Join me for a three-part course exploring the clinical challenges of working with narcissistically vulnerable clients. We will examine both traditional Kohutian and contemporary perspectives in Self Psychology, beginning with Freud’s original theory of narcissism and progressing to Heinz Kohut’s radical redefinition.
From a Self-Psychological perspective, we’ll address essential clinical questions, such as:
• How can we recognize and respond to clients who have experienced early deficits in mirroring, idealization, and twinship?
• Why do some clients leave us feeling chronically bored or fatigued—and how can we work through this therapeutic impasse?
• Why do some clients dismiss every insight we offer, idealize us excessively, or conversely, feel compelled to devalue us?
You will learn how to identify and work with the mirroring, idealizing, and twinship transferences these clients often evoke, as well as how to understand and manage the common countertransference responses they stir in us. We’ll also explore strategies for recovering from therapeutic disruptions, impasses, and empathic failures, and how to interpret maladaptive defenses in ways that avoid inducing shame or further narcissistic injury.
In addition, I will introduce Kohut’s concepts of the vertical and horizontal split and explain how to identify and work with these defensive structures in clinical practice.
The seminar includes practical, hands-on learning through discussion of brief clinical vignettes, helping you apply course concepts directly to your therapeutic work. To support and enrich your knowledge, I will email approximately 20 pages of optional reading before each session. These supplementary materials will serve as helpful references throughout the course.
Instructor: Don Schimmel, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst with over 50 years of experience. He has worked extensively with adults, children, adolescents, couples, and families. A former senior faculty member at the Seattle Psychoanalytic Society and Institute, Dr. Schimmel has taught seminars on Self Psychology, Relational Theory, Intersubjectivity, Freud’s theoretical legacy, Ego Psychology, and Object Relations Theory. He has also led numerous classes and case conferences focused on effective treatment strategies for children, adolescents, and parents.
Learning Objectives: At the end of this class participants will be able to:
- Differentiate between Freud's and Kohut's theories of narcissism.
- Distinguish between Freud's and Kohut's views of defense and resistance.
- Describe Kohut's perspective on the "bipolar self," the "vertical and horizontal split," and three narcissistic or "selfobject" transferences.
- Describe Kohut's views on empathy, disruption and repair, optimal frustration, responsiveness, transmuting internalization, and vicarious introspection.
Fees: $120 for Alliance Members and $140 for non-Alliance members.
Class Size: Class is limited to a maximum of 12 participants.
Refund Policy: Refunds less a $30 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.
