In cases of severe narcissism, therapy may play out in one of these 5 ways. If you grew up with a narcissistic parent, you may still be thinking you can fix or change the relationship in some way so you can get some of your emotional needs
Read more →It’s the gift to give yourself this season. ‘Tis the season for gift giving. It’s also the time of year when people ask you what gifts you want this holiday season. As you think about what you might want a loved one to give you, why not
Read more →Adult children of narcissists beware! Mother’s Day is this country’s most widely observed holiday, celebrating an unassailable institution. A mother is commonly envisioned as giving herself fully to her children, and our culture still expects mothers to tend to their families unconditionally and lovingly, and to maintain
Read more →Why individuation is a key to your mental health Separation-individuation is an important aspect of becoming who you really are. In developmental psychology, it is considered key to fully becoming an adult. This article will discuss what it is and why it is important and how being
Read more →Narcissists do not forgive or forget! Narcissistic injury is often widely misunderstood. Many people believe it relates to the trauma experienced by the victims of narcissists. But instead, it is what is experienced by the narcissist when they lose or are abandoned or criticized. According to the
Read more →What is dismissive positivity and why is it toxic? There is a concept called dismissive positivity that has recently been popularized by a Miami-based psychotherapist named Whitney Goodman. Dismissive positivity is a cheery, positive response to someone telling you about their distress or pain. It’s using clichés
Read more →Six Mental Health Tips for Coping This is obviously a stressful, traumatic time for all, whether it is economic, medical, mental health, or family issues when on lockdown. When we experience trauma, we have feelings that must be dealt with and processed. This is not the time
Read more →Does parenting style influence how we vote? How we view the treatment of children may be connected to our choices in political candidates. I certainly do not claim to be a political analyst and I am not making a political statement, but there is some interesting research
Read more →Are you searching for love? Are you in a love relationship, but wonder if it is healthy? I can’t keep track anymore of the countless online dating sites ranging from “people who love dogs” to “clown dating,” to “smell dating,” (seriously?), and the various Match, Seniors, and
Read more →Are you baffled by narcissists who act mean? Do you have narcissists in your life who are just plain mean? Do you ask yourself, “how can someone be so mean?” Do you wonder sometimes how they even come up with their aggressive and vengeful antics against you?
Read more →Is Mother’s Day a difficult day for you? It’s a natural human feeling to long for a mother who loves everything about you absolutely and completely. It’s normal to want to lay your head on your mother’s breast and feel the security and warmth of her love
Read more →Narcissists lie and re-write history, but why? One of the most crucial characteristics of a morally centered, responsible, and mentally healthy individual is the ability to be accountable for one’s actions and feelings. This is how we grow and learn from our mistakes as well as live
Read more →This will not be your normal break-up…believe me! When Ellen entered her first therapy session with me, she held a card in her hand that she’d printed out from Somecards.com. Without speaking, she handed it to me. It read, “We divorced for religious reasons. My partner thought he was God and
Read more →What is gaslighting and are you a target? If you are dealing with a narcissist in your life or grew up with a narcissistic parent, you may have experienced “gaslighting.” It is a form of verbal and psychological abuse that is insidiously cruel, with the intention of
Read more →Narcissists raise children who suffer from crippling self-doubt Why does it matter if a parent is a narcissist, how does that hurt a child? You may be asking this question if you are one of the following: a person who is co-parenting with a narcissistic ex, someone
Read more →Empathy is the necessary ingredient for giving and feeling love. Having compassion and empathy for another means to hear, be with, suffer with, and try to get in the shoes of the other person. When this is done, the other person feels seen, heard, and loved. Sadly,
Read more →Finding balance in disclosing sexual abuse While I am most certainly an advocate for sexual assault victims, and have specialized in this field of mental health work for 30 plus years, I feel compelled to share what many of my clients and colleagues have revealed to me
Read more →8 tips for dealing with criticism from narcissistic families One of the painful trademarks of the narcissistic family is constant criticism and judgment. In their presence, one can feel insecure, put down, and typically not valued as a person. When around narcissists, if you really listen to
Read more →The lifelong effects of childhood neglect If you were emotionally or physically neglected as a child, it can be a difficult journey to heal. Neglect can be a hard thing to put your finger on, especially if it was emotional. Neglected children often don’t realize they are
Read more →Here is how narcissistic behavior is dangerous and harmful to others Is the word narcissism being over-used and thrown around lightly? Do we need a deeper understanding of narcissistic behavior and why it is harmful and even dangerous? Having studied this disorder for over 25 years, and
Read more →10 Tips to help with emotional triggers and avoid an emotional collapse! In the United States and around the world, Mother’s Day, is certainly one of the most celebrated holidays. It should be a special day to honor mothers and appreciate them for all that they do
Read more →Five Tips for Keeping Your Sanity in the Season and the New Year How’s your holiday season going? Ready for the New Year? Are you feeling happy and content and ready to move forward? Or are you struggling this week and feeling like the holidays were less
Read more →Eight tips to protect yourself. Do you have a narcissist in your life? Most everyone knows one or has been involved with one. They may be in your family, work, or social circle. The narcissist may be tolerable or even charming with you until they decide to
Read more →How to protect yourself from getting duped by a narcissist What is it about narcissistic behavior that leaves people scratching their heads and wondering what just happened?! A narcissist can derail someone in minutes due to their own issues. It can come out of the blue. To
Read more →What is it? How does it affect Leadership and Relationship? Narcissists suffer from what the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders defines as narcissistic injury: “vulnerability in self-esteem which makes narcissistic people very sensitive to ‘injury’ from criticism or defeat. Although they may not show it
Read more →Adult children of narcissistic parents in search of peace Mother’s Day in the United States is rapidly approaching. It’s the time of year that my inbox is flooded with questions. What to do? What card to buy? Contact or not? Adult children of narcissistic parents begin reaching
Read more →Why Values Are Important in Raising Emotionally Healthy Children I was honored to be asked to give a speech at a National Junior Honor Society awards ceremony for fourth through eighth graders, along with their parents and teachers. My granddaughter, the president, gave me the invite. Ok…touch
Read more →What is the real problem with having a narcissist in your life? Is there someone you know who is extremely boastful, self-absorbed, and is found frequently taking selfies or engaging in self-admiration? If so, do you really care? This seems to be the common understanding of narcissism
Read more →Treatment options for sibling incest. Having worked in the child sexual abuse field for 30 some years, I am continually struck with a sense of sadness when yet another family comes forward with admissions of sibling sexual abuse. Rather than judgment it is important to be aware
Read more →Cherish your own capacity to love and provide empathy! Mother’s Day is approaching. Is it time to run and hide or stumble into a Hallmark store to desperately search for that empty card that says nothing upon which you simply sign your name? How sad, awful, taboo,
Read more →An expert’s checklist for gauging where you stand. The label narcissist is used loosely these days, typically to indicate someone who is vain and selfish, but the personality disorder and the traits of narcissism run much deeper than this and carry long-term debilitating effects for those involved
Read more →Are you carrying the emotional burden of a dysfunctional family? Are you constantly beating yourself up and thinking that somehow you should be more, do more, be better, and you don’t measure up in your own mind? After more than three decades of working as a therapist
Read more →What did you learn about love in childhood? With Valentine’s Day approaching, the topic of love is hot stuff. Will you be my Valentine? Will we love ’til death do us part? Is unconditional love even possible in romantic relationships? Did I learn how to love in my childhood? Adult
Read more →The holidays are not a magical wand to transform families. Holiday expectations can get us in trouble during the holiday season. Why is it that we somehow still hang onto the vision that we can suddenly transform the family into what we want during the holidays and
Read more →If you had a narcissistic mother, did your father protect you? The family with a narcissistic mother operates according to an unspoken set of rules. Children learn to live with those rules, but they never stop being confused and pained by them, for these rules block children’s
Read more →How can I tell if my friend is a narcissist? I recently got an email from a lovely woman saying she feels she repeats the dynamic she had with her narcissistic mother in her choice of friends. She says she befriends narcissistic women, who then, like her
Read more →A mother’s jealousy distorts a daughter’s normal development When I was writing the book Will I Ever Be Good Enough? Healing the Daughters of Narcissistic Mothers, I found that I heard certain kinds of painful stories over and over again, like themes in a piece of music.
Read more →Who me? I didn’t do it! Lack of accountability is a pet peeve for sure, and also a common problem with narcissists. Although there are many disturbing factors in the personality of a narcissist, this one is tough to deal with in any relationship. It’s hard to
Read more →Do you struggle with trust or commitment in a relationship? Sound familiar? The concept of repetition compulsion comes from psychoanalytic theory. It means repeating patterns in relationships that are similar to unconscious aspects of a childhood relationship or experience. But one would ask, why do that? I frequently
Read more →Cultural expectations about Mothers Day and motherhood can open up wounds. Nobody wants to be a “Debbie Downer” on Mothers Day. Its a blessed and sacred institution and should be. Truly, what is more amazing than giving birth to gorgeous little ones and watching them grow, develop and become.
Read more →Am I a narcissistic parent? Am I passing narcissism on to my children? What is the cornerstone of maternal or paternal narcissism? Do you worry you might be a narcissistic parent? Most of us with children hold the value that we would never consciously do anything to harm
Read more →Are you in relationship with a narcissist? Adult children of narcissistic parents commonly grow up with this nagging feeling that they flunked childhood and it’s all their fault. They internalize the message they are not good enough no matter how hard they try. While everyone has times
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