Relationship + Betrayal Trauma Therapy
we help you heal from the Real Impacts of Psychological Abuse, Relationship Trauma, and Betrayal.
When trust is broken, your sense of safety can unravel. Together, we’ll begin the process of restoring stability, connection, and strength.
You’ve felt the shattering impact of broken trust
— and now, everything feels upside down.
Whether it was betrayal, emotional abuse, manipulation, infidelity, or years of subtle disconnection and mistrust, relationship trauma can shake your foundation. You may find yourself questioning what’s real, who you can trust, whether it was your fault, or if you’re simply overreacting.
You’re not overreacting. You’re having a valid response to a painful and disorienting experience.
Understanding Why Betrayal Feels like this
Betrayal trauma occurs when someone you deeply depend on—often a partner—violates your trust through infidelity, compulsive sexual behavior, chronic lying, or emotional manipulation. The discovery of these betrayals can lead to intense psychological and emotional distress. You may feel like the rug has been pulled out from under you—questioning your memories, your sense of reality, and even your self-worth.
Betrayal trauma + Psychological Abuse is real—and it mirrors PTSD.
• Flashbacks, nightmares, or obsessive mental replay
• Hypervigilance and emotional reactivity
• Sleep issues or chronic fatigue
• Panic attacks or anxiety
• Emotional numbness or dissociation
• Self-blame, shame, or confusion
• Difficulty trusting—even with safe people
• Mood swings, grief, or rage
• A sense that you’re “losing yourself”
Sometimes the trauma isn’t from one event—it’s from a series of subtle lies, gaslighting, or manipulations. Alone, each incident might seem small. But together, they erode your reality. You can’t see the bruises, but your nervous system feels them.
How We Help Betrayed Partners at Restorative Integrations
We specialize in helping betrayed partners and survivors of psychological or narcissistic abuse navigate trauma recovery with compassion and clarity.
Using trauma-informed and neuroscience-based methods, we help you:
• Rebuild trust in your intuition
• Process the shock and grief of betrayal
• Heal from gaslighting and emotional manipulation
• Reconnect with your voice, boundaries, and inner wisdom
• Regulate your nervous system using somatic and mindfulness-based tools
• Begin to feel safe in your body and grounded in your decisions
Betrayal + Relationship Trauma therapy services we offer
EMDR therapy
While we can't change what you experienced, we can change how your brain reacts to it. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR) can help you reprocess the way that trauma is stored in your brain, dialing down the emotional distress often associated with these memories. We offer in-person EMDR therapy in Fort Lauderdale as well as virtual EMDR therapy in Florida.
Ketamine-assisted EMDR
Incorporating ketamine into the EMDR process creates a powerful therapeutic experience that can accelerate trauma healing and emotional insight. Ketamine’s gentle, dissociative properties can reduce emotional overwhelm, soften defenses, and support deeper access to difficult memories and parts of the self. Our therapists are extensively trained in ketamine therapy in Florida.
EMDR intensives
If you'd like to get weeks (or even months!) worth of results in just a few days, consider inquiring about our EMDR intensives. These intensives take place over 3-5 consecutive days for 4-6 hours, conveniently located office in Fort Lauderdale, and they're fully customized to your unique needs and treatment goals.
Meet our Fort Lauderdale trauma therapists
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Jessica Ronyak, LMHC
Jessica is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in the states of Florida and Ohio. She is a Certified EMDR Therapist through the EMDR International Association (EMDRIA) and has completed advanced training in Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy through the Integrative Psychiatry Institute. Jessica is also a Certified Partner Trauma Therapist (CPTT) Candidate through the International Institute for Trauma & Addiction Professionals (IITAP), specializing in the treatment of betrayal trauma and compulsive sexual behavior. Her approach to trauma therapy integrates attachment-based EMDR, parts work, and a deep understanding of how early experiences and relational wounds shape our present-day lives.
Why choose RI for Betrayal + Relationship Trauma Therapy in Fort Lauderdale, FL
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What Betrayed Partners Often Ask
• “Why does this feel like trauma when there wasn’t physical abuse?”
• “Can I heal even if I stay in the relationship?”
• “Is it normal to obsessively search for answers or struggle with trust?”
• “What if I’m not ready to talk about everything yet?”
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What to Expect in Therapy
In our work together, we move at your pace. Sessions may include EMDR, parts work, somatic tools, and psychoeducation to help you understand how betrayal affects the nervous system. You’ll always have a say in what we focus on, and our first priority is creating a space that feels safe, steady, and nonjudgmental.”
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The Science of What You’re Feeling
When betrayal happens, the brain stores the event like a trauma—fragmented, disorganized, and emotionally charged. That’s why you might feel like you’re reliving the moment, even weeks or months later. Therapy helps reconnect those pieces in a way your brain can safely process.
Testimonials
You don't have to take our word for it. Take a look at these kind words from others about their experience with Restorative Integrations.
★★★★★
“I can’t stress how much better my life has been since working with Jessica over the last 2 years. When it comes to relationships, trauma, or stress, Jessica has helped me navigate them successfully.
★★★★★
"Jess is one of the most empathetic and kindhearted humans I've ever had the honor to cross paths with. She provides a safe space to feel all of the feelings."
★★★★★
“I had an outstanding experience with Jess. Her expertise and empathy created a safe space for me to explore, heal, and gain valuable understanding about myself. I highly recommend her, because she genuinely cares about her work.
FAQs about Therapy for Betrayal
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We offer specialized therapy services for betrayed partners and survivors of narcissistic or psychological abuse. Our services are tailored to meet you wherever you are in the healing process—whether you’ve just experienced disclosure or are years into your journey.
1:1 Individual Therapy
• Weekly or bi-weekly sessions, either in-person (Fort Lauderdale) or via telehealth (Florida & Ohio)
• Trauma-informed, attachment-based support using EMDR, parts work, and somatic techniques
EMDR Intensives
• Deep-dive sessions designed to help process betrayal trauma more efficiently
• Options for half-day, full-day, or multi-day formats
• Tailored to fit your schedule, emotional readiness, and goals
Ketamine-Assisted EMDR
• For clients ready for deeper trauma processing with the support of low-dose ketamine
• Enhances neuroplasticity and emotional access while reducing overwhelm
• Offered in collaboration with Dr. Michelle Weiner at NeuroPain Health
Optional Add-Ons
• Body-based and holistic support such as yoga, breathwork, meditation, or reflexology available for intensives upon request
Psychoeducation + Resources
• Understand the neuroscience of betrayal trauma, nervous system regulation, and memory reconsolidation
• Access curated tools and integration support for use between sessions.
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Betrayal trauma occurs when someone you deeply depend on—often a partner—violates your trust through infidelity, compulsive sexual behavior, chronic lying, or emotional manipulation. The discovery of these betrayals can lead to intense psychological and emotional distress. You may feel like the rug has been pulled out from under you—questioning your memories, your sense of reality, and even your self-worth.
This form of trauma impacts both the brain and body. It often mirrors symptoms of PTSD, such as intrusive thoughts, hypervigilance, emotional shutdown, difficulty sleeping, anxiety, and flashbacks. The nervous system goes into survival mode—keeping you stuck in fight, flight, freeze, or fawn responses as it tries to process the shock.
Betrayal trauma isn’t just about the one moment of discovery. It’s often a series of small, subtle lies that build over time. While the wounds might not be visible, they are very real—and deeply felt. At Restorative Integrations, we honor the complexity and legitimacy of this experience.
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Betrayed partners often experience a wide range of symptoms—physically, emotionally, and mentally. If you’re navigating betrayal, you may be noticing:
• Flashbacks, nightmares, or obsessive mental replay
• Panic attacks or chronic anxiety
• Difficulty eating, sleeping, or concentrating
• Feeling disconnected from your body or emotions (dissociation)
• Mood swings, depression, or emotional numbness
• Trouble trusting yourself or others
• Obsessive searching for answers or compulsive checking behaviors
• Fear of abandonment, even in unrelated situations
• Fatigue and emotional exhaustion
• Feeling isolated or “crazy” due to gaslighting or manipulation
These are not character flaws. They are trauma responses—your body and brain trying to protect you. Therapy can help you understand, process, and gently move through these symptoms with compassion and support.
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Trauma—especially betrayal trauma—can have lasting psychological, physical, and relational effects when left unprocessed. Because betrayal often comes from someone we deeply trust, it impacts not only our sense of safety, but also our attachment system, identity, and ability to trust ourselves and others.
Emotional & Psychological Impacts
• Chronic anxiety or depression
• Emotional dysregulation (intense mood swings, numbness, or shutdown)
• Hypervigilance and difficulty relaxing, even in safe environments
• Negative self-beliefs, such as “I’m not enough” or “I’m unlovable”
• Persistent shame and guilt, especially when manipulation or gaslighting was involved
• Rumination or obsessive thinking about the betrayal
• Dissociation or emotional disconnection, which may affect memory and relationships
• Complex PTSD (C-PTSD) symptoms including intrusive memories, relational instability, and emotional overwhelm
Physical & Somatic Impacts
• Chronic stress and fatigue due to prolonged activation of the nervous system
• Digestive issues, headaches, muscle tension, or pain with no clear cause
• Sleep disturbances, including insomnia or nightmares
• Autoimmune and inflammatory responses, often linked to unprocessed trauma
• Increased risk for health conditions like high blood pressure, heart disease, and hormonal imbalances
Relational & Attachment Impacts
• Difficulty trusting others, even in new, safe relationships
• Fear of intimacy or abandonment
• Conflict-avoidant or people-pleasing tendencies (fawn response)
• Repeating unhealthy relational patterns, especially if trauma is unhealed from childhood
• Codependency, emotional numbing, or over-functioning in relationships
Identity & Existential Impacts
• Loss of sense of self or identity confusion
• Spiritual or existential crises (e.g., “What was real?” or “Who am I now?”)
• Difficulty making decisions or feeling “frozen” in life
• Isolation due to shame, fear of judgment, or feeling misunderstood
• Disconnection from joy, purpose, or future goals
But here’s the good news: trauma is treatable.
With the right support, your brain and body can heal. EMDR, parts work, somatic therapies, and integrative approaches like Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy can help reprocess trauma, restore nervous system regulation, and rebuild trust in yourself and others.
You’re not broken. You’re having a response to an overwhelming experience.
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What Is Psychological or Narcissistic Abuse?
Psychological abuse is a form of emotional harm that often happens in subtle, insidious ways—through manipulation, control, gaslighting, and invalidation. Over time, it can erode your self-esteem, distort your sense of reality, and leave you feeling confused, ashamed, or powerless.
Narcissistic abuse often includes a cycle of idealization, devaluation, and emotional withdrawal. You may have been love-bombed, blamed for the abuser’s behavior, or made to feel like your needs were “too much.” These patterns can create deep relational wounds, especially when the abuse is chronic or coming from someone you depended on emotionally.
Common signs of psychological or narcissistic abuse include:
• Constant self-doubt or walking on eggshells
• Feeling like you’re “too sensitive” or “never enough”
• Gaslighting (being told your experiences aren’t real)
• Blame-shifting and emotional manipulation
• Isolation from support systems
• Cycles of affection and punishment
• Loss of identity or difficulty trusting yourself
The effects are real—even if no physical harm occurred. Psychological abuse often leaves invisible wounds that impact your nervous system, your relationships, and your ability to feel safe and grounded. Therapy can help you untangle what happened, reclaim your voice, and begin to feel like yourself again.
work with us
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Connect with us today to find lasting recovery from trauma.
Ready to finally start feeling like yourself again? We're here to support you. Through our boutique trauma therapy in Fort Lauderdale, FL (and across the state), we can help you get to the root of your challenges and make real progress toward your goals.