What Is Codependency? Understanding the Signs and How Therapy Can Help
Learn what codependency is, how it affects relationships, and how therapy for codependency can help you set boundaries and reclaim emotional freedom.
What Is Codependency?
Codependency is a behavioral and emotional condition where a person prioritizes another’s needs over their own, often at the expense of their mental health and well-being. It typically develops in relationships where boundaries are blurred, roles are imbalanced, and emotional validation comes from "fixing" or caring for others.
People with codependent tendencies often struggle with self-worth, setting boundaries, and asserting their own needs—especially in romantic, familial, or caregiving relationships.
Common Signs of Codependent Behavior
Wondering if you're experiencing codependency? Here are common signs of codependency:
Difficulty saying no or setting boundaries
A strong need for approval or validation
Feeling responsible for others’ emotions or choices
Neglecting your own needs to care for someone else
Fear of abandonment or rejection
Low self-esteem and self-identity outside the relationship
Staying in unhealthy or one-sided relationships
While codependency is often rooted in childhood trauma or dysfunctional family dynamics, it can show up in any close relationship—romantic, parental, friendship, or even professional.
How Codependency Affects Relationships
In a codependent relationship, one person may become the “caretaker” while the other becomes overly dependent or emotionally avoidant. Over time, this dynamic can lead to:
Burnout or resentment
Emotional enmeshment
Loss of self-identity
Enabling destructive behaviors (e.g., addiction, irresponsibility)
Cycles of control, guilt, and emotional manipulation
Codependency can feel loving or selfless on the surface—but it’s often rooted in anxiety, fear, or unmet emotional needs.
What Causes Codependency?
Codependency often begins in childhood, especially in homes where there was:
Emotional neglect or abuse
Addiction or mental illness
Unstable or unpredictable parenting
Parentification (being a caregiver to a parent or sibling)
A need to earn love or attention by being “good” or helpful
These early patterns teach a person that their value comes from caregiving, people-pleasing, or maintaining harmony at all costs.
How Therapy Helps Heal Codependency
The good news: codependency is treatable, and therapy is one of the most effective tools for recovery.
In therapy for codependency, you can:
Identify unhealthy relationship patterns
Set and maintain healthy boundaries
Rebuild your self-esteem and identity
Learn to prioritize your own emotional needs
Navigate relationships with confidence and clarity
Approaches like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Inner Child Work, and Attachment-Based Therapy are commonly used to help clients break free from codependent behaviors and rebuild healthier connections.
You Deserve Healthy Relationships
If you're constantly putting others before yourself, struggling to set boundaries, or feel lost in your relationships, you're not alone—and you don’t have to stay stuck.
Therapy for codependency offers a path to emotional freedom, self-trust, and more balanced connections.
Contact us today to schedule a consultation with a licensed therapist who specializes in codependency and relationship healing.
