Workplace Abuse Therapy
Trauma therapy for workplace abuse in Connecticut.
Do you feel a pit in your stomach every morning when the alarm goes off? Struggle to get out of bed no matter how many hours you sleep or how much time you take off, because no amount of rest ever seems to be enough. You still dread starting work every day.
This kind of exhaustion doesn’t come from your workload. It’s the cumulative physiological impact of the constant internal effort required to navigate dysfunctional workplaces:
- Reading between the lines of every interaction
- Preparing mental defenses for arguments that may never happen
- Closely monitoring the emotional temperature of every room.
- Working harder (weekend emails, extra deliverables, solving problems you don’t own) when you feel at risk
These behaviors aren’t crazy. You’re reading the situation accurately. The problem is that you’re not dealing with simple workplace stress. You’re dealing with the ongoing toll of trying to be a functional employee in a dysfunctional system, and that requires a more strategic approach than just better time management.
If you’re a Connecticut professional looking for support now, I’m here to help. Schedule an appointment to get started.
How complex trauma therapy helps.
If you’re currently dealing with complex workplace trauma, we will start by getting crystal clear on the problems you’re facing because the solution depends on getting this right.
Toxic workplaces require an exit. Some environments are genuinely abusive or unsafe. If that’s your situation, the priority is getting out in a way that protects your income and doesn’t destabilize your family. I help people plan strategic exits when that’s what’s needed.
Dysfunctional workplaces require a different approach. Most workplaces don’t meet the definition of toxic, but they ARE dysfunctional to some degree. Dysfunctional organizations rely on individual overfunctioning to remain profitable. They offer support unevenly and withhold it to extract extra effort. These conditions are real, but leaving won’t solve the problem if you take the same coping strategies with you.
Our work will focus on two things:
- The coping strategies you’re using to protect yourself in an unhealthy work environment: the over-preparation, the documentation, the hypervigilance
- The organizational systems that benefit from those strategies and have no incentive to change
We will examine where your organization is asking you to compensate for its own dysfunction, and what it will take to stop carrying that weight without internalizing the fallout or putting yourself or your team at risk.
The goal isn’t to help you do more. It’s to help you stop absorbing the dysfunction, so you can leave your work stress at work instead of bringing it home to your family.
FAQ
How do I know if my workplace is toxic or just dysfunctional?
Toxic workplaces involve abuse, harassment, or conditions that are genuinely unsafe. If you’re being actively harmed, the answer is always exit planning.
Dysfunctional workplaces operate differently. They rely on individual overfunctioning to compensate for structural problems. Support is inconsistent. Competence gets questioned unevenly. The organization benefits from employees who work harder to prove they belong. These conditions are real and costly, but they’re not the same as abuse.
We’ll clarify the nature of your situation during our initial work together, because the strategy changes depending on what you’re facing.
How is this connected to burnout recovery?
Workplace abuse is one of the most common root causes of the burnout patterns I treat. The hypervigilance, over-preparation, and constant self-monitoring that develop in toxic or dysfunctional environments don’t shut off when you leave. They follow you into new roles, new companies, sometimes even into retirement. Addressing the trauma underneath those patterns is often what makes burnout recovery hold long-term rather than cycling back.
What if I can't afford to leave my job?
That’s one of the most common concerns I hear, and it’s a valid one. Financial dependence on a toxic or dysfunctional environment is part of what makes workplace abuse so difficult to address. You know something is wrong, but walking away can feel impossible when you have a mortgage, a family, or a lifestyle built around your current income.
We’ll factor your financial reality into every decision we make together. If leaving is the right move, we will build a timeline and strategy that accounts for those realities. If you need more detailed financial support, I can refer you to a financial specialist as well.
What if I have childhood trauma too? Will that complicate this process?
Most people dealing with workplace trauma also have earlier experiences that shaped how they respond to uncertainty or criticism. We don’t ignore that history, but we also don’t assume your workplace patterns are purely about the past.
Our work will address both: the organizational conditions that are currently extracting overfunctioning from you, and the internal adaptations that formed in response to your childhood experiences. Understanding how these patterns developed can help you recognize when you’re responding to current reality versus defaulting to old templates.
However, this work assumes you’re currently able to maintain employment. If past trauma is severe enough that it’s interfering with your ability to work consistently, you may need a higher level of care first. We can discuss this during the consultation to make sure you’re getting the right type of support.