Within the context of romantic relationships, a person abusing you could be a spouse, a significant other, even someone you are dating. It is important to know that emotional abuse involves more than just physical violence. A lot of people think that domestic abuse is just punching or hitting. In addition, domestic violence is also emotionally abusive words and actions. For instance, manipulation, lying, deceit, keeping secrets, or even affairs can be versions of emotional abuse. The team at Wisdom Within Counseling offers creative trauma therapy for emotional abuse victims.
To begin, use the button below to book your phone consult for trauma therapy for emotional abuse survivors.
Emotionally abusive relationships can lead to low self-esteem, low self-worth, and self-doubt.
As a victim of emotional abuse, don’t blame yourself. It is not your fault that your significant other hurts you or calls you names. Name-calling is a negative communication skill. You might be very caring or empathetic. And, abuse complicates things is that your significant other may also have another role in your life. They may also be the parent of your children. This causes you to doubt your decision to leave the relationship.
Women and men alike can be abusive. And, domestic violence can occur in same sex relationships.
Can parents cause a need for trauma therapy for emotional abuse?
As well, an emotionally abusive person can also be a parent. Your parent may have not been there for you or abused you. Let’s say you are an adult now.
As a little child, did you feel neglected emotionally from a parent? Did one of your parents withhold love? Hurt or hit you?
Was a parent not always there for you or really irritable?
Did your parent lie to you regularly or have anger management issues?
One of your parents may be emotionally immature still. They may have been lying to you since you were a child and still are. Or, your parent may have abused you sexually, molested you, or hurt you in someway. If you experienced any abuse from a parent, therapy can help you nurture yourself and build a calm, safe life. The team at Wisdom Within Counseling specialize in PTSD and trauma therapy for emotional abuse. Wisdom Within Counseling teaches positive, lifestyle skills for feeling safe.
This article will help you recognize the signs of emotional abuse and understand if you would benefit from trauma therapy.
As a group of trauma therapists, we recommend that anyone who thinks they have been in an emotionally abusive relationship receive regular counseling. Even if you are not sure, trauma therapy helps you identify emotional abuse signs. Regular counseling can help you understand domestic violence signs and look at preventing it in the future. There are many negative long term and short term impacts of being in an emotionally abusive relationship too.
Counseling for PTSD can help you gain tools to recognize when you are in a relationship that is controlling.
If a parent or spouse criticizes and belittles to you, you can recognize it from working with a PTSD counselor. Trauma therapy for emotional abuse at Wisdom Within Counseling can incorporate art, drama, walking, yoga, music, and nature therapies. Polyvagal theory, yoga therapy, art therapy, drama therapy, and music therapy support victims of sexual, physical and emotional trauma.
Emotional Abuse and Domestic Violence in Relationships and Marriages
What are some emotionally abusive tactics?
Emotionally abusive people will lower your self-esteem on purpose. Overtime, they might withhold their love and give it back to you again causing you to feel confused. You may also feel insecure or afraid.
The speciality of a trauma bond in couples therapy at Wisdom Within
You are afraid of them abandoning you and leaving you. However, at the same time, you feel afraid to get closer. You don’t want to trust them again because they have hurt you so much in the past. A person who is emotionally abusive may call you names, especially derogatory ones. You might get called a bitch, stupid, crybaby, skinny and fat. Or, they might use anything against you. Some thing you told then in confidence about your past, they might use against you in a fight.
Does your significant other never listen to you?
As well, they will also not listen when you ask them to stop doing some thing. If you try to set a boundary, an abusive person will not care that you set your boundary. They will try to push back on your boundary. When you set a boundary, they will get mad and angry.
In addition, emotionally abusive people use humiliation and criticizing communication.
Are you with a person who has anger management issues?
Felt misunderstood in past counseling? Do you want the help of a specialist in trauma therapy for emotional abuse victims?
As well, emotionally abusive people often have anger management issues and problems regulating their emotions. So, when they get angry, they get really angry really quickly and you can’t stop it.
When someone who is emotionally abusive gets angry, they might yell, scream, become hysterical, punch holes in the walls, or even drive their car recklessly. Also, many people don’t realize that you can get PTSD and trauma from going to war and abusive relationships. Some veterans may have PTSD and trauma symptoms from combat. Victims of emotional and physical abuse have the same PTSD and trauma symptoms.
Does your marriage have episodes of breaking things?
As well, they might pound their fist on a table, throw things, break things, or even damage your property. Maybe, throwing things when angry is normal. Well, in trauma therapy for emotional abuse, your therapist can teach you that throwing things is not healthy. You can learn healthy ways to communicate your feelings. At times, people who have abusive parents attract abusive relationships. Or, they become abusive to others themselves. With that said, trauma therapy for emotional abuse victims can support healthy relationship skills. Our team supports self-worth tools and healthy boundaries.
How can PTSD and trauma therapy for emotional abuse help an abuser?
A person with emotionally abusive tendencies may in fact have PTSD or trauma. In childhood, their parents may have been emotionally hurtful. Someone who is emotionally abusive in adulthood will need to recognize they are an abuser. This takes humility and trauma counseling. In order to heal and truly receive help, an abuser must become aware they are being abusive. Then, they can learn to integrate healthy communication skills.
To begin, use the button below to book your phone consult for trauma therapy for emotional abuse survivors.
What about counseling for survivors of emotional abuse?
Trauma counseling can help you heal after being in an emotionally abusive romance.
In your relationship, you may have been the victim of pain, loss, and fear. Working with the team of therapists at Wisdom Within Counseling helps you build awareness about domestic violence.
What is another sign that I am experiencing emotional abuse in my relationship?
As well, emotionally abusive people will dismiss you and criticize you.
In addition, emotionally abusive people will dismiss your feelings. If you are sharing about something hurtful, they will often brush it to the side. An, emotionally abusive person will never admit that they were wrong. They will try to fix the problem instead of empathizing. So, they never care to understand what you feel like hurt.
What does emotional abuse look like?
For instance, if an emotionally abusive person humiliated you in public, they will often never be able to admit that you felt humiliated. As well, being in an emotionally abusive relationship leads to low self-esteem, low self-worth, and self-criticism.
Having someone in your life who criticizes you and always makes fun of your shortcomings creates low self-esteem.
Furthermore, an emotionally abusive person uses dismissive body language to show you they don’t care. And, when they don’t care, they also act like what you’re talking about is insignificant. They may say it is a waste of time. Body language includes eye rolling or head shaking. These may be in an effort to tell you that what you are talking about it’s not important. They might not even give you the time of day to talk about what has been going on for you in your life. An emotionally abusive person life and pick fights with you, expose your secrets, and try to humiliate you regularly.
Emotionally abusive people also insult your appearance.
If you pick a certain outfit to wear or change your hairstyle, they will belittle you and put you down. When you are in an emotionally abusive relationship, and abusive person will insult your outfit. They might call you names like ridiculous, stupid, or ugly. They may also insult your body, your body shape, your weight, or even the color of your skin. In addition, when you are with an emotionally abusive person, they may tell you that you could never find anyone as good as them. Abuse can happen to all genders, as well as men and women.
They might try to get you to doubt your confidence so you stay with them.
They may also tell you that they find other people outside of your relationship attractive and justify talking to them. You may feel trapped when you are in an emotionally abusive relationship. Trauma counseling can help you if your partner yells or swears at you. PTSD is common in victims of domestic violence.
Trauma counseling can help you recognize that you do have self-worth and can grow self-esteem.
Counseling for trauma helps you learn how to set boundaries and keep them firm. You might feel intimidated in your romantic relationship or with a parent who is emotionally abusive. Working with a therapist who specializes in PTSD can help you step away from being in control in relationships.
Is it true that emotionally abusive people will be directive?
In addition, an emotionally abusive person will give you direct orders. They won’t let you have freedom to choose. Perhaps, your spouse tells you exactly what to do with your medication. You don’t have much freedom around parenting your own children with an emotional controlling parent. Or, one of your parents constantly asks you for money and doesn’t handle their finances well.
The anger cycle of emotionally abusive people
Giving you direct orders can make you feel like answering to them is your only choice. Also, they expect you to do everything they say when they want you to do it. If they want you to pick them up from somewhere, they will expect you to do it without any notice. And, if you have an obligation and can’t do it, they will become angry and enraged.
By recognizing the signs of emotional abuse in trauma therapy, you can learn to rebuild your sense of self.
Victims of emotional abuse and door so much pain, that they develop PTSD. Nightmares, negative flashbacks, loss, sadness, fear, and anger are symptoms of PTSD. These symptoms may happen daily or even multiple times a day with trauma. Post traumatic stress disorder causes flashbacks, anxiety, sleeping issues, IBS, fear, anger, and so many more symptoms. Trauma therapy can you help victims of PTSD learn how to cope and healthy ways. You might have a flashback to a memory that was really negative from your romantic relationship. Holistic trauma counseling helps you handle overwhelming feelings in healthy ways.
To begin, use the button below to book your phone consult for trauma therapy for emotional abuse survivors.
Commonly, a significant other may abandon you and walk out when they are emotionally abusive.
On the other hand, your therapist will be there for you and help you cope with those different emotions. Also, a significant other who is emotionally abusive may also stop speaking to you in the fight.
When you are in a conflict, they may stop talking all together or refuse to respond.
This may be over the phone, or even in person and all of your attempts to communicate are blocked. On the other hand, your therapist can help be there for you in a safe professional and confidential way.
What are benefits of trauma therapy?
Your therapist is forgiving of your mistakes and helps you build confidence. Therapy for trauma teaches you self-forgiveness. victims of trauma suffer more self-blame. In addition, holistic PTSD and trauma counseling can help you avoid blaming yourself. Also, you can step away from living in denial. Many victims of emotional abuse and domestic violence live in denial. They feel so emotionally pulled to their abuser that they stay. It is a hard cycle to break.
An abusive person will always be at the top of every relationship. They thrive off of power and control. And, an emotionally abusive person will often be very jealous and accuse you, the victim, flirting with someone else. Low self-worth, anxiety, and depression are very common in survivors and victims of emotional abuse.
An emotionally abusive person may accuse you of cheating on them.
In addition, the victim will feel guilty that they made their abuser feel jealous. An abusive person may even accuse his or her victim of causing them to hit, name call or hurt them. An abusive person always blames their victim. Trauma counseling can help victims of abuse understand jealousy and stop blaming themselves. It is normal for emotionally abusive people to have unrealistic expectations and blame others. Counseling can help you regain self-assurance and confidence after abuse. you can learn signs of abuse in relationships, so you start to attract healthier friendships.
Don’t blame yourself
Trauma therapy support victims of emotional abuse in knowing they didn’t cause the abuse. From there, confidence and clarity can develop. As a victim of emotional abuse, you can start to reconnect with your friends or family, that your abuser isolated you from.
Abusive people always want their victim to prioritize their needs. They may have really high standards. On that note, PTSD therapy can help you rebuild your self-esteem. You can start to have hobbies and meet your own needs again.
In trauma therapy for emotional abuse, you can slow down your nervous system and learn tools like polyvagal theory.
Poly vagal theory is one way to re-regulate and help you get back to the green zone. When you are in a trauma response, you might feel really sensitive, angry, or anxious and polyvagal theory can help you feel ground it again. As well, we offer yoga therapy, mindfulness meditation, and stress management techniques. Holistic therapies like yoga, art, and meditation help you feel calm and your skin. Drama therapy helps you role play abd release emotions in your body. Furthermore, drama therapy is a great way to embody and let go of anger. If you feel intense anger, loss, grief, or betrayal, counseling with a trauma specialist can help you feel positive again. Your holistic trauma therapist can emotionally validate you and remind you how strong you are.
Holistic trauma therapy for emotional abuse includes art, yoga, and painting
Painting, using glitter gel pens, making crafts, and tie-dye can allow you to get back to yourself again. In trauma counseling, our team offers these creative therapies they release anger and fear. As well, we offer music therapies. You can play out on a drum anger or fear. Playing a musical instrument like a big drum can help you feel the vibration in your body. Letting go of the past takes time, but with trauma therapy, you can feel competent and confident. You can learn to practice self-care and prioritize your own needs first.
We offer video and phone counseling to New Fairfield, Newtown, Norwalk, Old Greenwich, Redding, Redding Center, Redding Ridge,Darien, Easton, Fairfield, Georgetown, Bethel, Bridgeport, Brookfield, Cos Cob, Danbury, Monroe, New Canaan, Greenwich, Hawleyville, Ridgefield, Riverside, Sandy Hook, Shelton, Sherman, Southport, Stamford, Stratford, Trumbull, Weston, Westport, and Wilton, Connecticut. As well, we offer phone and video counseling in Florida.
