Support Group for Survivors of Narcissistic Abuse | SF

You keep replaying the same conversation, trying to figure out what you did wrong. Again. You second-guess your own memory, because someone spent years telling you it didn't happen the way you know it did. Maybe you've started to wonder if you're the problem. A support group for survivors of narcissistic abuse is a room full of people who already know that feeling, and Sana Therapy offers one both in San Francisco and virtually across California.

What this group actually is

This is a small, guided group where survivors heal together instead of alone. It's led, not just hosted, so the space stays safe and focused. You share what you want to share, and you learn from people who've lived versions of your story.

Group runs alongside individual work, or on its own. Sessions are structured around recovery, not rehashing every detail of what happened. The goal is to help you trust yourself again.

Who this is for

This group is for people coming out of relationships that left them doubting their own reality. That might be a partner, a parent, a boss, or a close friend. The relationship label matters less than what it did to you.

You might recognize yourself here if:

  • You constantly apologize for things that aren't your fault.

  • You feel calmer alone than you did with them, and it confuses you.

  • You can't tell anymore what's a real reaction and what's "too much."

  • You're exhausted from explaining yourself to people who don't get it.

Survivors arrive having tried talk therapy for years and feeling like something deeper was never addressed. That's a common starting point here, not a sign you failed at healing.

What the hard part usually feels like

Narcissistic abuse rarely leaves bruises you can point to. It leaves you doubting your gut, jumpy around certain tones of voice, and quietly convinced you're hard to love. That's real trauma, even when other people can't see it.

You may catch yourself over-explaining a simple decision. Or freezing when someone's mood shifts. Some survivors describe a mind that won't stop running long after the relationship ended.

These aren't flaws in you. They're the leftover survival habits from staying safe in an unsafe dynamic. Group is where those habits get named, understood, and slowly loosened.

How the group works

You'll start with a free 15-minute call to make sure the group is a good fit before anything else. From there, you're welcomed into a small circle that meets consistently, so trust has room to build.

Sessions blend real conversation with practical recovery work. You'll learn how these dynamics functioned, why they hooked you, and how to spot them early next time. Much of the work focuses on finding yourself again after a narcissistic relationship, once the constant self-doubt starts to lift.

Group is led by Lizette Martinez, LCSW, a fully licensed clinician in California with over five years of trauma-focused practice. She's EMDR trained through EMDRIA and brings her own lived experience with trauma into the room. Her style is direct, warm, and honest, not clinical distance.

People who prefer meeting face to face often look for a narcissistic abuse support group in San Francisco rather than an online option. Both are available, so you can choose what feels safer for you.

What you can realistically expect

Group won't erase what happened, and it won't hand you a script for the person who hurt you. What it does is help you stop carrying the blame that was never yours. That shift changes how you move through everything else.

Over time, survivors here describe feeling less reactive and more sure of their own read on things. Sleep improves. The self-blame quiets down. You start recognizing your own voice again.

Real change also happens between sessions, not only during them. You'll be encouraged to practice what you learn in your actual life, using group as the anchor point.

Frequently asked questions

  • They focus on your recovery by understanding how the dynamic affected you. Time goes toward understanding what the dynamic did to you, rebuilding self-trust, and learning to spot manipulation early. You'll also learn grounding tools for the anxiety and hypervigilance that often linger afterward.

  • No, the group isn't about labeling or diagnosing anyone who hurt you. Whether or not that person meets any clinical definition, your experience of the harm is what matters here. The focus stays on you and what you need to heal.

  • Yes, group can genuinely help even after long, tangled histories that left you unsure what was real. Long-term exposure to these dynamics often creates symptoms similar to complex trauma, like chronic self-doubt and emotional flashbacks. Being around others who understand this without explanation is often where the shift begins.

  • No, you never have to share more than you're ready to share. Some people talk early, some listen for weeks first, and both are welcome. The group is guided so no one is put on the spot or pressured to relive anything.

When you're ready

Starting isn't about being fully healed or having the right words yet. It's about being tired enough of carrying this alone to try something different. If you're ready to talk with someone about joining, you can reach out to Sana Therapy to ask questions or book a first session.

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