Abandonment Counseling in Los Angeles

Abandonment contributes to many mental health issues. Therapy can be helpful in addressing causes of abandonment issues. For example, it may help people work through trauma from abandonment in childhood.

What are the symptoms of Abandonment Issues?

People with abandonment fears exhibit many of the same behaviors, though some may be more prominent than others. These symptoms include:

• Cycling through relationships. Some may engage in numerous shallow relationships. They may fear intimacy and find a reason to leave a relationship before the other person can.
• Sabotaging relationships. Some may act irrationally to get out of relationships. For example, you may knowingly push away a partner so you won’t feel hurt if they leave.
• Clinging to unhealthy relationships. Some people with abandonment issues may stay in relationships despite a desire to leave. The fear of being alone is more powerful.
• Needing constant reassurance. Some may constantly seek out a friend or partner and demand emotional guarantees. They may regularly urge friends or partners to make broad statements, such as “I’ll always be here,” and then say they’re lying.

How Can Treatment Help?

Treatment for abandonment issues focuses on establishing healthy emotional boundaries. You need to build an arsenal of responses to deploy when you feel old thought patterns emerging again.

As a mental health professional, I can help you overcome fears of being abandoned. I'll work with you to understand where the fear originates and what you can do when you sense the fear rising. Reach out if you're in need of assistance.