Medusa appears: a case study of a narcissistic disturbance.
OBJECTIVE
A detailed case study of the brief psychotherapy of a college student with a narcissistic disturbance, discussed through the lens of relational psychoanalytic theory and including a description of important interventions.


OBJECTIVE
To promote greater understanding of psychoanalytic theory and therapy with a particular young adult population, and to underscore the importance of empathy and the therapeutic relationship to successful psychotherapeutic outcome.


METHODS
The author's own clinical practice.


CONCLUSIONS
The therapeutic alliance is fundamental to the psychotherapeutic change process. Empathy is not just a means to a better healing relationship; it is in itself healing. Accurate empathy within the therapeutic relationship is essential to developmental unfolding, especially where sustained, age-appropriate emotional responses to developmental needs were lacking and an integrated sense of self failed to develop.
Bjorklund
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Department of Nursing, College of Saint Scholastica, Duluth, MN, USA. Pbjork1732@aol.com
D000328:Adult; D004325:Dreams; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009229:Mythology; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology; D011573:Psychoanalytic Interpretation; D011614:Psychotherapy, Brief