and Emotional Abuse Look Like in a Romantic Relationship?
Emotional abuse in a romantic relationship can be subtle yet deeply damaging. It often involves manipulative tactics. You feel insecure, confusion, fear, and self-doubt.
Below are ten key signs of narcissistic and emotional abuse:
Crazy-Making Behavior –
The abuser distorts reality, making the victim question their perceptions, memories, and sanity. To add, they may deny events happened or contradict past statements to create confusion.
Another aspect of crazy-making behavior is creating double binds, where no response is ever the right one.
A narcissistic spouse may demand you be more affectionate, but then mock you when they show vulnerability.
They may criticize you for not communicating enough, yet explode in anger when you express your thoughts. These contradictory expectations leave you, as the victim of narcissistic abuse, feeling hopeless and anxious. It feels like there is no way to satisfy your narcissistic spouse’s ever-changing demands.
Gaslighting and Crazy Making Examples –
Crazy-making behavior from an emotionally abusive narcissistic spouse is a manipulative tactic designed to distort your reality, as the victim of narcissistic abuse. It undermines your confidence, and creates confusion for you.
One of the most common strategies is gaslighting, where your narcissistic romantic partner denies events. Essentially, they rewrite history, or dismiss your feelings as irrational.
For instance, they may say, “You’re too sensitive,” or “That never happened,” after behaving cruelly.
This makes you question your memory and perception. Over time, this persistent invalidation causes deep self-doubt. It makes you feel as though you are losing your sanity.
Your narcissistic, emotionally abusive spouse tells you, as the victim of narcissistic abuse, that you are “too needy” or “imagining things.” When you express hurt, your partner constantly invalidates your emotions. Your narcissistic, emotionally abusive spouse may also lie outright about past conversations or actions.
Explosive Anger Issues In Your Narcissistic, Emotionally Abusive Romantic Partner –
An abuser exhibits unpredictable outbursts of rage. When you are in a marriage to a narcissistic, you feel constantly on edge. This cycle of emotional violence creates a fear-based dynamic. You, as the victim of narcissistic abuse, walks on eggshells to avoid triggering anger.
Explosive anger, name-calling, and aggression are hallmark behaviors of an emotionally abusive narcissistic spouse.
These outbursts often happen unexpectedly, turning minor disagreements into full-blown rage episodes. Your emotionally abusive, narcissistic spouse may scream, slam doors, break objects, or even use physical intimidation.
To note, these behaviors make you, as a victim of narcissistic abuse, feel unsafe in your own home. This unpredictability creates a walking-on-eggshells dynamic, where you, as a victim of narcissistic abuse, is constantly on edge. You are always trying to avoid triggering another explosion and keep the peace. Over time, this chronic stress erodes your sense of security and self-trust, making them more vulnerable to further emotional abuse.
Name-calling is a particularly cruel and dehumanizing tactic used to break down self-esteem and instill feelings of worthlessness.
A narcissistic spouse may use derogatory terms, cruel insults, or belittling nicknames, aiming to humiliate and diminish your confidence. They might call you “crazy,” “stupid,” “pathetic,” or even more vile names. This is an effort to make you feel small and powerless.
Sometimes, these verbal attacks are disguised as jokes, with the narcissist dismissing any hurt feelings by saying, “You’re too sensitive.” It is so emotionally painful to hear this from your narcissistic, emotionally abusive partner. You want them to comfort you and you need and deserve sensitivity. As well, your narcissistic, emotionally abusive romantic partner tells you that you are overreacting.
Aggression doesn’t always have to be physical.
Emotional and psychological aggression and abuse are just as damaging as physical abuse.
Your narcissistic spouse may engage in verbal attacks, threats, or intimidation to assert dominance and keep you in a constant state of fear. This can include threatening divorce, taking away financial resources, alienating children, or even harming themselves if the partner tries to leave. These coercive tactics trap you in a cycle of submission. These threats make you feel like you have no choice but to endure the abuse.
A key element of narcissistic rage is its disproportionate intensity—the narcissist reacts explosively to minor inconveniences or perceived slights.
They may lash out over small things, like being asked to help with household chores or being told no.
You, as a victim of narcissistic abuse, are left feeling confused and powerless, as normal, reasonable boundaries are met with fury. Because the narcissist refuses to take responsibility for their emotions, they often blame their partner for their own anger, saying things like, “You made me do this”, shifting accountability and further manipulating the victim.
These cycles of explosive anger, name-calling, and aggression take a severe toll on the victim’s mental and emotional health.
Constant exposure to this kind of abuse can lead to anxiety, depression, PTSD-like symptoms, and self-doubt, you, as a victim of narcissistic abuse, become conditioned to tolerate mistreatment.
Over time, you, as a victim of narcissistic abuse, may internalize the narcissist’s words, believing they are truly unworthy, incompetent, or to blame for the abuse.
Healing from this type of toxic relationship requires recognizing these patterns. And, breaking free from emotional dependency, and seeking support to rebuild self-worth and personal strength.
Name-Calling and Verbal Degradation –
Your narcissistic spouse uses cruel names, insults, or belittling language to wear down your self-esteem.
This could include statements like “You’re worthless,” “You’re a failure,” or “Nobody else would want you.”
Blame the Victim Tactics –
Instead of taking responsibility for their actions, your narcissistic spouse shifts the blame onto you, as the victim. They claim, “You made me do this,” or “It’s your fault I reacted this way.”
Another hallmark of crazy-making behavior is blame-shifting and projection. Rather than taking responsibility for their actions, your narcissistic spouse will accuse you of the very emotionally abusive behaviors they exhibit.
If your spouse is caught lying, they may angrily accuse their partner of dishonesty.
If your narcissistic spouse engages in infidelity, they may fabricate stories about you being unfaithful.
This relentless reversal of accountability traps you, as the victim of emotional abuse, in a defensive state. You are constantly trying to prove your innocence instead of recognizing the true source of the dysfunction.
Devaluing and Minimizing Statements –
Your narcissistic, emotionally abusive spouse consistently downplays your achievements, opinions, and emotions. Have you been called, “crazy” when you are sad and crying?
Phrases like “You’re overreacting” or “That’s not a big deal” your spouse says make you feel insignificant.
A narcissistic spouse may use a wide range of cruel and demeaning names to break down their partner’s self-esteem. Some other common examples of name-calling in emotionally abusive relationships are below.
“You’re such a crybaby,” “You always play the victim,” “You’re just looking for attention,” “You’re just making things up in your head,” and “No one else would put up with you.”
Over time, repeated exposure to these words can make you internalize the insults. In time, you believe you are truly inadequate, unattractive, or unworthy of love. Recognizing this pattern in counseling is the first step toward breaking free and healing from emotional abuse.
Silent Treatment and Emotional Withholding –
Your narcissistic, emotionally abusive spouse punishes you by withdrawing affection. They are good at ignoring you for days, or refuse to engage in conversations. These behaviors create feelings of isolation and rejection.
Generally, silent treatment and intermittent reinforcement destabilize and control you.
Your emotionally abusive, narcissistic spouse may suddenly withdraw affection, especially when you need it. You need a hug and go in for a kiss, and they shun you. As well, they act as if you don’t exist.
Just as you start to emotionally detach, your narcissistic spouse reintroduces kindness, apologies, or affection. It makes you believe things can improve.
This hot-and-cold cycle fosters emotional dependency. You as the victim of narcissistic abuse becomes addicted to the brief moments of warmth amid prolonged periods of cruelty.
Over time, this psychological warfare wears down self-worth. It leaves you feeling trapped, confused, and emotionally exhausted.
Control Through Guilt and Shame –
Your abusive spouse manipulates you into compliance by making them feel guilty for having boundaries or standing up for themselves.
They might say, “If you really loved me, you’d do this.”
Jealousy and Possessiveness –
As well, your narcissistic, emotionally abusive spouse exhibits extreme jealousy. They accuse you of cheating or flirting without cause, and may attempt to control who you talk to or spend time with.
When your partner is possessive, you wonder when you will set them off. You start to live for the peaceful times, hoping they don’t get angry or aggressive with you. Because of this, you have high levels of anxiety. Sleeping problems develop.
Insomnia, sleep issues and anxiety before bed are often a result of having a narcissistic partner or having been emotionally abused. From being in an emotionally abusive romantic relationship, you may experience lots of anxiety.
Triangulation –
To add, triangulation is another manipulative tactic that your narcissistic spouses uses to exert control.
This involves bringing in a third party—whether it’s an ex-partner, friend, or even a therapist—to create jealousy, competition, or self-doubt in you.
They might say, “Even my friend thinks you’re overreacting,” or compare you unfavorably to someone else to erode your self-esteem.
By keeping you on edge and feeling insecure, your narcissistic spouse maintains emotional dominance and ensures that you remain trapped in a cycle of seeking validation.
Threats and Intimidation –
Your narcissistic, emotionally abusive spouse may use threats of harm, self-harm, or leaving as a control mechanism. These keep you emotionally trapped in the relationship, seeking the allure of comfort from them.
Do victims of romantic relationship narcissistic abuse and emotional abuse have PTSD and CPTSD?
Yes, victims of romantic relationship narcissistic abuse and emotional abuse often develop Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or Complex PTSD (CPTSD) due to prolonged exposure to psychological manipulation, gaslighting, and emotional cruelty.
The effects of emotional abuse can be just as severe as those experienced by survivors of physical violence or other traumas.
PTSD vs. CPTSD in Narcissistic Abuse Survivors
- PTSD typically develops from a single traumatic event, such as a violent outburst or intense verbal attack.
- CPTSD (Complex PTSD) results from chronic, repeated trauma over time—such as ongoing gaslighting, emotional invalidation, isolation, and verbal degradation in a toxic relationship.
CPTSD is particularly common among survivors of long-term emotional abuse by a narcissistic spouse because the victim experiences psychological trauma on a daily basis.
To add, it leaves you emotionally dysregulated, hypervigilant, and deeply insecure about your reality.
Symptoms of PTSD & CPTSD in Victims of Narcissistic Abuse
Hypervigilance & Anxiety
Constantly feeling “on edge” or anticipating the next attack
Feeling jumpy, easily startled, or hyperaware of surroundings
Overanalyzing situations, words, and tones for potential threats
Emotional Dysregulation
Sudden, intense emotional breakdowns (crying, panic attacks)
Chronic feelings of shame, guilt, or self-blame
Emotional numbness or dissociation (feeling disconnected from reality)
Flashbacks & Triggers
Reliving past arguments, name-calling, or traumatic incidents
Smells, sounds, or places triggering intense emotional responses
Avoiding reminders of the abuser (e.g., social media, mutual friends)
Self-Doubt & Identity Issues
Struggling to trust one’s own thoughts, feelings, and memories
Questioning whether the abuse was “real” due to long-term gaslighting
Feeling worthless, unlovable, or permanently damaged
Sleep Issues in Narcissistic Abuse Survivors (PTSD & CPTSD-Related)
Sleep disturbances are one of the most common symptoms of PTSD and CPTSD in survivors of narcissistic abuse.
The nervous system remains in a state of high alert, making deep rest nearly impossible.
Insomnia & Difficulty Falling Asleep
Racing thoughts about past arguments or abusive interactions
Fear of nightmares or reliving trauma while sleeping
Anxiety about being alone at night, especially after leaving the abuser
Nightmares & Trauma-Related Dreams
Dreams of the narcissistic spouse yelling, belittling, or abandoning them
Recurring nightmares about being trapped, chased, or powerless
Waking up in a panic, sweating, or crying
Early Waking & Restless Sleep
Waking up multiple times throughout the night
Feeling exhausted even after sleeping for hours
Unable to stay asleep due to subconscious hypervigilance
Sleep Paralysis & Night Terrors
Feeling frozen or unable to move upon waking
Experiencing terrifying hallucinations or sensations while falling asleep
A sense of dread, as if the abuser is still present
Excessive Sleep or Chronic Fatigue
Sleeping long hours but still feeling exhausted
Using sleep as an escape from emotional pain
Brain fog and extreme daytime exhaustion due to emotional overload
Healing & Recovery from PTSD & CPTSD
Recovery from narcissistic abuse trauma requires therapy, emotional safety, and nervous system regulation.
Some effective approaches include:
- Trauma-informed therapy (e.g., EMDR, somatic therapy, Internal Family Systems)
- Journaling to process emotions and retrain the brain to trust reality
- Mindfulness & meditation to calm the nervous system before bed
- Safe relationships & support groups to rebuild self-trust and confidence
Breaking free from narcissistic abuse is not just about leaving the relationship. It’s about healing the emotional wounds, retraining the brain, and learning to feel safe again.
Sleep disturbances are a major sign that your nervous system is still in survival mode. Healing takes time, patience, and self-compassion.
What Is The Link Between PTSD, CPTSD, and Sleep Disturbances?
PTSD and CPTSD from an emotionally abusive relationship cause long-term dysregulation in the your nervous system.
When you experience narcissistic abuse and trauma from your romantic partner, you feel:
- Hyperarousal: An exaggerated startle response, muscle tension, and an inability to wind down.
- Emotional dysregulation: Intense feelings of sadness, anger, fear, or loneliness surfacing at night.
- Negative self-talk: Internalized abusive messages leading to guilt, shame, or self-doubt.
- Hormonal imbalances: Elevated cortisol levels (stress hormone) disrupting the natural sleep cycle.
The good news is that with the right therapeutic support, healing is possible. At Wisdom Within Counseling, our trauma-informed, holistic approach helps survivors of narcissistic abuse regulate their nervous systems.
Counseling helps victims of emotional abuse reprocess trauma, and reclaim a peaceful night’s sleep.
How Wisdom Within Counseling Helps with Sleep, Anxiety, and PTSD Recovery
Our team of licensed, compassionate therapists in Connecticut and Florida use holistic and evidence-based approaches to help survivors of emotional abuse overcome sleep issues related to emotional abuse and PTSD and CPTSD.
We tailor our therapy to each survivors unique needs, offering:
Somatic Therapy for Nervous System Regulation
Trauma is stored in the body, and traditional talk therapy alone isn’t always enough.
Somatic therapy helps survivors of emotional abuse reconnect with their body and regulate their nervous system using:
Grounding techniques to reduce nighttime anxiety
Breathwork, yoga, and guided relaxation for sleep preparation
Body awareness exercises to release stored trauma
At Wisdom Within Counseling, narcissistic abuse recovery therapy helps you develop a life-long self-care routine that leaves you feeling relaxation.
Somatic Yoga Therapy for PTSD and CPTSD Recovery
Now, somatic yoga therapy at Wisdom Within Counseling is a powerful healing approach for survivors of narcissistic abuse, emotional abuse, and complex trauma (CPTSD & PTSD).
Unlike traditional talk therapy, somatic yoga works directly with the nervous system, body, and breath.
Somatic therapy helps to release stored trauma, regulate emotions, and restore a sense of safety. As well, from somatic therapy, you gain skills to relax and cope with symptoms of insomnia, sleep issues and anxiety before bed When you struggle with, PTSD and CPTSD from being in an emotionally abusive romantic relationship, somatic therapy skills are tools that are part of narcissistic abuse recovery counseling.
Deep breathing, yoga, movement, walking therapies, and other skills support PTSD, CPTSD, and trauma recovery.
Since trauma is not just a mental experience. Complex trauma also lives in the body, and somatic yoga therapy provides survivors with a gentle way to heal from the inside out. You talk while doing gentle movements to move energy as you process complex PTSD memories. You learn that you are lovable, respectable, and have a lot of amazing qualities you offer in a romantic connection.
Why Does Somatic Yoga Therapy Work for Narcissistic Abuse Recovery and Trauma Recovery In Counseling?
When you experience long-term emotional abuse, your body gets stuck in survival mode (fight, flight, freeze, or fawn response). It becomes normal to feel anxiety all the time. Essentially, after trauma, your body forgets how to relax. Your heart rate feels like it is racing at night before bed. And, your mind starts having obsessive thoughts.
When you struggle with insomnia, sleep issues and anxiety before bed due to PTSD and CPTSD from being in an emotionally abusive romantic relationship, narcissistic abuse recovery counseling teaches you how to relax and feel safe again.
After trauma experiences, you feel helpless and anxious, so you are anxious all the time now.
This means your nervous system is constantly on high alert, expecting danger—even when you’re physically safe.
Over time, being in a state of hypervigilance can lead to:
- Chronic anxiety, panic, and hypervigilance
- Emotional numbness and dissociation
- Digestive issues, muscle tension, and chronic pain
- Sleep disturbances and nightmares
Somatic yoga therapy at Wisdom Within Counseling for narcissistic abuse recovery helps rewire the nervous system by:
Releasing stored trauma from the muscles and fascia
Calming the overactive stress response (fight-or-flight mode) long-term
Increasing body awareness, self-worth, self-confidence, and self-trust
Helping survivors of narcissistic abuse and psychological abuse feel safe in their own skin again
Key Elements of Somatic Yoga for PTSD & CPTSD Healing
Grounding & Safety Practices
- Trauma (PTSD and CPTSD) makes survivors of emotional abuse feel disconnected from their bodies. Your mind senses danger and feels anxiety, even when there is no real danger present.
- Somatic yoga therapy starts with gentle grounding movements like slow stretches, feet-to-earth exercises, and deep belly breathing to reestablish safety in the body.
Breathwork for Nervous System Regulation
- Narcissistic abuse survivors often hold shallow, tight breathing due to years of stress.
- Slow, intentional breathwork (pranayama) helps shift the body from high-alert mode (sympathetic nervous system) to relaxed healing mode (parasympathetic nervous system).
- Techniques like box breathing 5-5-5-5, alternate nostril breathing, and diaphragmatic breathing are especially beneficial for calming trauma-related anxiety.
Gentle, Trauma-Sensitive Movements
- Traditional yoga can be too intense for trauma survivors if it forces deep backbends or rigid poses.
- Somatic yoga focuses on slow, intuitive movements that feel safe, allowing survivors to reconnect with their body in a non-threatening way.
Releasing Stored Trauma Through Fascia & Muscles
- Trauma is stored in the body’s tissues and fascia (connective tissue).
- Gentle hip openers, heart-opening poses, and slow spinal movements help release suppressed emotions and trauma responses.
- Shaking (TRE—Tension & Trauma Release Exercises) can also be incorporated to discharge trapped stress from the body.
Reconnecting with Inner Awareness & Emotional Healing
- Survivors of narcissistic abuse often lose trust in themselves.
- Somatic yoga therapy teaches body awareness, allowing survivors to listen to their emotions, recognize triggers, and develop self-compassion.
Specific Somatic Yoga Poses for PTSD & CPTSD Healing
✅ Child’s Pose (Balasana) – Creates a sense of emotional safety and deep rest.
✅ Legs-Up-The-Wall Pose (Viparita Karani) – Helps with sleep issues and resets the nervous system.
✅ Seated Forward Fold (Paschimottanasana) – Encourages introspection and emotional release.
✅ Cat-Cow (Marjaryasana-Bitilasana) – Soothes nervous system dysregulation.
✅ Butterfly Pose (Baddha Konasana) – Opens the hips to release trauma stored in the pelvis.
✅ Shaking or Free Movement – Helps discharge trauma from the body and reset the stress response.
Healing Trauma with Somatic Yoga: A Path to Feeling Safe Again
For survivors of narcissistic abuse and emotional trauma, talking about the pain isn’t always enough.
The body remembers trauma long after the mind tries to move on. Somatic yoga therapy provides a safe, non-verbal way to process and release the past, helping survivors reclaim their inner strength, emotional balance, and sense of safety.
If you struggle with anxiety, flashbacks, dissociation, or feeling stuck in survival mode, somatic yoga therapy offers a gentle, empowering way to heal. The more you connect with your body, the more you reclaim your power.
At Wisdom Within Counseling, narcissistic abuse recovery therapy provides you with a safe space to relax into the present moment.
Why Emotional Abuse Leads to Sleep Problems
Emotional abuse leaves invisible scars that deeply affect the nervous system. Whether it was gaslighting, manipulation, silent treatment, or constant criticism, these experiences trigger fight, flight, freeze, or fawn responses in the body, making it difficult to relax.
The brain remains hypervigilant, fearing further emotional pain or abandonment, leading to:
- Racing thoughts and overthinking before bed
- Nightmares and flashbacks
- Panic attacks or sudden jolts awake
- Fear of being alone at night
- Difficulty falling or staying asleep due to hypervigilance
- Chronic fatigue despite getting sleep
These symptoms stem from trauma responses. It keeps your body on high alert, even when consciously aware that the abuse has ended.
What Is The Link Between PTSD, CPTSD, and Sleep Disturbances?
PTSD and CPTSD from an emotionally abusive relationship cause long-term dysregulation in the nervous system.
After trauma, you may often experience:
Hyperarousal:
An exaggerated startle response, muscle tension, and an inability to wind down.
Emotional dysregulation:
Intense feelings of sadness, anger, fear, or loneliness surfacing at night.
Negative self-talk:
Internalized abusive messages leading to guilt, shame, or self-doubt.
Hormonal imbalances:
Elevated cortisol levels (stress hormone) disrupting the natural sleep cycle.
The good news is that with the right therapeutic support, healing is possible.
You gain positive coping skills to center yourself for a calm, peaceful night’s sleep.
At Wisdom Within Counseling, our trauma-informed, holistic approach helps survivors of emotional abuse and narcissistic abuse learn to regulate their nervous system.
How Wisdom Within Counseling Helps with Sleep, Anxiety, and PTSD Recovery
Our team of licensed, compassionate therapists in Connecticut and Florida use holistic and evidence-based approaches to help victims of emotional abuse overcome sleep issues related to emotional abuse and PTSD and CPTSD. At Wisdom Within Counseling, our therapists specialize in insomnia, sleep issues and anxiety before bed due to being in a narcissistic, emotionally abusive romantic relationship.
We tailor our therapy to each individual’s unique needs, offering:
Somatic Therapy for Nervous System Regulation In Narcissistic Abuse Recovery Counseling
Trauma is stored in the body. And, traditional talk therapy alone isn’t always enough. Somatic therapy helps clients reconnect with their body and regulate their nervous system. As well, somatic therapy a powerful technique that helps individuals reprocess distressing memories, reducing their emotional charge.
Grounding techniques to reduce nighttime anxiety
Breathwork and guided relaxation for sleep preparation
Body awareness exercises to release stored trauma
Desensitize trauma-related sleep triggers
Reduce nightmares and flashbacks
Shift negative thought patterns that surface at night
Mindfulness-Based Therapy for Anxiety Reduction
More so, yoga and mindfulness helps you break the cycle of nighttime rumination, obsessive thoughts, and anxiety.
Our emotional abuse recovery and narcissistic abuse recovery therapists guide clients through:
Meditation and visualization to create a sense of safety
Journaling exercises to release emotional pain before bed
Cognitive reframing techniques to change distressing thoughts
Yoga nidra is a relaxation practice that guides the mind into deep rest and safety
Safe Attachment and Inner Child Healing
For those struggling with abandonment wounds and relational trauma, our therapists use inner child work and attachment-based therapy to:
Heal feelings of loneliness and rejection
Rebuild self-worth after emotional abuse
Develop self-soothing techniques for nighttime distress
Let’s Talk More About Healing Childhood Trauma, Self-Worth, and Insomnia Through Inner Child Work at Wisdom Within Counseling
At Wisdom Within Counseling, our therapists specialize in inner child healing for survivors of narcissistic and emotionally abusive relationships. When you are struggling with insomnia, sleep anxiety, and nighttime distress, these are signs you have a narcissistic partner.
Many survivors of emotional abuse develop deep-seated fears, self-doubt, and hypervigilance that stem from unresolved childhood trauma.
Inner child work helps you reconnect with the wounded parts of yourself, offering the compassion, safety, and validation you didn’t receive as a child.
Through this process, our narcissistic abuse recovery therapists guide survivors of trauma in understanding their triggers, calming the nervous system, and developing self-soothing strategies that promote restful sleep and emotional stability.
Sleep issues, especially difficulty falling asleep, waking up anxious in the middle of the night, or experiencing nightmares. As well, these are common among those with a history of childhood trauma and narcissistic abuse.
Our therapists integrate somatic healing, breathwork, and guided inner child meditations to help clients release fear-based memories that surface before bed.
Many survivors of emotional abuse and psychological trauma find themselves feeling unsafe in their own skin at night, as the body holds onto trauma long after the toxic relationship is over.
By using trauma-sensitive techniques, our trauma therapists help you shift from anxious hypervigilance to a state of relaxation. These help you to fall asleep with a greater sense of peace.
At Wisdom Within Counseling, our approach to inner child healing and trauma recovery is deeply personalized and holistic.
Whether you need support in reparenting your inner child, overcoming deep-seated fears of abandonment, or breaking free from self-sabotaging patterns, our therapists offer tools to help you reconnect with your authentic selves.
Through compassionate therapy, mindfulness, and emotional processing, we empower survivors to release toxic beliefs, rebuild self-trust, and create a life where they feel truly safe, both during the day and at night.
What Is The Role of Inner Child Work in Recovering from a Narcissistic Spouse at Wisdom Within Counseling?
Inner child work is a powerful healing tool for those recovering from a narcissistic spouse. At Wisdom Within Counseling, our therapists address the deep wounds that made someone vulnerable to finding a narcissistic, romantic partner relationship in the first place.
Many survivors of narcissistic abuse find that their patterns of self-sacrifice, people-pleasing, and tolerating emotional neglect stem from unresolved childhood experiences. If you resonate with people pleasing and overlooking red flags, your parents may have been emotionally unavailable and narcissistic too.
From a young age, you learned to tolerate emotional abuse and narcissistic treatment.
Did you have emotionally unavailable, critical, or narcissistic parents, which shaped your beliefs about love, worthiness, and attachment?
Inner child healing helps survivors of narcissistic abuse and emotional abuse reconnect with their younger selves. At Wisdom Within Counseling, your therapist will help you identify unmet emotional needs, and break free from toxic patterns that kept you trapped in an abusive dynamic.
Narcissistic abuse recovery counseling teaches you how to nurture, love, and accept yourself after feeling unloveable.
When you were in a relationship with a narcissistic spouse, you endured constant invalidation, gaslighting, emotional neglect, and cycles of devaluation and love-bombing.
This type of abuse can trigger deep-seated childhood wounds, such as fear of abandonment, feeling unworthy of love, or believing they have to earn affection through self-sacrifice.
Inner child work allows survivors of narcissistic abuse to reparent themselves by offering the love, safety, and validation they never received.
By nurturing your inner child, you begin to rewrite the negative messages that keep you stuck in toxic relationships. You can learn to stop taking toxic treatment from friends, family, and a romantic partner.
From narcissistic abuse recovery counseling, you can start developing self-worth, self-trust, and emotional boundaries.
Healing through inner child work is essential for breaking free from the cycle of narcissistic abuse. You learn tools to feel confident setting boundaries. As well, you can learn to stay calm and not react when, in the past, you might have reacted negatively to the abuse.
Without addressing the underlying wounds, survivors of emotional trauma and narcissistic abuse may unconsciously seek similar emotionally unavailable or abusive partners due to unresolved childhood trauma. Maybe, you settle for less than you deserve. Or, you make excuses for your romantic partner, even though you feel disrespect, hurt, betrayed, and like your partner isn’t giving back to you.
By healing their inner child, survivors of narcissistic abuse learn to choose emotionally safe relationships, set healthy boundaries, and cultivate deep self-love.
To note, this inner child work in narcissistic abuse recovery counseling not only helps you recover from past emotional abuse.
But, at Wisdom Within Counseling, therapy with our PTSD and CPTSD specialists also empowers you to build a future of genuine connection, emotional safety, and self-respect.
Having insomnia, sleep issues and anxiety before bed due to PTSD and CPTSD from being in an emotionally?
Art, yoga, music and holistic therapies can help you recover from narcissistic abuse.
Herbal, Holistic, and Lifestyle Recommendations
In addition to narcissistic abuse recovery counseling, our therapists who specialize in PTSD and CPTSD provide holistic lifestyle guidance, including:
Herbal and natural sleep aids to promote relaxation
Nutrition and supplement recommendations for hormonal balance
Creating a bedtime routine for deeper, restorative sleep
Reclaim Restful Sleep and Emotional Peace
If you’re struggling with sleep issues, nighttime anxiety, or insomnia due to emotional abuse and PTSD and CPTSD, you don’t have to suffer alone.
At Wisdom Within Counseling, we provide a safe, compassionate space for healing.
Our holistic approach addresses both your mind and body. Therapy empowerings you to reclaim your peace, emotional security, and restful sleep.
Take the First Step Toward Healing After Narcissistic Abuse and Emotional Abuse
If you’re ready to begin your journey toward better sleep and emotional well-being, schedule a consultation with one of our trauma-informed therapists today.
Visit our website to book and complete a phone screening questionnaire, and begin your healing journey.
You deserve restful sleep and a life free from the lingering effects of emotional abuse.
At Wisdom Within Counseling, our therapists specialize in insomnia, sleep issues and anxiety before bed due to having a narcissistic, emotionally abusive romantic partner or having been emotionally abused.
We’re here to help every step of the way to support resilience and self-worth.
