Clinical Topics & Methods Category

Traumatic Narcissism: Relational Systems of Subjugation

8 CE Hours
53 members have taken this course
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About the Course

This book is an excellent treatise furthering our understanding of the relational impact of narcissism on the subjective experience and reality of its recipient, i.e. relational trauma. As we all strive to understand the meaning of traumatic intrusions on our patients, the dynamic of perpetrators' narcissistic subjugation and coercion of their subjective reality is a key concept. It is also central to our understanding of, and therapeutically relating with, dissociative aspects of our patients' selves that are introjectively patterned to sustain that coerced reality in the service of attachment and affect regulation. In other words, the concepts explicated in this book will help us learn better ways to relate with abusive internal alters which is typically the lion's share of our work to establish a stable working alliance with our patients.

This course is based on the book, Traumatic Narcissism: Relational Systems of Subjugation created by Daniel Shaw, LCSW in 2014.

Publication Details

Publication Date: 2014

Course Material Author

Daniel Shaw, LCSW

Daniel Shaw, LCSW is a psychoanalytically oriented psychotherapist in private practice in New York City, and in Nyack, New York. He is a training analyst, teacher and supervisor of analytic candidates at the National Institute for the Psychotherapies in New York City.

Daniel Shaw, LCSW authored the material only, and was not involved in creating this CE course. They are identified here for your own evaluation of the relevancy of the material this course is based on.

Course Creator

Keith Gibson, Ph.D.

Dr. Gibson is a Clinical Psychologist with over 30 years in research, clinical and consulting practice. He has also held leadership roles in research administration and program evaluation and more recently has specialized in program evaluation and system analysis. He draws upon his years of expertise as a practicing psychologist, administrator, researcher and technologist to help universities evaluate their programs to implement, meet, and maintain CACREP standards.

Target Audience

This course is recommended for health care professionals, especially psychologists, counselors and social workers. It is appropriate for intermediate levels of participants.

Learning Objectives

After taking this activity, you should be able to:

  1. 1 Identify and describe how traumatic narcissism differs from other forms of narcissism.
  2. 2 Describe the relational system of the traumatizing narcissist.
  3. 3 Describe how traumatic narcissism is expressed relationally within social groups, such as cults.
  4. 4 Describe how clinical relationships can be co-opted by dynamics of traumatic narcissism.
  5. 5 Identify the likely therapeutic outcomes of traumatic narcissism existent within couples therapy.
  6. 6 Describe the dynamics involved in the working through of the impasse of insight and change for the victim of traumatic narcissism.
  7. 7 Describe various historical perspectives of non-countertransference love for the patient as an important factor in successful therapy.
  8. 8 Describe the author's views of analytic love as distinguished from its narcissistic expressions.

Disclosure to Learners

CE Learning Systems adheres to the ACCME's Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Medical Education. Any individuals in a position to control the content of a CE activity – including faculty, planners, reviewers, or others ― are required to disclose all relevant financial relationships with ineligible entities (formerly known as commercial interests).

The following relevant financial relationships have been disclosed by this activity's planners, faculty, and the reviewer:

Planners and Reviewers

The planners of this activity have reported that they have no relevant financial relationships.

Material Authors

There are no known relevant financial relationships to disclose.

Course Creator

Keith Gibson, Ph.D. – There are no known relevant financial relationships to disclose.

Commercial support

There is no commercial support for this distance-learning course.

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New York Education Department Board of Social Work

8 contact hours
Eligible until Mar 30th, 2027
CE Learning Systems, LLC, (d/b/a impactce.com) is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers. Provider #0060.
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New York Education Department Board of Psychologists

8 CE credit hours
Eligible until Dec 29th, 2026
CE Learning Systems, LLC, (d/b/a impactce.com) is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for psychologists, # PSY-0016.
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Traumatic Narcissism

Traumatic Narcissism

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