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Building hope for treatment of narcissistic personality disorder
  • Igor Weinberg
Igor Weinberg
McLean Hospital Gunderson Personality Disorders Institute

Corresponding Author:iweinberg@mclean.harvard.edu

Author Profile

Abstract

Historically, patients suffering from pathological narcissism, including narcissistic personality disorder (NPD), were considered challenging and hard to treat. Since the second half of the 20th century new treatments have been developing heralding a growing hope that transformative treatment of patients with pathological narcissism is possible. Recent developments of phenomenology, childhood antecedents, longitudinal course, and putative mechanisms inspired a greater hope as well. This invites clinicians and researchers to take an approach that is evidence-based, destigmatizing, and collaborative that considers that at least some of the treatment challenges as co-created by both the therapist and the patient. Further, new treatments add hope by ameliorating such challenges of patients with pathological narcissism as fragile alliance, limitations of reflectiveness and grieving. Novel treatments are evidence- and principles-based and different approaches to effective treatment development are described. Inspired by these developments in the field, this Issue of the Journal of Clinical Psychology: In Session was conceived as an opportunity for clinicians from different treatment approaches to come together and share their experiences in treating patients with pathological narcissism. The hope is to find common language to understand these patients and their treatment, understand what contributes to change, as well as learn from commonalities and differences among these treatments. In doing so, this Issue is hoping to promote destigmatizing, pragmatic approach that prioritizes evidence-based efforts to understand the patient and collaborative approach to promoting change.
09 Aug 2023Submitted to Journal of Clinical Psychology
09 Aug 2023Submission Checks Completed
09 Aug 2023Assigned to Editor
10 Aug 2023Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
10 Aug 2023Reviewer(s) Assigned
27 Aug 2023Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
31 Aug 20231st Revision Received
31 Aug 2023Submission Checks Completed
31 Aug 2023Assigned to Editor
31 Aug 2023Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
15 Sep 2023Editorial Decision: Accept