Psychoanalysis.
2010 Oct;21(2):81-88.
The Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy of Narcissistic Personality Disorder
- Affiliations
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- 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.