Schizoid Personality Disorder Counseling in West Palm Beach, Florida

Understanding Emotional Distance and Finding a Path Toward Connection if You May Be Suffering from Schizoid Personality Disorder

Are you struggling with feelings of detachment in West Palm Beach? Not everyone is wired to crave closeness or thrive in social settings. But when isolation feels easier than interaction — and emotional detachment becomes the norm — it may be more than just a preference. It could be a sign of Schizoid Personality Disorder (SPD, ScPD, or SZPD), a pervasive pattern of detachment from social relationships with a restricted range of expression of emotions in interpersonal settings. This condition typically begins from early adulthood. Individuals with SPD do not desire and do not enjoy close relationships, and they often choose solitary activities. They have little interest in sexual activity, they appear indifferent to praise or criticism of others, and they lack close friends or confidants.

I’m Dr. Susan Christiansen, Ph.D., LMFT, and I offer counseling for individuals living with Schizoid Personality Disorder in West Palm Beach and across Palm Beach County. For over 20 years, I’ve worked with people who feel disconnected from others — not out of apathy, but because it often feels safer that way.

If you find yourself feeling indifferent to praise or criticism, more comfortable alone than with others, or emotionally cut off from those around you, therapy can offer you clarity, calm, and a quiet space to explore what you’re experiencing — without pressure or judgment.

Call me, Dr. Susan Christiansen, Ph.D., LMFT, now at (561) 688-8787(561) 688-8787 or complete my online form to request a free introductory call.

Key Takeaways

• Dr. Susan Christiansen, Ph.D, LMFT offers therapy for Schizoid Personality Disorder available in West Palm Beach, FL, with virtual sessions offered statewide.
• Schizoid Personality Disorder is a mental health condition with symptoms that may include emotional detachment, social withdrawal, or inner disconnection.
• Underdeveloped social skills or a general disinterest in social activities with a pattern of detachment can lead to frustration due to lack of meaningful relationships, leading many to seek treatment from a mental health professional.
• Therapy for Schizoid Personality Disorder and other related mental disorders or personality disorders can help individuals understand and manage symptoms, improve quality of life, explore safe forms of connection, and reduce inner distress.
• Easily request a free introductory call with Dr. Susan Christiansen, Ph.D., LMFT by phone at (561) 688-8787(561) 688-8787 or through the online form.

What is Schizoid Personality Disorder?

Schizoid Personality Disorder (SPD) is a mental health condition marked by a consistent pattern of detachment from social relationships and a limited range of emotional expression in interpersonal situations.

Common Schizoid Personality Disorder symptoms and traits include:

• Preference for solitude over social interaction
• Emotional coldness or flattened affect
• Limited interest in close relationships, including family
• Indifference to praise or criticism
• A tendency toward fantasy, introspection, or intellectual pursuits
• Little or no interest in sexual experiences with others
• Difficulty expressing warmth or empathy

Unlike social anxiety, which stems from fear of rejection, Schizoid Personality Disorder is characterized more by indifference toward social interaction. That said, many individuals with SPD still feel a sense of loneliness or longing for connection, even if it’s buried beneath layers of emotional self-protection.

Understanding Schizoid Personality Disorder Symptoms

People often misunderstand those with SPD. To the outside world, you may appear cold or emotionally distant. Inside, however, you may feel:

• Emotionally disconnected from others and even yourself
• Numb or indifferent during events that seem meaningful to others
• Internally rich, with thoughts, fantasies, or intellectual depth others never see
• Tired or drained after minimal social interaction
• Uncomfortable with intimacy, yet not necessarily lonely

Therapy offers a place where you don’t have to explain or perform. You can show up as you are — and be met with genuine curiosity and calm, without pressure to conform.

Schizoid Personality Disorder vs. Other Types of Personality Disorders

Schizoid Personality Disorder is part of a group known as Cluster A Personality Disorders, which also includes Schizotypal Personality Disorder and Paranoid Personality Disorder (PPD). While all involve varying degrees of social detachment or eccentric behavior, schizoid individuals tend to:

• Withdraw quietly, rather than acting suspicious or odd
• Prefer predictability and structure
• Avoid conflict rather than seeking attention or control

Schizoid Personality Disorder (SPD, ScPD, or SZPD) involves a lack of desire for social relationships and interaction, whereas Schizotypal Personality Disorder (STPD) involves a mix of social anxiety and unusual thoughts or behaviors. Paranoid Personality Disorder (PPD) involves strong distrust of others combined with pervasive perceptions of malevolent motives.

When individuals dealing with Schizoid Personality Disorder learn how SPD differs from other types of personality disorders, it can aid in effective treatment. Therapy helps you distinguish what you’re experiencing and gives language to emotions you may never have been encouraged to express.

Schizoid Personality Disorder Treatment Goals

While personality traits are deeply ingrained, therapy can help you:

• Become more aware of your emotions and internal world
• Increase comfort with selective, safe relationships
• Manage depressive or existential feelings often linked to isolation
• Improve functioning in work and life without feeling overwhelmed
• Explore meaning and personal goals beyond social avoidance

Schizoid Personality Disorder treatment is not about “fixing” you — it’s about helping you live more comfortably and confidently, in a way that works for you.

How Therapy for Schizoid Personality Disorder Works

1. Creating a Safe, Pressure-Free Environment

People with SPD often avoid therapy because they fear being judged, analyzed, or pushed to “open up.” I respect your pace and boundaries. In our sessions:

• You control how much you share
• There’s no pressure to be “more emotional”
• Your need for space and solitude is honored

Therapy can begin with practical issues, such as workplace stress or isolation. We can then gradually move toward deeper emotional work as we build trust.

2. Developing Emotional Awareness

Many individuals with SPD struggle to name or connect with their feelings. Therapy helps these individuals:

• Build vocabulary for internal states
• Identify emotions without judgment
• Understand the roots of detachment

Even small gains in emotional awareness can significantly improve your quality of life and sense of self.

3. Exploring Internal Life and Personal Meaning

You may have a rich internal world, while lacking ways to integrate it into daily life. Therapy supports:

• Expressing your thoughts through writing, metaphors, or visual tools
• Finding fulfillment in solitary or intellectual pursuits
• Aligning your internal values with outward choices

We explore meaning, not just symptoms.

4. Enhancing Selective Relational Engagement

Therapy is not about turning you into an extrovert.

However, you may want to:

• Improve communication with coworkers or family
• Manage a romantic relationship (even if ambivalent about it)
• Set boundaries in a way that feels empowering

We focus on quality of social connection, not quantity of social connections.

5. Supporting Co-Occurring Challenges

Many individuals with SPD also struggle with:

• Depression or dysthymia
• Low motivation or fatigue
• Existential anxiety or nihilistic thoughts

Therapy can help manage these overlapping concerns and create a more stable internal environment.

What to Expect from Counseling

Step 1: Private, Judgment-Free Consultation

We begin with a quiet conversation — no emotional pressure, no assumptions. I’ll ask questions gently and let you lead at your own pace.

Step 2: Defining Therapeutic Focus

Your therapy goals might include:

• Functioning more effectively at work
• Improving emotional understanding
• Exploring purpose or meaning
• Increasing tolerance for low-level connections

We define those goals collaboratively, and you’re always in control of the process.

Step 3: Weekly or Biweekly Sessions

Sessions last 50–60 minutes. If you’re unsure what to say or feel uncertain about the process, that’s okay. We start where you are.

Step 4: Subtle Integration Over Time

Therapy for SPD is often quiet, introspective, and slow-building. You may not notice radical change. Over time, many clients report:

• Feeling more in control of emotions
• Understanding themselves better
• Engaging in more meaningful interactions — on their terms
• Reducing anxiety, confusion, or depressive symptoms

Who Should Consider Therapy for Schizoid Personality Disorder?

This therapy may be right for you if:

• You often feel emotionally numb or detached from others
• You prefer being alone but also struggle with motivation or purpose
• You feel out of sync with others, especially in emotional situations
• You’ve been described as “cold,” “distant,” or “indifferent” — and you don’t know how to respond
• You want support, but fear therapy will ask too much of you

You don’t need a formal diagnosis to seek therapy. If you identify with these traits and want to explore them with curiosity and support, you are in the right place.

Why Choose Dr. Susan Christiansen for Schizoid Personality Disorder Therapy in West Palm Beach?

Experience with Personality and Emotional Detachment

With over 20 years as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, I’ve worked with many clients who struggle to connect — not because they don’t care, but because emotional expression feels foreign or unsafe.

I understand the quiet, inner experience of schizoid patterns — and I will meet you without expectation or judgment.

Therapy That Honors Your Boundaries

My approach is calm, respectful, and structured in a way that allows you to:

• Reflect inward without being overwhelmed
• Set the tone and pace of therapy
• Share in ways that feel emotionally sustainable

Therapy can be as practical, reflective, or abstract as you need it to be.

Support for Personal and Professional Functioning

Whether your goal is to manage loneliness, improve work performance, or simply feel more at ease in your own mind, I help you create a plan that supports both emotional and functional growth.

Ask Questions About Schizoid Personality Disorder or Schedule an Appointment with Dr. Susan Christiansen, Ph.D., LMFT

If you’ve always felt a little “different” — more detached, more inward, more separate — Schizoid Personality Disorder therapy can help you understand those patterns and find peace within them. You don’t have to change who you are. But you can find new ways to feel more grounded, more understood, and more whole.

Call me, Dr. Susan Christiansen, Ph.D., LMFT, now at ((561) 688-8787(561) 688-8787 or complete my online form to request a free introductory call.

You don’t have to figure it all out alone. I am here to walk beside you — quietly, respectfully, and without judgment.

Helping Palm Beach County clients achieve peace and harmony since 2000