Blog | Center For Mindful Psychotherapy

Kathryn March 17, 2025

Healing Codependency Through Inner Child Work: How Your Early Experiences Shape Adult Patterns

Many adults struggling with codependency find themselves over-functioning in relationships, prioritizing others’ needs over their own, and struggling with low self-worth. They often feel an intense responsibility to keep others happy while neglecting their own emotional needs. While these behaviors may seem like personality traits or habits, they are often rooted in early childhood experiences—specifically in unmet emotional needs, family...

Kathryn March 16, 2025

Spiritual Bypassing and Codependency: Why ‘Being Nice’ Isn’t Always Healthy

Many people who struggle with codependency find themselves in relationships where they overextend, over-accommodate, and put others’ needs before their own. They may feel obligated to forgive endlessly, avoid conflict, and always “take the high road.” While kindness and compassion are essential in relationships, when these values are used to suppress real emotions or avoid necessary boundaries, they can become...

Kathryn March 15, 2025

Codependency and Perfectionism: Why You Feel Responsible for Everyone Else’s Happiness

Many people struggling with codependency find themselves feeling anxious, overburdened, and emotionally drained by their relationships. They take on more than their fair share of responsibility, constantly trying to manage how others feel, anticipate needs, and prevent conflict. What many don’t realize is that perfectionism often plays a central role in this pattern—fueling an endless cycle of self-sacrifice, guilt, and...

Kathryn March 14, 2025

Is It Codependency or Trauma Bonding? How to Tell the Difference

Many people who find themselves in difficult or unhealthy relationships ask the same question: Am I experiencing codependency, or am I trapped in a trauma bond? While these two patterns share similarities—both involve attachment to relationships that may be harmful—there are key distinctions between them that are essential for understanding your experiences and healing effectively. Codependency and trauma bonding often...

Kathryn

The Pressure to Be ‘Self-Sufficient’: When Hyper-Independence Masks Codependency

Many People in San Francisco Struggle with Codependency in Disguise San Francisco is a city known for its innovation, ambition, and self-sufficiency. The tech industry, entrepreneurial culture, and high cost of living encourage people to be hyper-independent—to solve their own problems, push through challenges alone, and avoid relying on others. But what if this fierce independence is actually a sign...

Kathryn

9 Common Causes of Spring Depression

Many people associate winter with depression. If you've heard of Seasonal Affective Disorder, you've probably associated it with winter, for example. Some people experience Reverse Seasonal Affective Disorder, which occurs during the summer months. Less common, but still an issue for some people, is spring depression. This is recurring depression that people experience during the springtime months. If you have...

Kathryn March 13, 2025

Codependency Therapy in San Francisco: FAQs and Answers

Do you struggle with putting others’ needs before your own? Feel emotionally drained in relationships? Struggle to set boundaries without guilt? If so, you may be experiencing codependency—a pattern of over-reliance on others for validation, approval, or emotional stability. This can make relationships feel one-sided, exhausting, and emotionally overwhelming. At our San Francisco-based therapy practice, we specialize in helping individuals...

Kathryn

How to Spring Clean Your Mental Health

Spring is such an interesting time of year. It's obviously associated with new beginnings, growth, and renewal. As a result, it can be symbolic of hope, optimism, and resilience. Therefore, the arrival of spring can bring a sense of relief and a break from the darkness and cold of winter. This can be can be particularly beneficial for those who...

Kathryn March 10, 2025

10 Ways to Cope with Medical Gaslighting and Advocate for Your Health

Medical gaslighting - when healthcare providers dismiss, minimize, or invalidate your symptoms - can be an incredibly frustrating and even harmful experience. If you’ve ever been told, “It’s all in your head,” or “You’re just stressed,”despite knowing something is wrong with your body, you’re not alone. Many people, especially those with chronic illnesses, invisible conditions, or marginalized identities, face medical...

Kathryn March 7, 2025

Spoon Theory & Emotional Labor: Why Chronic Illness is More Than Just Physical

When most people think about chronic illness, they focus on the physical symptoms—the pain, the fatigue, the mobility challenges. But for those living with chronic conditions, the emotional and mental toll can be just as exhausting, if not more. The emotional labor of chronic illness is rarely acknowledged, yet it plays a significant role in daily life. One way to...