Codependency Psychiatrists in 97210

Photo of Robert Geistwhite - Robert Geistwhite, MD, MD, Psychiatrist
Robert Geistwhite, MD
Psychiatrist, MD
Verified Verified
Portland, OR 97210
Despite being successful, many creative and talented people live with a negative inner world. Often thinking, "If I only had someone to talk to." They are stuck but reluctant to seek help. It seems shameful or overwhelming. The fact is, once we are able to connect many of my patients quickly start to feel better. I listen in a way that respects their own perspective, pace and autonomy. Together we strive to deepen our understanding of the problems, while expanding our appreciation of a unique inner life.
Despite being successful, many creative and talented people live with a negative inner world. Often thinking, "If I only had someone to talk to." They are stuck but reluctant to seek help. It seems shameful or overwhelming. The fact is, once we are able to connect many of my patients quickly start to feel better. I listen in a way that respects their own perspective, pace and autonomy. Together we strive to deepen our understanding of the problems, while expanding our appreciation of a unique inner life.
(503) 828-9929 View (503) 828-9929
Photo of Brent Frazee, MD, Psychiatrist
Brent Frazee
Psychiatrist, MD
Verified Verified
Portland, OR 97210
I am a board-certified psychiatrist specializing in psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic psychotherapy. I work with adults suffering from depression, anxiety, relationship problems, effects of trauma, difficulties in work or school, feelings of emptiness, and other forms of psychological pain. Psychoanalytic therapy is an intensive, exploratory process. I aim to provide a context in which to explore deeply personal aspects of your private mental life, and to work together to better understand who you are and the difficulties with which you struggle. Through this process, I hope to help you to live more fully and fulfillingly.
I am a board-certified psychiatrist specializing in psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic psychotherapy. I work with adults suffering from depression, anxiety, relationship problems, effects of trauma, difficulties in work or school, feelings of emptiness, and other forms of psychological pain. Psychoanalytic therapy is an intensive, exploratory process. I aim to provide a context in which to explore deeply personal aspects of your private mental life, and to work together to better understand who you are and the difficulties with which you struggle. Through this process, I hope to help you to live more fully and fulfillingly.
(503) 342-7723 View (503) 342-7723
Codependency Psychiatrists

What therapy types help with codependency problems?

Both couples and family therapy and cognitive and behavioral therapy (CBT) can help with the relationship difficulties referred to as codependency. Such problems typically include inappropriate feelings of responsibility for a loved one’s destructive behavior, irrational patterns of thinking about such behavior, and family interaction patterns in which the needs of one troubled member override the needs of others in a household.

What happens in therapy for codependency?

Spouses and family members learn and practice how to interact and support each other in a healthy way without sacrificing their own needs or well-being. They learn the limits of their responsibility for their loved ones and correct faulty patterns of thinking and feeling that underlie codependent behavior. Individuals may be encouraged to nurture an array of social relationships and to cultivate their own talents and interests so that they develop a healthy sense of self outside the family.

How does therapy help a person or couple overcome codependency?

Therapy helps people establish healthy ways of being in a relationship. Spouses and family members learn how to nurture and support one another without sacrificing their own needs or allowing the needs of one person to dominate the dynamic. Individuals learn how to say no and set boundaries, and how to maintain their own identity and self-esteem. Therapy helps people understand that they are not responsible for the feelings and actions of others. It also helps individuals deal with the turbulence that can come from living with a person suffering from such conditions as substance abuse and mental illness.

What is the goal of therapy for codependency?

One goal of therapy for codependency is to alleviate feelings of responsibility for and correct irrational patterns of thinking about loved ones whose behavioral problems override the needs of others in a household. Therapy helps people establish healthy boundaries of behavior and speak up for their own needs in a relationship. In addition, people learn how to maintain a healthy relationship, one in which both parties give and receive equally and are able to retain their own identity.