NRNP 6645 WEEK 10 Therapy for Clients With Personality Disorders Therapy for Clients with Personality Disorders

Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) is a prolonged behavioral pattern characterized by excessive self-importance, a need for admiration, and a tendency to brag or be unlikable (Deng et al., 2021). It may greatly hinder social and vocational functioning and is often associated with other mental disorders. The availability and effectiveness of treatment options for NPD are limited, and persons with this condition may exhibit traits such as boastfulness, arrogance, or being unlikeable. It is a chronic and enduring problem. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the diagnostic and therapy strategies used to manage NPD.

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DSM-5-TR Diagnostic Criteria

The diagnosis of a personality disorder is based on the careful and continuous observation of a patient’s behaviors across different situations over time. The DSM-5-TR Criteria for narcissistic personality disorder include the fact that individuals must have a consistent pattern of possessing an exaggerated feeling of their significance, an intense need for approval, and a deficiency in empathy while interacting with others (Weinberg & Ronningstam, 2022). This trend emerges throughout the early stages of adulthood and continues across different situations. The clinical presentation includes characteristics such as an inflated sense of self-importance, preoccupation with dreams of achievement, the conviction of being unique, seeking excessive adulation, a sense of entitlement, engaging in exploitative behaviors, absence of empathy, feelings of jealousy towards others, and displaying arrogant and haughty behaviors and attitudes (Schalkwijk et al., 2021).

Therapeutic Approach

NPD is often not acknowledged by the individual experiencing it and is frequently seen in close family members or friends. It occurs when maladaptive behaviors result in stress for someone else rather than causing personal pain. The treatment primarily aims to minimize interpersonal conflict and establish stability in psychosocial functioning. Transference-focused psychotherapy (TFP) is a scientifically proven psychodynamic psychotherapy for NPD rooted in object relations theory (Di Giacomo et al., 2023). The TFP-N approach maintains fundamental components of the therapy, such as a phase of establishing agreements and a process of interpretation aimed at recognizing and altering dysfunctional cognitive patterns related to self-perception and interpersonal relationships. These tendencies exacerbate behavioral and emotional instability in people with personality disorders such as NPD. To produce long-lasting changes in personality organization and noticeable improvements in one’s interpersonal and professional contacts, the primary objective of TFP-N is to concentrate on dysfunctional interpersonal habits of interacting during the current therapy session.

Therapeutic Relationship

A therapeutic relationship is an interpersonal bond between a therapist and a client characterized by trust, mutual respect, and a shared sense of optimism (Hinz, 2024). It offers a secure environment for the client to express themselves without criticism openly and enables cooperation in the therapeutic process. When informing a client of a diagnosis of NPD, it is essential to engage in the discussion with empathy and comprehension. It is crucial to emphasize that the diagnosis does not determine the client’s identity but offers a structure for comprehending and tackling their difficulties (Weinberg, 2023). It is crucial to highlight that the practitioner’s role is to assist the client in healing and recovery. When communicating the diagnosis to someone, it is essential to prioritize delivering tailored information and offering assistance. During a family session, the primary focus is to educate the family about NPD and actively include them in the client’s treatment plan. During a group session, the conversation often focuses on shared experiences and techniques for dealing with challenges, which helps to create a feeling of community and mutual comprehension among the participants.

Conclusion/Scholarly Sources

This paper provides evidence from peer-reviewed scholarly sources to support the diagnosis and management of Narcissistic Personality Disorder. All the supporting sources are intellectual, as they are published in reputable academic medical journals or psychiatry platforms and have undergone a rigorous peer-review process. Experts and academics have written all of these works and contributed to comprehending personality disorders by offering new research findings, theories, analyses, viewpoints, updates, or summaries of current knowledge.