Therapy for Adult Children of Alcoholics
You’ve noticed a familiar, yet odd, sense of comfort in chaos.
And, looking back at your childhood, it makes a bit of sense why you feel this way.
From anticipating other people’s needs, caretaking family member’s emotions, working so hard to achieve and always waiting for the next shoe to drop… chaos just was.
A place you learned to operate from.
But, there’s a part of you that is ready to find peace.
A part of you that is tired of carrying the weight of all that responsibility.
Exhausted from feeling so afraid of anger, criticism and abandonment.
Hopeful that you can come home to yourself, break cycles of behavior and see what is possible outside of chaos.
Outside of feeling so anxious and afraid.
Outside of codependency and family dysfunction.
Common characteristics of adult children of alcoholics include:
Isolation and fear of people, especially authority figures
High achieving, overfunctioning and perfectionism.
Approval seeking and people pleasing
Following familial patterns by engaging in addictive behaviors or in relationships with people struggling with addictive behaviors.
Feeling a debilitating sense of responsibility for others.
Disconnecting from feelings.
Fear of abandonment.
A pull toward stimulation and chaotic situation, despite not enjoying them.
Harsh self-judgement and low self-esteem.
Codependency
(For the full list written by ACA, head here)
You may resonate with some, or all of these characteristics.
Each adult child of of an alcoholic or addict’s story and experience is unique. And, all children of alcoholics and addicts are deserving of support.
Know that you are not alone.
If you are struggling, there is hope for healing and plenty of support available through groups and individual therapy.
Reclaim Therapy’s approach to Trauma Therapy for Adult Children of Alcoholics
Codependency therapy and counseling for adult children of alcoholics can help you heal from your childhood.
Our team of trauma therapists use a three-phased approach to treating complex trauma and treatment for codependency.
Develop a strong therapeutic relationship and build the groundwork for an experience that is safe and stable.
Process trauma at a pace and in a way that works for you and your individual needs (see more below).
Integrate what you’ve processed and re-processed into your everyday life so you can live more freely and authentically.
Types of Childhood Trauma Treatment at Reclaim Therapy
Our therapists are informed by current research in neuroscience, the adaptive information processing model and Polyvagal theory.
What that means is that we use a blend of the following modalities (but are not limited to these):
Internal Family Systems (Parts Work)
We are all made up of many different parts.
We work with all parts of you to better understand the ways in which they’ve developed heroic strategies in the past for survival, but may no longer serve you in the present.
We facilitate healing conversations between you and all of your parts to identify new ways of being in the world.
EMDR Therapy in Horsham, PA
EMDR helps to reprocess memories that have become “stuck” resulting in unconscious patterns that no longer serve us.
In reprocessing those earlier memories and integrating them more adaptively in the brain, we are better able to respond to environmental triggers with more ease.
Somatic Work and Mindfulness
Any kind of trauma, including being an ACA, impacts the nervous system and the body.
When we experience trauma, it’s often unsafe for us to be in our bodies.
Somatic work allows us to safely, in a modulated way, reconnect with our bodies and renegotiate traumatic experiences.
Education & Group Work
In addition to individual therapy, it can be incredibly supportive to get connected to 12-step groups that have allowed folks to get connected to others who ‘get it’, to have a space to tell your story to the extent that it is comfortable for you, and to learn more about your tendencies and patterns.
For some, these spaces are incredibly healing and for others they aren’t a fit. Stay tuned for more content and opportunities on this page for more support.
Break free from people pleasing, overfunctioning, caretaking and the hypervigilance that has kept you from living your most authentic life.
Get Started With Therapy for Adult Children of Alcoholics and Dysfunctional Families
step 1
Contact Reclaim Therapy for a free consultation call.
step 2
Meet with Abby, or one of our Trauma Therapists!
step 3
Start your healing from your past. You and your therapist will build a foundation of safety and trust, moving into reprocessing your trauma as you’re ready.
WE’LL WORK TOGETHER
Online Therapy in Pennsylvania
At our virtual office
OR
In-Person
At our Horsham, PA Office
Meet our trauma specialist who works with adult children of alcoholics and dysfunctional families!
Hi, I’m Abby Albright.
I’m a trauma therapist who specializes in providing trauma therapy for adult children of alcoholic parents.
I want you to know that the way your childhood experiences continue to impact your present life makes sense. The legacy of ACOA trauma is real.
I want you to know that it’s not your fault. You deserve to step out of the roles you were placed in without your consent.
You deserve support and relief from your suffering.
Looking for a different type of support?
We also provide specialized trauma therapy, eating disorder therapy, EMDR therapy, binge eating therapy, grief counseling and body image therapy.
You matter. Your mental health matters. So very much.
We look forward to working with you soon!