Therapy for Emotionally Draining Relationships
Support for adults who feel exhausted, anxious, or lost in their relationships
Are you constantly tired in your relationship, even when nothing dramatic is happening?
You may not call it abuse. You may not think of yourself as codependent. But something feels off.
You feel responsible for keeping the peace.
You overthink every conversation.
You replay arguments at night.
You wonder why you feel so drained after spending time with someone who’s supposed to love you.
If your relationship feels emotionally heavy more often than safe or supportive, you’re not imagining it.
And you’re not “too sensitive.”
What Emotionally Draining Relationships Often Look Like
An emotionally draining relationship doesn’t always involve yelling or obvious conflict. Sometimes it looks like:
Constant tension or walking on eggshells
Feeling responsible for managing someone else’s moods
Subtle criticism or dismissiveness
Emotional invalidation
One-sided emotional labor
Feeling unseen, unheard, or unimportant
Anxiety before or after interactions
Over time, this kind of dynamic can lead to:
Emotional exhaustion
Chronic self-doubt
Loss of confidence
Anxiety and hypervigilance
A slow disconnection from yourself
You may start asking yourself:
Why am I so tired all the time?
Why do I feel smaller in this relationship?
These are important questions.
You Don’t Have to Prove It’s “Bad Enough”
Many people delay seeking therapy because they feel like their situation isn’t severe enough.
There may not be screaming. There may not be obvious manipulation. But if you feel consistently drained, anxious, or diminished in your relationship, that matters.
Therapy isn’t reserved for crisis. It’s a space to understand what’s happening before deeper damage is done.
If you suspect emotional abuse or manipulation may be present, you can learn more about my work in narcissistic abuse recovery here.
How Therapy Can Help
In our work together, we focus on:
Clarifying what’s actually happening in your relationship
Identifying patterns that leave you feeling depleted
Strengthening your sense of self and emotional boundaries
Rebuilding confidence and self-trust
Learning how to communicate your needs clearly
Deciding what healthy relationship dynamics look like for you
Sometimes emotionally draining relationships involve codependency.
Sometimes they involve emotional manipulation or narcissistic traits.
Sometimes they reflect attachment wounds or unresolved patterns.
We explore what applies to you, without rushing to label.
What Healing Can Look Like
Imagine:
Feeling steady instead of anxious
Trusting your instincts instead of second-guessing them
Speaking honestly without fear of backlash
Leaving conversations without replaying them for hours
Feeling emotionally safe in your own life
That shift is possible.
Not overnight. But steadily, intentionally, and with support.
Is This the Right Place to Start?
If you’re unsure whether your relationship is “toxic,” emotionally abusive, or simply unsustainable, this is a safe place to sort through it.
You don’t have to make big decisions right away.
We start with clarity.
From there, you get to choose what comes next.
Next Steps
If you’re feeling emotionally exhausted in your relationship and wondering whether therapy could help, I invite you to schedule a free consultation.
We’ll talk about what you’re experiencing and what support might look like for you.
You deserve relationships that feel grounding, not draining.