Many sensitive, insightful people come to therapy feeling stuck in patterns they can’t explain: chronic self-doubt, the need to prove their worth, or the inability to say no without guilt. These patterns often show up as people-pleasing or perfectionism—coping strategies that may have once helped us feel safe, loved, or needed.

There’s nothing wrong with caring for others or wanting to make other people happy. However, when you put other people above your own needs, it can quickly become a problem.

No two relationships are exactly alike. But, as they say, opposites attract. People will often find their match in a person who is wholly different from them. Codependency and narcissism are one of those "opposites attract" types of relationships. So, what exactly is the connection between codependency and narcissism?

In the cacophony of modern dating, losing sight of what you truly desire in a relationship can be all too easy. The constant chatter of societal expectations, well-meaning advice from friends and family, and your own internal doubts can create a deafening static that drowns out your own authentic needs and wants.