082: Wendy Behary on Working with Narcissism

When working with clients in therapy I often wonder if someone might be displaying aspects of narcissism. I often question myself and my reality. It is important to realize that partner of people with narcissism feel this way all the time. The following is from Wendy Behary's website: Typically, narcissists display ten of the following thirteen traits: Self-absorbed – Acts like everything is all about him or her Entitled – Makes the rules; breaks the rules Demeaning – Puts you down, bullyish Demanding – of whatever he or she wants Distrustful  – Suspicious of your motives when you’re being nice to him or her Perfectionistic – Rigidly high standards – his or her way or no way Snobbish – Believes he or she is superior to you and others; gets bored easily Approval seeking – Craves constant praise and recognition Unempathic- Uninterested in understanding your inner experience or unable to do so Unremorseful – Cannot offer a genuine apology Compulsive – Gets overly consumed with details and minutiae Addictive – Cannot let go of bad habits; uses them to self soothe Emotionally detached – Steers clear of feeling Wendy Behary is a leader in working with people with narcissism. She is the founder and director of The Cognitive Therapy Center of New Jersey and The Schema Therapy Institutes of NJ-NYC and DC. She wrote the book Disarming the Narcissist: Surviving and Thriving with the Self-Absorbed. The Couples Therapist Couch is the podcast for Couples Therapists about the practice of couples therapy. The host, Shane Birkel, interviews an expert in the field of couples therapy each week. Please subscribe to the podcast for more great episodes. Get your free copy of The Comparison of 7 different Models of Couples Therapy. Click here to join the Couples Therapist Couch Facebook Group Find more resources for working with narcissism at disarmingthenarcissist.com Find out more about the book Disarming the Narcissist Today's Sponsor Brighter Vision Brighter Vision makes amazing websites for therapists. Go to www.brightervision.com/try/couples/ to get one month free off your Brighter Vision subscription. Let Brighter Vision help you build the practice of your dreams.