You Were the Grown-Up Before You Were Ever Allowed to Be a Kid

Maybe you were the responsible one. The peacemaker. The one who handled emotions so the adults didn’t have to. Or maybe you grew up in silence, with a parent who ignored you—or made everything about them.

Now you second-guess yourself. Over-function at work. Struggle with boundaries. Or feel totally confused about what a healthy relationship even looks like.

If that’s hitting home, you’re not alone. Our trauma-informed therapy in Chicago is designed specifically for adult children of dysfunctional families.

When Old Scripts Still Run the Show

Patterns from your childhood don’t just vanish because you’re grown. You might:

  • Say yes when you mean no

  • Feel like you’re “too much” or “not enough”

  • Numb out or burn out trying to do it all

  • Attract emotionally unavailable people

Sound familiar? These are not personality flaws. They’re survival responses. And they can shift.

Our approach to therapy for adult children of narcissists and emotionally immature caregivers honors your survival skills—and helps you grow beyond them.

Reparenting Therapy = Giving Yourself What You Never Got

 

Reparenting therapy is about creating safety inside yourself. It’s learning to:

  • Validate your own emotions

  • Set and hold boundaries (without guilt)

  • Feel anger without shame

  • Make decisions from your values, not fear

We’ll help you explore how your past is showing up in the present—and how to break the cycles that are no longer serving you.

Why Empower?

  • Skills-Based & Insight-Driven: Therapy that’s practical and deep

  • Culturally Informed: We honor your identities, heritage, and healing pace

  •  Systemic Approach: We look at family patterns, not just individual symptoms

  •  Flexible Formats: Virtual, in-person, or hybrid therapy available

You’re Allowed to Want More

You’re allowed to want boundaries, clarity, joy. Even if you weren’t raised with them.

You’re allowed to rest. To feel. To stop playing every role except your own.

Let’s build that version of your life, together.

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