"Sanity is very rare; every man almost and every woman has a dash of madness." —Emerson

With so much confusion and misunderstanding around this well-worn concept of "Narcissism"—now more than ever—what even is it and what do we mean when we use the word? How can it be understood and identified in one's own mind and life, as well as in the lives of the people who come to talk with us? How does it present, what are its demands, and what is the impact on a person's psyche and soul and environment, both locally and globally? In these passionate lectures and conversations, Joe Sawyer, MA, LMHC and I will bring our collective psychotherapeutic experience and rumination on this iconic label to breathe fresh, new, creative, and pragmatic ways of thinking and feeling about, what we believe, is at the heartbeat of every mental illness that we as human beings suffer with. We hope you'll consider joining us in our efforts to educate and help with how to challenge this psychic epidemic.

Instructors: D. Michael Louderback, MA, LMHC is a passionate psychoanalytic psychotherapist and supervisor working in private practice here in Seattle for over a decade. In that time, he has taught numerous courses and seminars and close-readings on a variety of different psychoanalysts and psychoanalytic ideas. He is eager to make psychoanalytic concepts not only accessible, but understandable, and beautifully pragmatic, in such a way that can enrich and transform clinicians alongside their patients. Joe Sawyer, MA, LMHC is also a wildly passionate psychotherapist—and Michael's longtime best friend—who has worked with high acuity patients across various settings including private practice for ten years as well. His passion is translating how to embody therapeutic presence and engagement in ways that patients can feel as they strive towards health. Together, they have a unique style of conversing and sharing that has been well received and remarked upon as playful, tender, helpful, and illuminating.

Learning objectives:

• Participants will begin to identify and understand narcissism as a universal human phenomenon and how it affects the self and the world.
• Members will grasp the two major presentations of narcissism and how to work-with it clinically.
• We will engage and grasp how to regain health, vitality, and creativity as a reversal to narcissist dis-ease.

Fees: $300 for Members and $325 for non-members.
Class Size: Class is limited to a maximum of 8 participants.
Refund Policy: Refunds less a $35 handling fee will be given up until one week before the first class.

This presentation has been approved for a total of 4.5 CE’s for licensed mental health counselors and associates, marriage and family therapists and social workers by the Washington State Society for Clinical Social Work.