Healing After a Narcissistic Relationship

Leaving a narcissistic relationship doesn't mean that your healing is gonna be instant. The confusion and grief afterward are actually a part of recovery. Hi, I'm Dr. Andrea Zorbas, a psychologist from Therapy Now SF.

Healing after a narcissistic relationship often takes longer than people expect. Even after the relationship ends, the emotional impact can linger. Today I wanna talk about what recovery really involves and why the process makes sense.

So first off, you're grieving more than just the relationship. So people often grieve not only the person, but the future they hoped for, and the version themselves that they lost. This grief can feel confusing, especially if the relationship included both connection and harm.

Next, a narcissistic dynamic ends up damaging self-trust. When you're experiencing things like gaslighting manipulation and inconsistency that teaches us to doubt our perceptions. After the relationship many of us struggle to trust our instincts or decisions even when it's safe situations.

Third, this is why distance is essential for healing. So clarity often comes only after emotional or physical distance. Stepping away from the dynamic allows patterns to become visible and reduces ongoing emotional injury.

Next, you're gonna need to learn what emotional safety feels like again. So healthy relationships, they feel consistent, they're respectful and they're predictable. Part of healing is recalibrating your expectations and learning that connection doesn't have to come with anxiety or instability.

And lastly, you will need to rebuild your identity and reform boundaries. Recovery involves reconnecting with your values, with your needs, and your sense of self. Boundaries become tools for protection rather than walls. And self-trust will slowly return.

If you're healing after a narcissistic relationship and you still feel confused, depleted, or just unsure of yourself. That's where therapy can help. Contact Therapy Now SF, and you can work with one of our psychologists who can support your recovery and help you feel emotionally safe again.