Photo of Sean T Burns - Pittsburgh Pastoral Institute, LCSW, LPC, MDiv, MSW, Clinical Social Work/Therapist
Pittsburgh Pastoral Institute
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LCSW, LPC, MDiv, MSW
Verified Verified
1 Endorsed
Pittsburgh, PA 15235  (Online Only)
While every counseling experience is unique, the team at Pittsburgh Pastoral Institute (PPI) seeks to provide an empathetic relationship in which individuals and families can safely and freely discuss their challenges and concerns in a holistic context carefully considering the mind, body, and soul in therapy. This is also a "person-centered" process in which the client determines the areas of exploration and discovery.
While every counseling experience is unique, the team at Pittsburgh Pastoral Institute (PPI) seeks to provide an empathetic relationship in which individuals and families can safely and freely discuss their challenges and concerns in a holistic context carefully considering the mind, body, and soul in therapy. This is also a "person-centered" process in which the client determines the areas of exploration and discovery.
(412) 453-3279 View (412) 453-3279
Photo of Betsy A DeChant, LCSW, LISW-S, BCD, FAGPA, Clinical Social Work/Therapist
Betsy A DeChant
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LCSW, LISW-S, BCD, FAGPA
Verified Verified
Penn Hills, PA 15235
I have been in full-time practice as a clinical social worker/psychotherapist since 1969, and practiced in both hospital and agency psychiatric settings for over 15 years, in addition to maintaining a private practice. Throughout my career, I have provided numerous national and regional training seminars and workshops for MH professionals on women's issues; the chronically mentally ill; dual-diagnosed populations; and group psychotherapy modalities, and have also published in these areas. I have an eclectic style that encourages a flexible and collaborative working partnership which reflects the needs, goals, and personal context of the individual person.
I have been in full-time practice as a clinical social worker/psychotherapist since 1969, and practiced in both hospital and agency psychiatric settings for over 15 years, in addition to maintaining a private practice. Throughout my career, I have provided numerous national and regional training seminars and workshops for MH professionals on women's issues; the chronically mentally ill; dual-diagnosed populations; and group psychotherapy modalities, and have also published in these areas. I have an eclectic style that encourages a flexible and collaborative working partnership which reflects the needs, goals, and personal context of the individual person.
(724) 907-1668 View (724) 907-1668
Codependency Therapists

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.