Finding the real self - identifying/working with clients with narcissistic/borderline presentations

This workshop will be aimed at counsellors, psychotherapists and mental health practitioners who may know nothing or a little of this subject and practitioners who would like to refresh their knowledge. This workshop takes a closer look at the terms ‘narcissistic personality disorder’ and ‘borderline personality disorder’ used frequently in diagnosing and in clinical discussions, but what do they mean to counsellors and psychotherapists, and to clients, in the therapeutic relationship?

We will meet clients who, in varying degrees, bring to us behaviours that could be described as narcissistic or borderline. Generally, counsellors and psychotherapists eschew narrow definitions of behaviour and of the many tasks that we are mindful of in the therapy room, to ‘look behind’ the label, to find the person, is crucial to the therapeutic relationship. To be curious, with our clients, about their experience of being themselves can be, in some relationships, quite straight forward  but sometimes it is not and there can often be difficult moments where ‘stuckness’ and frustration is felt often by both client and therapist.

Knowing more about how narcissistic and borderline presentations show themselves, how the client uses these behaviours to try to help their psychological pain and being aware of our own, often strong, responses to them, can support the practitioner. Avoiding pitfalls such as therapist burnout and disempowerment, clients leaving therapy prematurely and the ‘transference-traps’ that can develop into therapeutic impasse can come with greater awareness of what is happening for the client and for yourself.

The day will focus on identification of narcissistic/borderline presentations; practice issues for the therapist; the client/practitioner relationship and the origin of these behavioural traits from an attachment/developmental viewpoint. If there is time there will be a brief exploration of the narcissistic/borderline couple relationship. The day will offer theory and experiential opportunity to explore this subject for yourself and your work with clients.