Full Course Description

Module 1: Narcissistic Abuse In-Depth Workshop with Ramani Durvasula

Narcissistic abuse is one of today’s most in-demand clinical topics … and the fallout of narcissistic abuse is one of the more challenging issues to manage.

Working with clients experiencing narcissistic abuse requires you to simultaneously understand the confusing nature of narcissistic behavior AND the deep and painful wounds of the abuse survivor.

To be effective, you must understand these personality styles inside out.

Because without a strong understanding of narcissism, you’ll end up feeling lost, confused, powerless, and frustrated when doing this work.

That’s why we’re excited to partner with Dr. Ramani Durvasula, the world’s most accomplished and highly recognized expert on narcissistic abuse and its impact on relationships.

Join us for this training that will dive DEEP into the what, why, and how of narcissism and other antagonistic styles …

… so you’re prepared with the essential insight you need to work with these challenging cases.

Program Information

Objectives

Distinguish the salient and defining patterns of “narcissism” and become familiar with the diagnostic criteria for narcissistic personality disorder, as well as trait-based models.
Apply etiological models of narcissism, realistic expectations for treatment, and techniques to employ in treatment with individuals with narcissistic patterns.
Incorporate appropriate assessment approaches, measurement tools, and theories when assessing narcissism and other antagonistic personality styles.
Recognize the different narcissistic subtypes, how these subtypes present, the core similarities between the subtypes, and the different treatment and interpersonal challenges raised by each of these styles.
Evaluate defenses and underlying dynamics of the narcissistic personality style, the resultant behaviors, and connect this to interpersonal and relational patterns that show up in intimate relationships, family systems, workplaces and other social and relational systems.
Demonstrate the ability to delineate and differentiate and recognize overlaps between narcissism, antisocial/psychopathy, borderline, and other similar phenomenology.
Identify and apply best practices for working with clients with narcissistic personality patterns, and to extract the higher order similarities across a range of treatment approaches with narcissistic clients.

Copyright : 21/08/2023

Introduction to Module 2

Copyright : 01/10/2023

Module 2: Dynamics of Narcissistic and Antagonistic Relationships

In this module, Dr. Ramani Durvasula introduces her approach for working with narcissistic relationships. Using an in-depth case example, she’ll show you exactly how NA/ARS may reveal itself in the clinical setting and walk you through important things to consider as the client's therapist.

Next, Dr. Ramani provides an in-depth exploration of the dynamics of narcissistic relationships. You’ll discover the key characteristics of narcissistic relationships and explore important topics including betrayal trauma, trauma-bonding, attachment, enabling, and more. You’ll also examine the narcissistic family system and find out how each role results in mental, emotional, and relational vulnerabilities in the future. Expanding beyond the family, you’ll discover how the narcissistic system can play out in other relationships, including at work and with friends.

Program Information

Objectives

Describe the key issues in managing clients experiencing NA/ARS.
Identify and describe the different subsets of clients who may be experiencing NA/ARS and the differential clinical approaches to take with these clients.
Articulate the inherent asymmetry of narcissistic/antagonistic relationships behaviorally, emotionally and motivationally.
Define the concepts of DARVO, blindness, trauma bonding, and cognitive dissonance and discuss how they appear in narcissistic/antagonistic relationships.
Describe each phase of the narcissistic/antagonistic relational cycle.
Articulate the role of attachment in establishing and maintaining narcissistic/antagonistic relational dynamics.
Discuss the ways in which clients may be vulnerable to entering a narcissistic/antagonistic relationship.
Identify and examine the patterns typically observed in narcissistic relationships.
Recall the family and systemic roles people may fall into in a narcissistic/antagonistic family system or other relational systems.
Discuss the concept of “loss of subjectivity” observed especially in childhood narcissistic/antagonistic relationships.

Copyright : 01/10/2023

Module 3: Trauma and Narcissism: Personality Disorders as Trauma-Related Disorders

In this module, world-renowned trauma specialist, Janina Fisher, shares critical insights about the relationship between trauma and narcissism. You’ll discover the devastating impact of trauma on the brain and find out how these changes manifest as symptoms of mental health diagnoses, including narcissistic and antagonistic personality styles. Janina will then share her revolutionary conceptualization of narcissism and reveal what really drives antagonistic behaviors. Finally, you’ll discover how to use parts language to drastically improve your clinical work with both narcissists and those experiencing narcissistic abuse.

Program Information

Objectives

Explain the ways trauma impacts the brain and discuss the connection between these neurological changes and the emergence of trauma-related symptoms.
Analyze the connection between negative early attachment relationships and the challenges individuals may face in leaving an abusive partner.

Copyright : 01/10/2023

Module 4: Working with the Fallout of Narcissistic Abuse

It’s essential that clinicians understand not just the phenomenon of narcissistic abuse/antagonistic relational stress (NA/ARS) but the fallout from it. In this workshop, you’ll discover the core characteristics of NA/ARS relationships and take a deeper look at the unique dynamics that appear in familial, romantic, occupational, and social relationships. You’ll explore these relational patterns using case examples and see the true impact they have on real-life clients. In the workshop, you’ll also discover how to:

Spot the signs of NA/ARS relationships and identify the fallout of these dynamics in your clients
Help your clients recognize how their subjective experiences relate to the patterns occurring in their relationship
Differentiate between NA/ARS and other mental health concerns such as PTSD, anxiety disorders, and other mental health issues.
Develop a treatment plan that includes a framework for guiding your clients from awareness of their experiences to readiness for change

Program Information

Objectives

Catalog the core characteristics of NA/ARS relationships
Recognize common patterns of behavior that manifest in clients experiencing NA/ARS
Summarize the continuum of severity of the fallout and effects of NA/ARS
Differentiate the fallout of NA/ARS from other mental health conditions.
Articulate the specific consequences of childhood and adult onset of NA/ARS
Define all elements of the concept of gaslighting and apply this to understanding the psychological impacts of narcissistic/antagonistic relationships for clients.

Copyright : 13/02/2024

Module 5: Being Culturally and Intersectionally Informed When Working with Clients Experiencing NA/ARS

Narcissistic Abuse and Antagonistic Relational Stress (NA/ARS) does not occur in a vacuum. There are countless cultural, intersectional, and systemic factors that influence the experience and behavior of both the perpetrator and the one being abused. For therapists to be able to truly help their clients experiencing NA/ARS, they must ensure that they are accounting for the many facets of their clients’ entire biopsychosocial context. In this module, Dr. Ramani Durvasula will share with you her social-ecological model and give you everything you need to practice as a culturally and intersectionally informed therapist. In this section, you’ll discover how to:

Determine the intersectional cultural and systemic factors that may be impacting your client’s experience with NA/ARS
Foster a therapeutic stance of humility and flexibility so that you are best able to provide culturally and intersectionally informed care
Identify and manage your own unique intersectional identities to minimize the impact they may have on client care
Develop a treatment plan that accounts for intersectional factors and structural inequities

Program Information

Objectives

Articulate how power and structural issues can negatively impact the experiences of clients experiencing NA/ARS.
List at least three of the APA’s multicultural guidelines and describe how they can be used to enhance clinical work with clients experiencing NA/ARS.
Evaluate one’s own intersectional identity and determine the potential impact of those identities on clinical work with clients who have experienced NA/ARS.
Conduct an culturally-informed assessment of the intersectional and systemic factors impacting your client and utilize those factors to inform the development of a treatment plan.

Module 6: Working with Clients Experiencing NA/ARS: An antagonism-informed treatment approach (Part 1)

Module 7: Working with Clients Experiencing NA/ARS: An antagonism-informed treatment approach (Part 2)

In this module, Dr. Ramani Durvasula shares an essential framework for treating clients who have experienced Narcissistic Abuse or Antagonistic Relational Stress (NA/ARS). From the conceptual to the practical, she will provide you with all the knowledge and skills you need to successfully navigate this challenging work. You’ll discover what it means to provide antagonism-informed care. Through detailed case discussions, Dr. Ramani will demonstrate how to apply this approach with a broad range of clients experiencing NA/ARS. You’ll also learn about the best practices for treating NA/ARS and discover how to utilize key interventions yourself. You’ll discover how to:

Conduct a comprehensive assessment of NA/ARS with a broad range of relationship types including familial, romantic, social and occupational
Set treatment goals based on your client’s specific NA/ARS-related situation
Help clients overcome the fallout of their abuse and begin to heal from the inside out
Exactly what you need to do in-session including what to focus on, what strategies to use, and how to navigate the biggest challenges of this work, including both legal and ethical issues

Program Information

Objectives

Describe the key tenets of what it means to be “antagonism informed.”
Apply the working model of working with clients experiencing NA/ARS, including each of the 10 elements.
Apply frameworks to address ambivalence and decision making, as well as fostering recovery capital in clients experiencing NA/ARS.
Demonstrate effective strategies to facilitate rapport building with clients experiencing NA/ARS.
Describe key elements of assessment when working with clients experiencing NA/ARS.
Understand key treatment issues raised by clients with co-occurring mental health issues including antagonistic personality issues and are also experiencing NA/ARS.
Describe the role of psychoeducation when working with clients experiencing NA/ARS, best approaches, and how to apply it in treatment with these clients.
Describe the concept of radical acceptance and explain the role it plays in therapy with clients experiencing NA/ARS.
Articulate the role of grief in the therapeutic process with a client experiencing NA/ARS.
Identify the key adjunctive considerations when working with clients experiencing NA/ARS.
Describe the “CORE” framework that can be employed in working with clients experiencing NA/ARS.
Apply techniques that foster individuation and growth in clients experiencing NA/ARS.
Outline how process work can be utilized when working with clients experiencing NA/ARS.
Differentiate how to clinically approach clients experiencing NA/ARS in different types of relationships (e.g., intimate relationship, parental, other familial, workplace, other social groups).
Construct a treatment plan for a client experiencing NA/ARS.

Module 8: Legal and Ethical Considerations for Working with Narcissism and NA/ARS

Program Information

Objectives

Summarize the six steps of safety planning with a client experiencing suicidality.
Discuss potential risks to maintaining confidentiality when working with a client experiencing narcissistic abuse and coercive control.
Describe at least two ways therapists can support their clients during custody proceedings and at least one thing therapists cannot do to support them.
Articulate guidelines for determining a therapist’s competency in treating NA/ARS.
Summarize the guidelines for using client information in social media posts and testimonials.