Can Therapy Fix a Toxic Relationship?
Toxic relationships can leave you feeling emotionally drained, confused, and unsure of what’s real. If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Can therapy fix this?” - you’re not alone.
As a therapist offering couples counseling in Fort Lauderdale, I hear this question often. The truth is, not all relationships are meant to be saved - but many can be transformed. Knowing the difference can make all the difference in your healing journey.
What Is a Toxic Relationship?
A toxic relationship is one where the dynamic is consistently harmful to your emotional, psychological, or even physical well-being. Some signs include:
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Repeated patterns of disrespect, blame, or criticism
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Lack of accountability or emotional safety
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Controlling behaviors or emotional manipulation
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Feeling isolated, diminished, or chronically anxious around your partner
Toxic doesn’t necessarily mean abusive - but it can include emotional abuse. The key is that the relationship regularly erodes your sense of self, safety, or stability.
Here are a few examples to help clarify:
💔 Example 1: The Blame Game
Jenna and Luis have been together for four years. Whenever something goes wrong - whether it’s a forgotten chore or a disagreement - Luis turns it back on Jenna. He criticizes her constantly, minimizes her emotions, and says things like, “If you weren’t so dramatic, we wouldn’t be fighting.”
Over time, Jenna begins to question her own judgment and feels like she’s always walking on eggshells. She starts to believe she is the problem.
This is a classic example of emotional manipulation and gaslighting, two key elements that show up in toxic relationship dynamics.
🔁 Example 2: Push-Pull & Chaos
Marcus and Erin break up and get back together every few months. When things are good, they feel passionate and connected - but the smallest conflict quickly spirals into yelling, slammed doors, and days of silence. Erin threatens to leave when she’s hurt, and Marcus responds by begging for forgiveness, only to repeat the cycle a week later.
This kind of emotional volatility and inconsistency often creates trauma-like symptoms for both partners - and it can be hard to tell whether it’s love or just the intensity of chaos.
🧊 Example 3: Control Disguised as “Care”
Danielle and Chris live together, and Chris insists on managing everything - from how Danielle spends her money to who she sees. He says things like, “I just care about you,” or “I’m trying to protect you.” But over time, Danielle feels isolated from friends and starts hiding parts of her life to avoid conflict.
Even though there’s no yelling or name-calling, this relationship is controlling and emotionally suffocating, which is a quieter form of toxicity that’s just as damaging.
These patterns don’t always mean the relationship is doomed - but they do signal that something deeper needs attention. If both people are willing to examine their behaviors with support, healing is possible. If not, therapy may be the space where one person begins the process of reclaiming their peace.
Can Couples Counseling Fix a Toxic Relationship?
Couples therapy can be deeply healing—but only when both people are committed to change.
If the toxicity comes from unresolved trauma, miscommunication, attachment wounds, or emotional disconnection, therapy can help. This is especially true when both partners are:
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Willing to take responsibility for their part
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Emotionally safe enough to share openly
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Interested in personal growth, not just blaming the other
In these cases, therapy helps uncover painful cycles, shift communication patterns, and foster connection. Couples counseling works to repair, not just patch over, what’s broken.
When Therapy May Not Help
Unfortunately, couples therapy isn't always the answer—especially when:
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One or both partners are emotionally or physically abusive
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There’s a refusal to engage or take responsibility
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Ongoing addiction or untreated mental illness is present
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The therapy space is used to control, manipulate, or shame the other
In these situations, individual therapy becomes essential. If you’re in this kind of relationship, know that your safety, clarity, and sense of self come first.
I work with many individuals in Fort Lauderdale who seek therapy not to “fix” the relationship, but to understand their own patterns and begin healing from within.
How Individual and Couples Therapy Work Together
In many cases, the best outcomes come when both people are in therapy - together and separately.
Couples counseling focuses on the relational dynamic. But individual therapy helps you explore:
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Family-of-origin wounds
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Nervous system regulation
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Boundaries and self-worth
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What you’re carrying that isn’t yours
This inside-out approach creates real, lasting change - whether the relationship continues or not.
Is Ketamine-Assisted Therapy Right for You?
If you feel stuck in cycles of fear, shutdown, or hopelessness, ketamine-assisted therapy for couples and individuals may help. Ketamine can support:
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A deeper sense of self-compassion
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Rewiring patterns shaped by trauma
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Insights into your own role in a relationship dynamic
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Expanded capacity for emotional flexibility
While not a substitute for therapy, KAP offers a profound tool to support healing, especially when combined with talk therapy, integration, and nervous system awareness.
I offer ketamine-assisted therapy in Fort Lauderdale for couples and individuals and can help you explore if this path is right for your healing journey.
Final Thoughts
Whether your relationship feels strained or fully broken, it’s never too late to seek support. Sometimes therapy helps two people reconnect - and sometimes it helps you find the strength to move on.
The most important thing is this:
Healing starts with you.
If you’re unsure where to begin, I offer a free 10-minute consultation to help you find the right path forward.
Check out next week's blog about how these 3 couples moved from toxicity to growth!