Photo of Deborah Underwood, Marriage & Family Therapist in 94925, CA
Deborah Underwood
Marriage & Family Therapist, LMFT
Verified Verified
1 Endorsed
Corte Madera, CA 94925  (Online Only)
I work with marital problems, divorce, addiction, codependency, communication, depression, bipolar, anxiety, parenting, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anger management, ptsd, and spiritual awareness.
I will challenge you with questions and give you homework to help you succeed. I work in the present and do not believe it is productive to spend years talking about the past. You will sense my passion for my work and will feel seen and heard.
I work with marital problems, divorce, addiction, codependency, communication, depression, bipolar, anxiety, parenting, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anger management, ptsd, and spiritual awareness.
I will challenge you with questions and give you homework to help you succeed. I work in the present and do not believe it is productive to spend years talking about the past. You will sense my passion for my work and will feel seen and heard.
(530) 419-6206 View (530) 419-6206
Photo of David J Kest, Marriage & Family Therapist in 94925, CA
David J Kest
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, MFT
Verified Verified
2 Endorsed
Corte Madera, CA 94925
Waitlist for new clients
I offer an "Integrated Approach to Psychotherapy" for adults, couples and families. We may first seek to reduce negative symptoms and increase stability in our life, but eventually I support and challenge my clients to graduate from "surviving to truly "thriving" in all major aspects of their life. Relationships have shaped and influenced who we are and many clients appreciate help with essential relationship skills. I am one of the few therapists in Marin and SF actually certified as an Imago Relationship Therapist and have had the honor to assist the cofounders many times with their weekend workshops. on the West Coast.
I offer an "Integrated Approach to Psychotherapy" for adults, couples and families. We may first seek to reduce negative symptoms and increase stability in our life, but eventually I support and challenge my clients to graduate from "surviving to truly "thriving" in all major aspects of their life. Relationships have shaped and influenced who we are and many clients appreciate help with essential relationship skills. I am one of the few therapists in Marin and SF actually certified as an Imago Relationship Therapist and have had the honor to assist the cofounders many times with their weekend workshops. on the West Coast.
(650) 924-9677 View (650) 924-9677
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.