Tag: narcissism

Constructing the Psychotherapy Narrative

[THIS POST IS A BIT DIFFERENT FROM MY USUAL STYLE; IT’S ADAPTED FROM SOME IDEAS I’M EXPLORING IN MY NEW BOOK ABOUT NARCISSISM] At the beginning of our first session I ask MacKenzie, a 32-year-old single woman, what prompted her to seek treatment. Although she mentions occasional depression and anxiety, she seems most focused on… Continue reading Constructing the Psychotherapy Narrative

Cinderella: A Tale of Narcissism and Self-Harm

It is with great pleasure that I announce the release of my first work of fiction in over 30 years. While it lacks the imprimatur of a mainstream publisher, I’m nonetheless proud. This re-telling of the classic fairy tale asks the following question: How would Cinderella actually have turned out if she’d grown up surrounded… Continue reading Cinderella: A Tale of Narcissism and Self-Harm

The Narcissistic Mother Revisited

I’ve written about narcissistic mothers in two earlier posts, one about my own (mostly bad) mother, and another that differentiates healthy parental pride from narcissistic over-involvement. In particular, I’ve talked about the struggle to find the goodness in mothers who largely failed their children. I focus on this issue not only because it comes up… Continue reading The Narcissistic Mother Revisited

Brené Brown’s “Daring Greatly” and the Anti-Shame Zeitgeist

Because I write so much about the topic of shame on my website, I’m often asked if I’m familiar with the work of Brené Brown, the noted shame researcher from the University of Houston. I’ve known about Dr. Brown for quite some time now and have watched both of her TED Talk videos several times,… Continue reading Brené Brown’s “Daring Greatly” and the Anti-Shame Zeitgeist