The American Psychological Association indicates that only 5% of the population meet the criteria for Narcissistic Personality Disorder, and yet many more people demonstrate behaviors indicative of narcissistic thinking.

Today, many mental health practitioners are working to enlarge their scope of practice to accommodate narcissistic behaviors.

Though few narcissistically-driven individuals seek therapy, their more empathically-oriented family members and co-workers often do, as a means of coping in these often challenging relationships.

Conventional means of working with these more empathic clients include encouraging the sharing of feelings, using empathy, improving communication skills and teaching negotiating skills. Yet these are rarely useful techniques when it comes to narcissistically oriented people, since do not tend to think in empathic terms. You might say that they do not speak the “language” of true empathy, and therefore these methods are frustrating and futile to the client and clinician alike.

The Empathic Co-Narcissist™  Workshop

This online workshop offers specific new methods for therapeutic work with clients. It accentuates the empath’s capacity to become confidently self-directed in the face of challenging narcissistic behaviors, allowing them to retain their own native “language” of empathy while effectively becoming becoming “bilingual” in the language of the narcissist.

This workshop is strongly geared towards didactic methods. Sherry Bishop, M.S., L.M.H.C., A.C.S., will provide participants with a solid knowledge base which highlights the essential characteristics of each side of the narcissist/empath spectrum, as well as the inherent differences between these two groups. The participant will also become familiar with a comprehensive group of “tasks” which will be incorporated into the therapeutic process.

Much of this material will then be directly passed on to the client. Throughout the workshop, participants will integrate methods of monitoring their client’s cognitive awareness as well as their behavioral interactions with the narcissist, and make ongoing treatment recommendations to meet their specific needs.

This training has been approved for 13 CEUs for Washington State Licensed Mental Health Counselors, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists, and Licensed Social Workers. WMHCA Provider #2001

Day 1

The Empathic Co-Narcissist I
Upon completion of this module, participants will be able to:

1) Understand the general workings of the empath/narcissist spectrum in cognitive, behavioral and affective terms, and communicate these to the client.

2) Understand the criteria for
a) identifying empath/narcissist issues at intake,
b) confirming these at the initial evaluation, and
c) establishing treatment goals.

3) Identify the general characteristics, beliefs and behaviors of the empath side of the spectrum, and communicate these to the client.

4) Identify the general characteristics, beliefs and behaviors of the narcissist side of the spectrum, and communicate these to the client.

5) Consolidate previous knowledge gained as a result of learning objectives 3 and 4, through live demonstration.

6) List multiple cognitive, affective and behavioral distinctions between the empathic co-narcissist and the narcissist, and communicate these to the client.

7) Identify multiple ways in which distinctions between these two groups hinder the client’s ability to relate empathically to the narcissist, and communicate these to the client.

Day 2

The Empathic Co-Narcissist II
Upon completion of this module, participants will be able to:

1) List and model skills, techniques and interventions to increase relational effectiveness with a narcissist.

Part I: Cognitive focus.

2) List and model skills, techniques and interventions to increase relational effectiveness with a narcissist.

Part II: Affective focus.

3) List and model skills, techniques and interventions to increase relational effectiveness with a narcissist.

Part III: Behavioral focus.

4) Match appropriate skill or technique to specific situations.

5) Consolidate previous knowledge gained in learning objectives 1-3 through live demonstration.

6) Describe and implement a client self-assessment tool to aide in monitoring progress