Trauma-Informed Psychotherapy in NYC for Narcissistic Traits, OCPD, Borderline Spectrum Dynamics & Trauma-Driven Identity Defenses that impact your life and relationships

Many high-achieving professionals develop extraordinary strengths early in life: discipline, ambition, emotional control, independence, and resilience. But in some cases, these strengths are built on powerful psychological defenses. Defenses that once ensured survival, belonging, or success can later create relational strain, emotional instability, and identity fragmentation beneath outward competence.

In high-functioning adults, personality-based defenses rarely look chaotic. They often look impressive. This practice provides trauma-informed psychotherapy in NYC for professionals, leaders, creatives, and high-visibility individuals navigating complex relational and identity patterns often associated with:

• Narcissistic personality traits

• Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD)

• Borderline spectrum dynamics

• Attachment trauma

• Complex PTSD

The focus is not labeling.
It is integration.

When Achievement Masks Adaptation

High-achieving adults may privately struggle with:

• Fragile self-esteem beneath confidence

• Shame masked by grandiosity

• Emotional reactivity in intimate relationships

• Control-based coping

• Fear of vulnerability

• Perfectionism that strains partnerships

• Oscillation between closeness and withdrawal

• Chronic dissatisfaction despite success

• Intense attachment needs hidden by autonomy

These patterns are rarely random.
They often reflect early attachment disruption, inconsistent caregiving, emotional neglect, or environments that rewarded performance over authenticity.

Narcissistic Defenses in High-Functioning Adults

Narcissistic traits in high achievers often present as:

• Strong leadership presence

• High standards and intolerance for incompetence

• Sensitivity to criticism

• Fear of exposure or inadequacy

• Relational power struggles

• Difficulty tolerating dependency

Beneath these defenses frequently lies:

• Shame

• Fear of abandonment

• Conditional self-worth

• Early emotional misattunement

Therapy works to:

• Strengthen stable self-esteem

• Increase tolerance for vulnerability

• Reduce relational volatility

• Integrate strength with emotional depth

This is not about dismantling ambition.
It is about removing fear as its driving force.

Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Patterns (OCPD)

OCPD traits are common among executives, physicians, attorneys, and founders.

They may include:

• Rigidity

• Perfectionism

• Overcontrol

• Difficulty delegating

• Work-driven identity

• Inflexibility under stress

• Black-and-white thinking

These traits often originate in:

• Anxiety-based environments

• Conditional approval

• Fear of failure or humiliation

While OCPD traits can fuel professional excellence, they can undermine intimacy, flexibility, and emotional safety in relationships.

Treatment focuses on:

• Nervous system regulation

• Cognitive flexibility

• Emotional accessibility

• Softening control without losing competence

Borderline Spectrum Dynamics in High-Achieving Adults

Borderline traits in high-functioning individuals are often misunderstood.

They may appear as:

• Intense emotional experiences

• Fear of abandonment

• Relational instability

• Rapid shifts in perception during conflict

• Chronic emptiness

• Identity instability beneath external success

In high-visibility or high-responsibility roles, these dynamics are often concealed by achievement.

At their root are frequently:

• Early attachment trauma

• Emotional invalidation

• Developmental instability

• Chronic nervous system dysregulation

Therapy emphasizes:

• Emotional regulation

• Attachment repair

• Integration of polarized self-states

• Increased relational stability

• Development of a cohesive identity

Trauma-Driven Identity Fragmentation

Many high-achieving adults live with internal fragmentation:

One part performs.
One part controls.
One part fears abandonment.
One part carries shame.
One part overachieves to avoid collapse.

Through integrative trauma therapy — including EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and somatic regulation — these parts can move from conflict to integration.

The goal is not personality eradication.

It is structural coherence.

A Trauma-Informed, Executive-Level Approach

This work requires:

• Strong therapeutic containment

• Clear boundaries

• Structured pacing

• Psychological maturity

• Clinical precision

Treatment integrates:

• EMDR therapy

• Attachment-focused psychotherapy

• Internal Family Systems

• Somatic psychotherapy

• Cognitive restructuring

• Nervous system stabilization

All sessions are offered virtually across NYC and New York State for discretion and continuity.

Who This Work Is For

This page is appropriate for high-functioning adults who:

• Recognize longstanding relational conflict

• Experience intense emotional reactions they cannot regulate

• Struggle with perfectionism or control

• Feel fragmented internally despite external success

• Want structural personality-level change

• Are motivated and accountable

This is depth work.
It is not crisis stabilization or court-mandated therapy.

Frequently Asked Questions about complex personality Trait treatment

Do you treat Narcissistic Personality Disorder in NYC?

Yes. I work with high-functioning adults who meet criteria for or identify with narcissistic traits or Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Treatment focuses on attachment repair, shame regulation, and relational stability.

Can Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) improve with therapy?

Yes. OCPD traits are highly responsive to trauma-informed psychotherapy that addresses anxiety, rigidity, and control patterns beneath perfectionism.

Is therapy effective for Borderline Personality Disorder in high-achieving adults?

Yes. Borderline spectrum traits often improve significantly with structured, attachment-focused, trauma-informed care.

Is this therapy confidential?

Yes. Discretion and privacy are foundational to this practice.

Reach out today to learn if therapy can support your growth!