Merger Fantasies in Psychotherapy
Bipolar and borderline clients who feel hopeless about their capacity for meaningful change often idealize their therapists and unconsciously try to merge with them; this fantasy of merger represents an escape from the damaged self into an alternative ideal self embodied by the therapist, a sort of personal growth by annexation.
Narcissism vs. Authentic Self-Esteem
Authentic self-esteem is not something that can be obtained through outside sources such as praise or compliments but rather grows from living up to our own standards and expectations so that we feel ourselves to be a person we esteem.
A Portrait of Narcissistic Personality Disorder in ‘The Social Network’ (2010)
An examination of Mark Zuckerberg’s character in the film ‘The Social Network’ as a way to understand Narcissistic Personality Disorder and pathological narcissism.
Relationship Advice You Won’t Find Elsewhere on the Internet
Three unusual pieces of relationships advice you won’t find on other Internet sites devoted to dating and relationship problems.
Envy and Self-Sabotage
A discussion of the subtle role of envy in certain forms of self-sabotage, with clinical material to illustrate it.
Existential Aloneness
Growth and psychological transformation stir up existential anxieties about what it means to be alone with personal responsibility; they also make us aware of the passage of time and the inevitability of death.