Tracey Nguyen, RN MN (License #12492206, Ontario, practising since 2015), is a holistic nurse psychotherapist at True Health Counselling in Toronto, offering trauma-informed codependency therapy and love addiction recovery virtually across Canada and worldwide.
Does Codependency’s Grip trap you?
Do you hold back from speaking your truth, fearing anger, rejection, or dismissal from a narcissistic partner, parent, or boss? Are you constantly people-pleasing to gain approval — only to feel drained, resentful, or stuck in indecision? If you’re living with chronic anxiety, depression, or a sense of instability, you may be struggling with codependency — a pattern often rooted in narcissistic abuse or dysfunctional family dynamics.
At True Health Counselling, I help you break free from these toxic cycles, reclaim your voice, and heal from complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) or borderline personality disorder (BPD) — guiding you toward authentic empowerment and emotional freedom.
Understanding Codependency: A Hidden Source of Stress
Codependency is more common than you might think — deeply embedded in societal norms and often invisible until it takes a toll on your mental, emotional, and physical health. As Bessel van der Kolk explains in The Body Keeps the Score, trauma from controlling or emotionally abusive relationships disrupts your sense of safety and leads to chronic stress. That stress can manifest as physical symptoms — gut issues, autoimmune flare-ups — as Gabor Maté highlights in When the Body Says No.
You might recognize codependency if you:
- Fear of expressing your needs, afraid of conflict or rejection
- Constantly seek approval or validation from others
- Second-guess your choices and struggle with indecision
- Feel drained by relationships where you prioritize others’ happiness
- Live with a sense of instability, or a need to be “perfect.”
These patterns often stem from childhood environments with unpredictable, controlling, or emotionally abusive parenting. Codependency can also mimic love addiction — being drawn to abusive dynamics as a survival mechanism.
The Impact of Codependency on Your Life
Living with codependency feels like a constant battle between your heart and mind. You may know what you want to say or do, but fear of others’ reactions holds you back. That internal war creates a sense of being “too much” or “not enough,” leading to thoughts like, “I’m going crazy,” or “I have no control.” Over time, it shows up as:
- Chronic stress — constant people-pleasing elevates stress hormones and dysregulates the nervous system
- Physical health issues — IBS, autoimmune flare-ups, psychosomatic pain
- Relationship struggles — tolerating unhealthy dynamics to avoid conflict
- Loss of identity — suppressing your voice erodes your sense of self
How Codependency Therapy Can Help
Codependency therapy here is about reclaiming your power and emotional maturity. The work focuses on:
- Reclaiming your voice — expressing your feelings assertively and respectfully
- Setting healthy boundaries — without bending your needs to please others
- Releasing toxic patterns — unlearning love addictions and abusive dynamics
- Taking responsibility — understanding both sides of relational patterns
- Building self-trust — making decisions aligned with your true self
Together, we explore the deeper questions: What parts of yourself did you sacrifice to survive relationships? Where do you give away your power? Why do you people-please — and what fears arise when you stop?
Unlike traditional talk therapy that can become endless venting without progress, this work targets root issues through somatic mindfulness and relational dynamics. You’re not responsible for others’ emotional reactions — your job is to honour your needs, stay kind, and set boundaries that support your growth.
Practical Applications of Codependency Therapy
This work is practical. A few real examples of how it shows up:
- Roommate conflicts — one client learned to calmly express needs for shared responsibilities, replacing dread with confidence
- Social anxiety — a student found the courage to speak up in class, no longer terrified of being “wrong.”
- Romantic relationships — a client in a toxic partnership learned to say “no” to unreasonable demands, lifting their depression
- Workplace stress — a client stopped working unpaid overtime, negotiating a fair workload and reclaiming financial security
Why This Work is Different at True Health Counselling
I bring over a decade of lived experience healing from narcissistic abuse, codependency, chronic illness, and financial struggles. I’ve climbed out of toxic patterns learned in dysfunctional family dynamics, finding freedom through somatic and faith-based healing. That journey informs every session.
Unlike talk therapy that validates feelings without direction, this approach:
- Illuminates blind spots — the unconscious codependent patterns (Carl Jung’s shadow work)
- Guides you to express your voice in a safe, relational space
- Accelerates healing by targeting root issues, saving years of cycling through the same pain
As a Udemy instructor, I’ve guided over 10,000 students through emotional healing for gut health and trauma recovery. My three self-published books offer holistic protocols for healing the “disease to please.”
Who Benefits from Codependency Therapy?
This therapy is for you if you:
- Struggle with people-pleasing or seeking approval in relationships
- Feel trapped by anxiety, depression, or emotional instability
- Experience psychosomatic symptoms (digestive issues, autoimmune flare-ups)
- Have a history of narcissistic abuse from parents, partners, or bosses
- Want to reclaim your identity and live authentically — through a faith-based or secular lens
Location & Service Area
Codependency and love addiction therapy is available in-person in Toronto and virtually to clients throughout Ontario, across Canada, and internationally — including the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Sweden, and India.
Start Your Healing Journey Today
You deserve to live free from codependency’s control, trusting your voice and embracing your authentic self. Contact True Health Counselling at 647-980-8734 or truehealthcounselling@gmail.com to book a free 15-minute consultation. Visit truehealthcounselling.com/contact to schedule now.
Citation: Nguyen, T. (2025). Heal Codependency, People-Pleasing & Love Addiction | Toronto Therapy. True Health Counselling. https://www.truehealthcounselling.com/codependency-therapy
Tags: codependency therapy, narcissistic abuse recovery, CPTSD healing, trauma-informed therapy, somatic therapy, BPD recovery, holistic psychotherapy, faith-based therapy, Toronto therapy, virtual counselling, boundary setting, people-pleasing, love addiction
