The Clinician's Guide to Treating Adult Children of Narcissists: Pulling Back the Curtain on Manipulation, Gaslighting, and Emotional Abuse in Narcissistic Families

Summary

There is nothing in the world quite like the feeling that someone, somewhere, finally gets it.

Adult children of narcissists have been conditioned to downplay, dismiss, and ignore their experiences. This survival skill of staying below the radar can cause even very skilled clinicians to miss subtle opportunities to connect. It is paramount that clinicians understand the scope of these clients’ experiences in order to support their healing—and to avoid the common clinical mistakes and pitfalls that often lead to inadvertently repeating harmful cycles.

Drawing from decades of specialized clinical practice and illustrated with rich client stories, this essential guide provides a thorough walk-through of the assessment and treatment of narcissistic abuse so you can:

● Differentiate narcissistic abuse from other forms of family conflict

● Work through ethical considerations when assessing narcissism

● Treat complex trauma, grief, and attachment wounds

● Navigate transference, countertransference, and the person of the therapist