Wintering Well After Narcissistic Abuse: A Nervous System Centered Approach to Healing and Restoration

Healing after narcissistic abuse is not linear—and it is not something that can be rushed. Many survivors come into therapy feeling exhausted, dysregulated, and unsure why “rest” feels so difficult. This is where wintering well becomes not just a seasonal idea, but a deeply therapeutic practice.

Wintering well after narcissistic abuse is about honoring the nervous system’s need for safety, slowness, and repair. It’s about learning how to rest without guilt, soften hypervigilance, and rebuild trust within yourself.

As a Connecticut EMDR therapist informed about narcissistic abuse, I see again and again that true healing happens when we work with the body—not against it.

Why Narcissistic Abuse Disrupts the Nervous System

Narcissistic abuse recovery often focuses on understanding manipulation, gaslighting, and trauma bonding—and while insight is important, it’s not enough on its own.

Long-term emotional abuse keeps the nervous system in a state of:

• Chronic hypervigilance

• Emotional confusion and self-doubt

• Difficulty resting or feeling safe

• A sense of urgency or collapse

Your body learned to survive by staying alert. Wintering well is the process of gently teaching your system that survival mode is no longer required.

What Does “Wintering Well” Mean in Trauma Healing?

Wintering well is a nervous system-informed approach to recovery that emphasizes:

• Slowness instead of productivity

• Attunement instead of self-criticism

• Restoration instead of pushing through

  
  

After narcissistic abuse, many people struggle with doing “less” without shame. Wintering Well reframes rest as active healing.

This is not about isolation or withdrawal—it’s about creating safe internal conditions for repair.

Wintering Well Practices That Support Narcissistic Abuse Recovery

These are practices I often integrate into therapy and teach in my work, because they support deep, embodied healing.

1. Orienting to Safety

Spend a few moments noticing where you are supported—your feet on the floor, your back against a chair, the warmth of a blanket. This helps the nervous system register the present moment as safe.

2. Gentle Embodiment

Instead of asking “What’s wrong with me?” try “What does my body need right now?” This subtle shift helps rebuild trust after gaslighting and emotional invalidation.

3. Allowing Low-Energy Days

Healing from narcissistic abuse requires cycles of rest. Fatigue is not failure—it’s the nervous system recalibrating.

4. Titrated Emotional Processing

Rather than reliving everything at once, healing happens in small, manageable pieces. This is why trauma-informed approaches like EMDR are so effective.

How EMDR Therapy Supports Wintering Well

As an EMDR therapist, I work with the nervous system to gently reprocess traumatic experiences without overwhelming the body.

EMDR therapy can help:

• Reduce emotional reactivity

• Release stored trauma

• Restore a sense of internal safety

• Support long-term narcissistic abuse recovery

  
  

When combined with Wintering Well practices, EMDR allows healing to unfold at a pace your system can tolerate.

You Don’t Have to Heal Alone

One of the hardest parts of narcissistic abuse is the isolation it creates. Healing happens in safe relationship—where your experience is believed, your pace is respected, and your body is included in the process.

I work with women who are ready to:

• Reconnect with their inner wisdom

• Heal beyond talk therapy

• Restore trust in themselves

• Recover from narcissistic abuse in a nervous system-informed way

  
  

Wintering well is not about becoming who you were before—it’s about coming home to who you are now.

An Invitation to Begin

If you’re in the season of recovery where rest feels unfamiliar, you are not broken—you are healing.

You can explore more gentle practices through my Wintering Well series on Instagram @randicamirand, or learn more about working together through EMDR and mind-body therapy at randicamirand.com.

I also offer an Online Women's Meditation. Upcoming dates and registration at randicamirand.com

Healing is allowed to be slow.

Your nervous system deserves winter.