Welcome
Heal From Your Past & Reclaim Your Future from the Narcissistic Sibling
In healthy families, sibling bonds often create close ties that turn into lifelong adult friendships. Those raised with a narcissistic sibling face a far different reality. From early years, they suffer emotional abuse, and often physical harm too. Without healing, it scars the rest of life.
If you grew up with a narcissistic sibling, you
In healthy families, sibling bonds often create close ties that turn into lifelong adult friendships. Those raised with a narcissistic sibling face a far different reality. From early years, they suffer emotional abuse, and often physical harm too. Without healing, it scars the rest of life.
If you grew up with a narcissistic sibling, you likely felt like you walked on eggshells. You either fought back all the time or stayed silent to protect yourself. This kind of abuse leaves mental wounds that haunt you past childhood.
"Cynthia has been a pivotal force behind my mental health and wellness and I couldn't be more grateful I found her! I am someone who has always struggled depression and anxiety and when I lost my brother in an accident, my grief made it hard for me to function. I knew I needed to do something. I was fortunate to find Cynthia. Using min
"Cynthia has been a pivotal force behind my mental health and wellness and I couldn't be more grateful I found her! I am someone who has always struggled depression and anxiety and when I lost my brother in an accident, my grief made it hard for me to function. I knew I needed to do something. I was fortunate to find Cynthia. Using mindfulness combined with cognitive techniques, she really helped me first work through my grief, and then dive deeper to help me work through my depression and anxiety issues. She helped me find tools, such as meditation, to use as coping mechanisms versus alcohol and food, as I had used in the past. These tools have really made such an impact in my life in how I currently manage my stress, how I handle change, and how I manage my anxiety and depression. The one thing I appreciate the most about her, is that she helped me to really trust myself, and believe in my own intuition when making choices in my life. "
Holly
Services
"THE SOUL HAS NO SECRET THAT THE BEHAVIOR DOES NOT REVEAL."
LAO TZU, Philosopher
If you are seeking counseling, please contact me via email with the following questions:
1) Why are you seeking counseling at this time?
2) Have you been in counseling before?
3) What are your goals in counseling?
4) Who referred me?
5) What is your preferred payment option?
Payment - Venmo or Zelle preferred
Audio & Virtual Zoom Sessions available only
INDIVIDUAL PSYCHOTHERAPY: $125.00
60 Minute Session
COUPLE OR FAMILY PSYCHOTHERAPY: $150.00
60 Minute Session
“Cynthia changed my life. I know that’s a lofty statement but it’s true. Before meeting her, I was stuck in a pattern of destructive self narratives. I had developed a belief that I wasn’t enough and this informed many of the decisions I was making. I had bounced around therapists for several years and thought therapy just wasn’t for me. Then I found Cynthia! In our work together, she has provided me with life-long tools that I use daily -- helping me reframe old narratives while also navigating difficult situations. Her patience and insight is simply incredible! She is hyper attuned to you throughout the entire session. I am beyond grateful for Cynthia and can’t recommend her highly enough." Ashley 2022
Narcissistic Sibling Abuse
"Sibling abuse didn't just happen to you. It didn't only happen to me. It has happened to missions upon millions of people worldwide."
Narcissistic sibling abuse is a chronic, one-sided pattern of manipulation, intimidation, and emotional exploitation, rather than typical, fleeting sibling rivalry. It is rooted in traits such as intense jealousy, lack of empathy, and an insatiable need for dominance, often creating a toxic, "trauma-bonded" relationship that can persist into adulthood and cause severe psychological damage.
Key Characteristics and Tactics: Narcissistic siblings often maintain control through specific, destructive behaviors:
Triangulation: Pitting family members against each other, often using lies to turn parents or other siblings against the target to secure loyalty and power.
Gaslighting & Blame-Shifting: Denying reality, minimizing, hurtful, actions, and accusing the victim of being "too sensitive" or the cause of the conflict.
Public Charm, Private Cruelty: Acting perfectly in front of others, making it difficult for victims to get support, while being abusive behind closed doors.
Impact on Victims
Growing up with a narcissistic sibling can lead to long lasting trauma, including:
Low self-esteem and anxiety: chronic feelings of worthlessness and being on edge.
Trauma bonding: developing a strong emotional attachment to the abuser, making it hard to leave the relationship.
Distrust and relationship issues: difficult difficulties, trusting others, and a tendency to repeat abusive dynamics and adult relationship relationships.
Isolation: This "smear campaign" and manipulation's often an isolate the victim from the rest of the family.
Healing Techniuqes
"You can't force someone to respect you. But you can refuse to be disrespected."
Karen Salmansohn
"We cannot repair broken relationships if hey won't take ownership of how they intentionally hurt us. It is the kindest act of self-preservation, self-love, and self-care." Dana Arcuri
Coping Strategies and Healing
Recovering often requires active effort to protect themselves from the toxic dynamic:
Set firm boundaries: clearly defined acceptable behaviors, and enforced consequences such as limiting or cutting off contact
Grey rock method: becoming emotionally unresponsive, boring, and uninteresting to the narcissist to reduce their desired to provoke you.
Seek professional help colon therapy is often necessary to process deep, seated trauma, and build self-esteem.
Distance and disengagement. Recognizing that the sibling is unlikely to change and that you cannot fix them.
In some cases, the only way to stop the abuse is to end the relationship with the sibling and sometimes within the enabling family system as a whole.
"I came to see Cynthia because I suffered from anxiety and some depression. I had a
difficult time sleeping because of my anxious thoughts. I would wake up tired and unmotivated. I needed to get out of my rut. I had never been to therapy before, so I
was reluctant to go but I did because I was getting so desperate. Cynthia invited me
into her virtual office very warmly. I felt comfortable right away telling my story. I was introduced to Mindfulness Meditation in the first session. With Cynthia's guidance, I felt
I could practice at home. By 6-weeks, I was less anxious and depressed, sleeping better
and more self-motivated." Vicki
FAQ
"We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty." Maya Angelou
WHAT'S NEXT?
If you are seeking counseling, please contact me via email with the following questions:
1) Why are you seeking counseling at this time?
2) Have you been in counseling before?
3) What are your goals in counseling?
4) Who referred me?
5) What is your preferred payment option?
Payment - Venmo, Zelle, PayPal
Audio & Virtual Zoom Sessions available only
INDIVIDUAL PSYCHOTHERAPY: $125.00
50 Minute Session
COUPLE OR FAMILY PSYCHOTHERAPY: $150.00
50 Minute Session
"Cynthia is a State Board Certified Marriage and Family Therapist with years of experience and wisdom around a broad span of psycho-emotional issues. She has "been there" for me as an avid listener and guide. She has helped me to resolve many issues encompassing psycho-social to psycho-somatic. Ms. Crosby's intuitive cosmological approach has helped me to sharpen my future vision and direction. Her lessons in mindfulness, for me, have been deep and lasting. I am forever grateful to Ms. Crosby for her skills and work." KB 2022
Recommended Resources
Sibling Aggression and Abuse Research and Advocacy (SAARA) Initiative: Based at the University of New Hampshire, this group provides research-based information, resources for families, and training on identifying and stopping sibling abuse.
5WAVES.org - A non-profit dedicated specifically to confronting and healing siblings, sexual trauma, offering resources, information, and a peer support community
Sibling aggression, and abuse, research and advocacy initiative: provides science based information and resources for survivors, families, and professionals to help understanding stop sibling aggression.
RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National network): Provides a 24/7 National Abuse Hotline (800-656-HOPE) and online chat.
BOOKS
Risa Shaw, Ph.D. - "Not Child's Play - Healing from and ending sibling sexual abuse"
Rebecca Mandeville, LMFT - "Rejected, Shamed, & Blamed" Creator of the Mandeville Theory of Systemic Identity Architecture and originator of Family Scapegoating Abuse (FSA)
Judy Tsafrir, MD - "Sacred Psychiatry: Bridging the Personal and Transpersonal to Transform Health and Consciousness
Fern Schumer Chapman - "Brothers, Sisters, Strangers: Sibling Estrangement and the road to Reconciliation
Ramani Durvasula, Ph.D. - "Recovery from Narcissistic Abuse" and many other books on the subject of narcissism.
Sherrie Campbell, Ph.D. - "Adult Survivors of Toxic Family Members"
Brinn Langdale, LMFT - "Everything Makes Perfect Sense, a memoir - A young Woman's Journey to healing and Forgiveness (sibling sexual abuse)
Drama of the Gifted Child: How Narcissistic parents form and deform the emotional lives of their children
by Alice Miller
Emotional Intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ
by Daniel Goleman
