You don't have to override yourself to stay connected.
Therapy for individuals navigating trauma, emotional and narcissistic abuse, and codependent relationship patterns.
A place to slow down, make sense of your experiences, and begin to trust yourself again.
Introduction
You may not even realize how much you have been carrying.
Many of the people I work with are thoughtful, aware, and capable -- but find themselves:
- second-guessing their instincts
- feeling responsible for others' emotions
- stuck in patterns that don't feel like them
Over time this can create anxiety, self-doubt, and a quiet sense of disconnection from yourself.
Therapy isn't about fixing you.
It's about helping you understand what happened, why your patterns make sense, and how to begin relating to yourself in a different way.
How I Work
My approach is grounded, collaborative, and insight-oriented.
I integrate EMDR with a strong focus on relational dynamics and nervous system awareness.
Together, we:
- make sense of patterns without judgment
- understand the "why" behind your responses
- work at a pace that feels steady and manageable
- focus on meaningful, lasting change -- not quick fixes
I don't believe in positioning myself as the expert of your life.
But I do bring:
- deep clinical training
- years of experience
- and a genuine commitment to understanding you
Specialties
I focus on the following specialities.
Trauma
Not just what happened, but what stayed with you.
It's about what your system had to do to adapt -- and what never had the chance to fully resolve.
Some trauma is clear and identifiable. But much of what I see is more subtle and cumulative:
- feeling unseen, dismissed, or misunderstood over time
- growing up in environments where emotions weren't supported
- learning to stay alert, careful, or self-reliant to feel safe
Over time, these experiences shape how you relate -- to yourself, to others, and to the world.
You may notice:
- sensitivity to tone, conflict, or disconnection
- difficulty relaxing, even when things seem "fine"
- overthinking, self-doubt, or emotional overwhelm
- anticipating and managing what might go wrong
These are not flaws. These are adaptive responses that made sense at the time.
In our work, we focus on helping your system process what it has been holding.
I integrate EMDR with a relational and nervous system-informed approach to:
- reduce emotional reactivity
- increase your ability to stay present and grounded
- help you understand your responses rather than judge them
- support a more stable, integrated sense of self
This work is not about erasing the past. It's about helping it no longer run the present.
Emotional & Narcissistic Abuse
When your reality has been questioned, we work to restore clarity.
Emotional abuse can be difficult to recognize -- especially when it unfolds gradually or is intertwined with care, love, or dependency.
You may find yourself:
- questioning your perception or memory
- feeling responsible for someone else's reactions
- minimizing your needs to avoid conflict
- trying to "get it right," but feeling like it is never enough
In relationships where narcissistic traits are present, there is often:
- a distortion of reality
- a shifting of responsibility
- cycles of closeness and disconnection
- a gradual erosion of confidence and clarity
Over time, this can leave you feeling confused, uncertain, and disconnected from your own voice.
In therapy, we work to:
- name and understand these patterns without blame or shame
- separate your experience from the narrative you've been given
- rebuild trust in your own perception
- clarify what is yours and what is not
- begin to establish boundaries from a grounded, steady place
This work is not about labeling others. It's about helping you come back to yourself.
Codependency
Learning to stay connected -- without losing yourself.
Codependency is often misunderstood.
It's not simply about caring too much. It's a pattern that develops when connection becomes tied to:
- managing others' emotions
- avoiding conflict
- keeping the peace at your own expense
Over time, this can lead to:
- a focus on others over yourself
- difficulty identifying your own needs
- over-fucntioning in relationships
- discomfort with boundaries or saying no
Many people with these patterns are:
- empathetic
- perceptive
- responsible
- deeply caring
These are strengths.
But when they come at the cost of yourself, they can lead to exhaustion, resentment, and a loss of clarity.
In our work together, we focus on:
- understanding how these patterns developed
- differentiating between care and self-abandonment
- increasing awareness of your internal experience
- strengthening your ability to stay connected to yourself in relationships
The goal is not to become less caring.
It is to:
care without losing yourself
stay connected without overriding your own needs
relate from a place of clarity rather than fear
Integration
While these areas may seem separate, they are often deeply connected.
Trauma shapes how you respond.
Relational experiences shape how you see yourself.
And patterns like codependency often develop as a way to maintain connection and safety.
At the center of this work is a common thread:
learning to trust your own perception,
stay connected to yourself,
and respond with greater clarity and intention.
If any of the above resonates, therapy may be a helpful place to begin.
Use the contact form below to connect and schedule an appointment.
Contact us
Telephone: 9162056165
E-mail: marlenezlmft@gmail.com
Address: 507 Natoma Street, Folsom, 95630, California, United States