I'm trained in enmeshment treatment through the Dr. Kenneth Adams model, working with adults to resolve the painful relational patterns rooted in early family dynamics.
You’ve likely heard it called various things: enmeshment, codependency, or family-of-origin trauma. But naming the problem hasn’t stopped the cycle. These patterns still run your relationships today. Insight is merely the starting line; lasting change demands a different approach.
What I see in my practice
Enmeshment is an uncomfortable and painful relational dynamic. See if any of this sounds familiar:
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You feel an immediate, heavy surge of guilt anytime you say no, set a boundary, or prioritize yourself.
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You automatically monitor and absorb the moods of partners, parents, or friends.
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You struggle to know what you actually want or feel separate from what others expect of you.
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You feel responsible for fixing other people’s problems and saving them from distress.
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You worry that being your authentic self will lead to abandonment, conflict, or rejection.
Enmeshment isn’t closeness. It’s a loss of personal boundaries that developed because keeping others happy was necessary for safety. We work to untangle your sense of self so you can care for others without losing yourself.
I completed specific clinical training in enmeshment treatment through Dr. Kenneth Adams’s model, the pioneering framework behind When He's Married to Mom and Silently Seduced. As a listed provider on overcomingenmeshment.com, I’m equipped to treat the root causes, rather than just coaching you through the symptoms.
Standard codependency support relies heavily on behavioral tweaks: practicing boundaries, catching people-pleasing, and attempting to say no. Those skills are important, but on their own, they rarely dismantle a pattern wired into your emotional foundation during childhood. If you can’t stop the cycle despite knowing better, it’s because those early lessons about what closeness costs and what your needs are worth still feel like survival.
I’m uniquely trained in Coherence Therapy, a model rigorously designed to access and update these deeply ingrained emotional blueprints. By thoughtfully drawing on IFS and Schema Therapy, I help you navigate the internal conflict keeping you stuck: honoring the part of you trying to keep the peace, while finally empowering the exhausted part that demands immediate change.
What changes
As we update the implicit rules formed in your family of origin, here is what begins to change:
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You say no clearly and calmly, without spiraling into guilt or over-explaining.
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You can care about someone else’s emotional pain without taking responsibility for fixing it.
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You discover and honor your own preferences, values, and emotional boundaries.
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The obligation to manage your parents’ or partner’s emotions stops driving your decisions.
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You build relationships based on mutual respect and freedom rather than anxious obligation.
This comes from building a clear, healthy self that can relate without dissolving.
I’m a Dallas-based therapist trained in enmeshment treatment through Dr. Kenneth M. Adams’s model and listed as an enmeshment-informed therapist on overcomingenmeshment.com. I facilitate a virtual Men’s Codependency Group and see clients through the Institute for Relational Recovery (IRR) in Dallas.
Every other Wednesday, 7:30–9:00 AM. $85 per session. For men who have completed a family-of-origin trauma intensive or similar foundational work.
This group provides a powerfully direct, structured space to dismantle enmeshment and codependency patterns alongside other men committed to the same work. Informed by Pia Mellody’s Post-Induction Therapy (PIT) model, this is not an entry-level processing space. It is intentionally designed as an advanced arena for men who have their footing and are ready to continue their progress.
Reach out to learn more →Currently accepting new clients
In-person (Dallas) & telehealth (Texas)
What’s the difference between enmeshment and codependency?
Enmeshment is a highly specific, localized dynamic — often with a parent — where emotional boundaries disappear, making it incredibly difficult to operate as your own person. Codependency acts as a broader operational manual. While they frequently overlap, the fundamental therapeutic goal remains the same: dismantling the damaging beliefs you internalized early on regarding closeness, obligation, and self-worth.
How do I know if I’m enmeshed with a parent or partner?
The clearest indicators center on emotional weight and crushing obligation. You feel instinctively responsible for the other person’s mood. Disagreeing triggers severe guilt or anxiety. Their approval dictates your confidence, and you struggle to make independent choices. Often, this level of closeness actively suffocates your other relationships or your core sense of self.
Is this just about family-of-origin issues, or do you work with current relationship patterns too?
We address both, because they are inextricably linked. Family-of-origin dynamics are typically the birthplace of these patterns, but the collateral damage is happening today with your partner, your friends, and your career. We investigate the root cause while remaining focused on current impact.
What’s the Men’s Codependency Group and is it right for me?
A virtual group meeting every other Wednesday, 7:30–9:00 AM. Sessions are $85 each. Designed for men who have already completed a family-of-origin trauma intensive or similar foundational depth work. This is not a starting point, but a structured space to accelerate your progress alongside other men. Informed by Pia Mellody’s PIT model. Reach out if you’re unsure if this aligns with your current stage.
Do you offer telehealth for enmeshment or codependency therapy?
Yes. Individual therapy is available in-person at the Dallas office and via secure telehealth for anyone residing in Texas. The Men’s Codependency Group is virtual.
How is your approach different from a standard codependency program?
Most traditional programs stay on the surface, focusing almost exclusively on awareness and behavioral adjustments. While learning to set boundaries is valuable, it rarely unwires the deeper emotional logic keeping you trapped. Since these enduring patterns were forged emotionally, they must be resolved emotionally.
Free 15-minute consultation call.