Top-Rated San Diego Codependency Therapy
Do you find yourself constantly putting others' needs before your own, struggling to say no, or feeling responsible for other people's emotions? Codependency can leave you feeling drained, resentful, and disconnected from yourself—but therapy can help you heal. At Healing Balance Therapy, our experienced San Diego therapists help you break free from patterns of people-pleasing and rediscover your authentic self. Contact us when you’re ready to begin.
Meet your San Diego codependency therapists
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Offers codependency counseling ✓
Credentials: Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
Clientele: Adults
Location: La Mesa, CA 91942
Virtual therapy? Yes, for San Diego & across California
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Offers codependency counseling ✓
Credentials: Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor
Clientele: Adults
Location: La Mesa, CA 91942
Virtual therapy? Yes, for San Diego & across California
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Offers codependency counseling ✓
Credentials: Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Clientele: Teens, adults
Location: La Mesa, CA 91942
Virtual therapy? Yes, for San Diego & across California
What to expect from the process
Step 1. Initial consultation
We begin with a free consultation call where you'll share what brings you to therapy. During this call, we'll determine if we're a good fit for your healing journey. If so, we’ll book your first full appointment.
Step 2. Building safety & awareness
Early sessions focus on creating a safe space and building our therapeutic relationship. We’ll begin exploring the patterns and origins of your codependent behaviors without judgment or shame.
Step 3. Developing new skills
Along the way, you’ll learn practical tools for setting boundaries, identifying your own needs, and communicating assertively. We’ll also process the underlying emotions that fuel people-pleasing patterns.
Step 4. Integration & growth
As therapy progresses, you'll practice new ways of relating to yourself and others, building confidence in honoring your needs while maintaining healthy, balanced relationships. Our goal is to leave you feeling empowered to continue making progress.
Common signs of codependency
You feel responsible for other people's emotions and constantly try to fix their problems
Saying "no" fills you with guilt, anxiety, or fear of rejection
Your self-worth depends on being needed by others or receiving their approval
You abandon your own needs, goals, or values to keep the peace in relationships
You struggle to identify what you actually want or feel because you're so focused on others
You stay in unhealthy or one-sided relationships because you fear being alone
You feel resentful when others don't appreciate your sacrifices, yet you continue sacrificing
You have difficulty trusting your own judgment and constantly seek reassurance from others
You lose yourself in relationships, taking on your partner's interests, opinions, or identity
You feel anxious or incomplete when you're not taking care of someone else
How therapy for codependency can help
Reclaim your sense of self
Codependency often develops when we learn to suppress our own needs and identity to maintain relationships or avoid conflict. Through therapy, you'll reconnect with who you are beyond the caretaking roles you step into—your values, desires, boundaries, and authentic voice. Our therapists use approaches like Internal Family Systems (IFS) to help you understand the protective parts of yourself that developed codependent patterns and heal the underlying wounds that created them.
Establish healthy boundaries
Learning to set and maintain boundaries is essential to breaking free from codependent patterns. We'll help you identify where your responsibility ends and others' begins, practice saying no without being controlled by guilt, and communicate your needs clearly and compassionately. You'll discover that boundaries aren't walls that push people away—they're the foundation for genuine, balanced relationships built on mutual respect rather than obligation or fear.
Process underlying trauma
Codependency rarely develops in a vacuum—it's often rooted in childhood experiences, family dynamics, or past relationships where your needs weren't met or valued. Using trauma-informed modalities like EMDR and somatic practices, we help you safely process these experiences so they no longer dictate your present relationships. As unprocessed trauma integrates, the compulsive need to please others naturally decreases, and you'll find more ease in prioritizing yourself.
Build genuine connections
Many people fear that letting go of codependency means becoming selfish or losing relationships altogether. The truth is quite the opposite. As you develop a stronger sense of self and healthier boundaries, your relationships become more authentic and fulfilling. We'll support you in learning interdependence—the ability to maintain your identity while genuinely connecting with others, giving from fullness rather than depletion, and creating relationships based on choice rather than need.
FAQs about codependency counseling
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Look for a therapist with a deep understanding of relational patterns, trauma, and attachment. At Healing Balance Therapy, our clinicians specialize in codependency and have extensive training in modalities like EMDR, IFS, DBT, and somatic approaches. These evidence-based practices address both the behavioral patterns and underlying emotional wounds that fuel codependency. This allows you to heal from the root rather than relying on temporary, surface-level “fixes.”
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There’s no one-size-fits-all “best” therapy approach for codependency. At our practice, we blend different methods based on each person’s unique needs and goals. This allows us to create a customized experience, which tends to be most effective.
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Yes, many people successfully heal from codependency while remaining in their current relationships. While the most long-term success comes from both partners’ commitment to making intentional shifts, your own personal growth can still inspire positive changes in your partnership.
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Codependency itself is not a formal mental health diagnosis, but rather a relational pattern that often develops as a response to trauma, dysfunctional family dynamics, or unmet childhood needs. However, codependency frequently co-occurs with anxiety, depression, and trauma-related symptoms. We view codependency through a compassionate lens—not as a character flaw, but as an adaptive strategy that once served you but no longer fits your life.