Psychoanalysis.  2010 Oct;21(2):81-88.

The Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy of Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Affiliations
  • 1Lee Moosuk Psychoanalytic Office, Gwangju, Korea. mslee@jnu.ac.kr

Abstract

The author reviewed the psychoanalytic psychotherapy of the narcissistic personality disorders from the perspective of self psychology and presented two cases from literature. The first case, treated by Rothstein for 5 years, was not analyzable, since the person had impaired reality testing and had been unable to develop self-object transference. The second case of patient Mr. Z, was analyzed by Kohut successively. Kohut tried a new technique in psychoanalysis of narcissistic personality disorders, which he named, "Self Psychology". His new psychoanalytic technique for narcissistic personality disorder entails the following treatment processes: first, the analyst's empathic understanding of the patient's psychological dynamism; second, the patient's developing self object transference; third, optimal frustration for the patient; fourth, the analyst's interpretation; and finally, transmuting internalization by the patient. Kohut emphasized empathic immersion of a therapist, when treating patients with narcissistic personality disorder.

Keyword

Narcissistic personality disorder; Self psychology; Psychoanalytic psychotherapy

MeSH Terms

Frustration
Humans
Immersion
Personality Disorders
Psychoanalysis
Psychotherapy
Reality Testing
Self Psychology
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