All dreams have a protective function. The unconscious mind that produces them sends warnings, information and guidance to your human conscience, so that it may avoid the traps of the anti-conscience.

The anti-conscience is the wild side of your conscience, which remains in a primitive condition. It keeps trying to destroy the human side of your conscience through absurdity, so that it may control your behavior. This is why most dream symbols indicate danger.

Almost all dream images have symbolic meanings. The associations that gave these meanings are based on the unconscious wisdom.

For example, when you see your mother in a dream, this means that you are being influenced by the anti-conscience.

When you think about your mother you believe that she represents someone who cares about you. However, the symbolic meaning that she has in your dreams is negative because your mother represents the chaotic formation of the primitive conscience, without any organization.

You should never interpret the meaning of dreams based on your opinion. You must study the dream language, the same way that you must study a foreign language if you want to understand it.

There are seven basic types of dreams:

1. Dreams that protect your mental health – These are the most complex ones; you absolutely need to learn the meaning of all dream symbols in order to understand them.

2. Dreams that give you information about the person you love -These are the simplest ones. The person you love doesn’t have a symbolic meaning. Other people don’t have a symbolic meaning in this type of dream either. You only need to learn the meaning of a few dream symbols in order to understand these dreams, without completely studying the dream language.

3. Dreams that give you information about dead people – These dreams are rare. You will have objective information about dead people only if they were very important for you. Otherwise, dead people in your dreams represent parts of your own personality.

The symbolism used in dreams about dead people is as complex as the symbolism used in dreams about your mental health. However, you can understand the unconscious messages much easier since the dead person doesn’t have a symbolic meaning. You only need to translate the other parts of the dream.

4. Nightmares, recurring dreams, or warnings – These are the most common ones. You are in constant danger due to the existence of the violent anti-conscience that tries to control your behavior.

5. Dreams containing future predictions – These dreams help you get prepared to face future difficulties, giving you the chance to correct your mistakes and prepare the future results you desire.

6. Dreams that analyze your past – These dreams work like psychotherapy, relieving you from traumas, fears, wrong impressions, and conclusions. They correct your behavior and attitude.

7. Dreams that reflect your progress – As you keep translating the meaning of your dreams and following the unconscious guidance, there are various dream symbols and themes that indicate all the evolutionary stages you pass through.

Christina Sponias continued Carl Jung’s research into the human psyche, discovering the cure for all mental illnesses, and simplifying the scientific method of dream interpretation that teaches you how to exactly translate the meaning of your dreams, so that you can find health, wisdom and happiness.
Learn more at: http://www.scientificdreaminterpretation.com.

Click Here to download a Free Sample of the eBook Dream Interpretation as a Science (86 pages!).

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School Psychologist- Over the last few years, this career option in psychology has gained enormous popularity. Today many schools across the world are utilising the skills and training of school psychologists. Many school psychologists go into this area of psychology as they wish to work with “early interventions with young people”.

Forensic Psychologists – These are psychologists that apply psychological principles to different legal issues. Their expertise is often vital in court. They often carry out research on jury behaviour or eyewitness testimony. These days, many forensic psychologists also train in both law and psychology. The demand for forensic psychologists is also very high.

Clinical Psychologists- These professionals generally perform their key role in mental health clinics, hospital settings or private practice. Their key role revolves around the assessing, diagnosing and treating clients suffering from psychological disorders. Today it is considered as one of the single largest employment areas within the field of psychology.

Sports Psychologists – This is another career option that has also gained in popularity and up-coming as a major career option. Their role revolves around helping athletes or sportspeople in refining their focus on competition and winning. They motivate competitors and utilise methods that assist in how to deal with the anxiety and fear of failure that can often come with sports. In the last few years, as sports become more competitive this psychological field has also become more and more popular.

Industrial-organisational Psychologists – This field primarily concentrates on workplace behaviour. Today many companies use industrial organisational psychologists to boost their employees’ productivity.

Research Psychologists – As the name suggests they primarily carry out research at corporations, non-profit organisations or for the universities. They usually look at the patterns of humans’ behaviour and try to study variations of effects of drugs, motivation, neurology, genetics and similar other factors.

These are some of the career options in the field of psychology that have gained wide popularity in recent years, so if you are looking for a career in psychology these are some of your options.

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If you want to become a competent Counsellor or Psychotherapist, you can enroll here for Psychotherapy courses Ireland.

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Massage therapy is recognized by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) as a growing career, and one with benefits beyond the immediately obvious. The massage therapy education trains students to have a comprehensive understanding of human anatomy and physiology, which is essential for effective massage treatment. The scientific background of the massage therapy certification program allows students of massage to understand how different body parts and systems work together – and how, if one system is out of whack, a massage client can feel ill or out-of-sorts all over.

Schools such as the Certified Careers Institute, with campus locations in Clearfield and Salt Lake City, Utah, offer massage therapy education that prepares students to sit for a massage therapy certification. This education is popular with the younger generation, because it leads to a career with worker-defined office conditions. Young workers can choose what type of massage therapy they will specialize in, decorate their offices however they choose, and determine what kinds of massage oils, wraps, and techniques they will use on their clients. This generation of young adults, who grew up with technology, views “cool” careers like massage therapy in a positive light.

It’s a good thing, too. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that as Gen Y’s parents – the Baby Boomer generation – age, there will be an increased need for professional massage therapists to administer their services as supplementary medical therapies. Generations X and Y enjoy massage therapy at work or after-hours. Today’s jobs can demand long hours, and some people must work two jobs to be able to meet their bills; so, massage therapy is a helpful accessory to a demanding career. It can also become a great career for a Gen Y student. This generation, more so than older counterparts, places emphasis on work-life balance, and many enjoy more flexible working arrangements, including flex time and telecommuting. Some massage therapists can set their own hours and delineate their own working conditions, making massage therapy certification an appealing career choice for the under-30 set.

This kind of treatment can also be beneficial to individuals who suffer from depression, isolation, or Seasonal Affective Disorder (side effects, after all, of our highly interactive -but ultimately, human-contact deprived – wired society). Many people eschew drug therapies for mental health issues – after all, modern antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs have gotten negative press because of certain deleterious side effects. Massage therapy enables total body relaxation, which can effectively boost a person’s mood. In fact, certified massage therapists themselves can benefit from the health-conscious outlook their career field demands. Individuals who sell health services can market their services more credibly if they are actually healthy individuals, themselves – meaning, for example, that they eat a healthy diet, follow an exercise regimen, and refrain from using drugs or alcohol.

Millennials’ Boomer parents can benefit from massage therapy. Adult-onset (Type II) diabetes and heart disease are two major killers of older Americans – and the Boomer generation is aging and quickly closing in on their retirement years. The massage therapy education, such as that provided by the Certified Careers Institute’s Clearfield and Salt Lake City, Utah schools, teaches students massage techniques that can be beneficial in treating conditions affecting older adults: diabetes, arthritis, gout, and even cancer. Boomers, too, face career stress – after all, their generation was strongly affected by corporate mergers and downsizing. Massage therapy can help them shed the health-negative stresses of the modern workplace.

Finally – and perhaps most importantly – massage therapy education and certification addresses some of the commonest woes of 21st century higher learning and job market conditions. College tuition has soared over the past decade, necessitating that some Millennials take out substantial private loans to pay for their educations, and that others forgo college altogether. And, the modern job market is a volatile entity, with technological advances, outsourcing, and downsizing threatening every industry from computer sciences to journalism. Students today must make difficult choices when deciding upon careers – and, many of those choices come with sacrifices.

The massage therapy education, by contrast, is a relatively simple process – programs like Certified Careers Institute’s can take just weeks – and has fewer course requirements than a traditional four-year degree does. Therefore, acquiring a massage therapy certification is cheaper than getting a college degree. And, this particular career is expected to grow as it is increasingly recognized in the allied health field – making it a smart choice for people who want job security.

It’s no wonder, with all of these positives – cool job description, health-positive benefits, job stability, and a low-cost education – that Generation Y is turning massage therapy into a career of the future.

Certified Careers Institute’s locations in Clearfield and Salt Lake City, Utah provide massage therapy education [http://www.cciutah.edu/massage-therapy-certification.htm] that trains students for the massage therapy certification [http://www.cciutah.edu/massage-therapy-clearfield.htm]. To find out more, visit the school’s Web site at www.cciutah.edu [http://www.cciutah.edu]

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jane_Muder

Feminist Therapy
Feminist psychology grew from the influences of the women’s movement of the 1960’s. This movement was a grassroots one; therefore, no one particular theorist can be named the originator of feminist therapy. Feminists tried to keep elements of other psychological theories that worked but attempted to get rid of sexist aspects of the theories. They then tried to explain some of the common experiences and difficulties associated with the social roles that women endure that may be blocking their growth and development. The focus is mainly on helping women in areas such as assertiveness, communication, self-esteem, and relationships. Feminist therapy also focuses on empowering women by helping them see the impact of gender issues. The aim of therapy is change rather then adjustment. It is important to acknowledge sex roles, minority status and socialization in society as possible sources or causes of psychological difficulties. A core concept is equality; therefore, the therapist is seen as equal in the relationship with an outside perspective who provides guidance and new information but the client is seen as having the power to create his or her own desired outcome in themselves and their lives. Reclaiming personal power is a key concept. A task of the therapist is to help individuals explore and understand what is causing dysfunction and unhappiness and then to help develop strategies to overcome these difficulties…

Feminist therapy is not just suitable for women, men can benefit from this therapeutic process as well. Men also deal with social and gender role constraints such as the demands of strength, autonomy, and competition. In addition, they are limited by the notion that they should not express vulnerability, sensitivity, and empathy. Both men and women are exploited by a patriarchal society and limited culture and gender stereotypes. Men can benefit from therapy by working on these issues and by learning new skills to help them understand and explore issues involved with emotions, intimacy, and self-disclosure.

There are four main philosophies of feminists with differing goals in therapy including socialist, radical, cultural, and liberal. First, socialist feminists emphasize the need for change in institutional and social relationships. Next, radical feminists focus on the need for change in gender relations and societal institutions. In addition, they strive to increase women’s self awareness in regards to her sexuality and her desires and views for having children. Subsequently, cultural feminists emphasize the importance of the recognition that women are devalued in society and how detrimental this is. Finally, liberal feminists focus on the individual and the biases these people face in regards to self awareness, self-respect, esteem, and equality. Many ideas and views held by these philosophies overlap and are integrated with the main focus on equality.

There are four major approaches that are unique to feminist therapy which include consciousness-raising, social and gender role analysis, resocialization, and social activism.

Consciousness-raising is sometimes held in small groups in a leaderless manner involving the discussion of women’s individual and shared experiences. Women in these groups do not have to feel that they are alone and they could listen and support others. These individuals examine how oppression and socialization contributes to personal distress and dysfunction and they talk about ways in which solutions for creating individual and social changes can be made. Consciousness-raising helps women feel more powerful to take steps against oppression by participating in social action.

Social and gender role analysis involves the evaluation of the client’s psychological distress and methods of coping. First clients will learn about the impact and affects of social and cultural norms and expectations and how negatively these issues affect society. This helps the client become aware and identify his or her own experiences in regards to social and gender role norms. The therapist helps the individual become aware of both implicit and explicit sex roles that the client may have experienced over his or her lifetime. This helps the client explore possible origins of psychological distress. Together the therapist and the client come up with ways to implement change and gain self knowledge.

Resocialization follows social and gender role analysis and involves reorganizing the client’s belief system. They learn to view things differently and they develop new coping skills and strategies. Methods are taught that increase self esteem, assertiveness, and self views. A main goal of resocialization is an overall increase in well being.

Social activism is rather controversial and not practiced by all therapists. It is embedded in the notion that “personal is political”, which is one of the basic tenets of feminist therapy. This means that there are underlying roots of client’s problems that stem from society and politics. Feminist therapy should not only help the individual but it should help all individuals. Social activism may involve participation by both the therapist and the client. This can be accomplished by speaking out, organized protests, and letter writing campaigns. Feminists agree that social change is crucial and advantageous to the mental health of all individuals.

According to Gerald Corey, feminist therapy is based on five interrelated principles:
1.The personal is political which implements social change.
2.The counseling relationship is egalitarian which encourages equality between the therapist and the client. The client should be aware that she has the power to change and define herself and the therapist is only a tool with new insight and information.
3.Women’s experiences are honored and they should get in touch with their personal experiences and intuition.
4.Definitions of distress and mental illness are reformulated involving the internal as well as external factors of distress. Pain and resistance are viewed as a positive confirmation of the desire to live and overcome distress rather than being viewed as weak.
5.Feminist therapists use an integrated analysis of oppression which means that they understand that both men and women are subjected to oppression and stereotypes and that these oppressive experiences have a profound affect on beliefs and perceptions.

These core principles set the basis for feminist therapeutic practice and it is important to acknowledge that these principles contain overlap and interrelated common ground. Additionally, Lenore Walker indicates that there are six tenets of feminist therapy theory:

1.Egalitarian relationships: this equal relationship between client and therapist models for women personal responsibility and assertiveness in other relationships.
2.Power: women are taught to gain and use power in relationships and the possible consequences of their actions.
3.Enhancement of women’s strengths: so much of traditional therapy focused on a woman’s shortcomings and weaknesses that feminist therapists teach women to look for their own strengths and use them effectively.
4.Non-pathology oriented and non-victim blaming: the medical model is rejected and women’s problems are seen as coping mechanisms and viewed in their social context.
5.Education: women are taught to recognize their cognitions that are detrimental and encouraged to educate themselves for the benefit of all women.
6.Acceptance and validation of feelings: feminist therapists value self-disclosure and attempt to remove the we-they barrier of traditional therapeutic relationships.

Feminist therapy is beneficial and needed for several reasons. The main goal is change, not just change within the individual but change in society. Gender issues need to be addressed because they can cause psychological distress and shape unwanted behavior. Our lives are affected and influenced by the stigmas and stereotypes associated with these internal and environmental pressures which can affect one’s identity. Feminist therapy recognizes this and implements these concerns in practice. Furthermore, women live in a world dominated by males and masculine patterns of thought and behavior. Until recently, psychological studies of human behavior were almost always conducted by men and on men. The results of these studies were generalized to apply to women equally. The results are biased for several reasons including the fact that men and women are not the same. They have developed differently from early childhood and they tend to view the world in different ways. The media gives young children strong gender biased messages. Boys are supposed to be independent, self sufficient, dominant, aggressive, and successful. Girls are sweet, well behaved, passive, submissive, overemotional, and attractive. There is a conflicting problem here because the same traits that are considered appropriate for little girls are considered negative and inappropriate as mature adults. Males tend to view the world in terms of competition and power, while females look at aspects of the world through relationships and connections to others. Therefore, these studies and techniques may not represent women very well.

Women’s natural gifts of being nurturing and caring do not hold much power and value in society according to our social norms. These views and norms prevent women from feeling a sense of strength and power. These characteristics should not be viewed as weaknesses yet society sees it this way. Women should be commended for all he roles that they play. It is hard to juggle a family with children and a career, then come home and do housework and errands. As society becomes more of a dual income earning community some of these issues may turn in a more positive direction. Men do not have it easy either. If a man were to stay home and raise the children and tend to the household needs, society may call him lazy or worthless. Feminist therapists recognize how these factors and they understand how much relationships, connections, and nurturance plays a huge role in individual’s lives. They consider sex bias in a male dominated society and they honor women’s experiences and instincts as being valid. Feminist therapists specifically address issues such as family and marriage relations, reproduction, career concerns, physical and sexual abuse, body image disorders, and self esteem. One of the most important concerns of a feminist therapist is the empowerment of women in today’s world. Bohan (1992) states six guidelines for feminist practitioners to follow:

1.Therapists are knowledgeable concerning gender role socialization and the impact these standards have on what it means to be a woman or a man.
2.Therapists are aware of the impact of the distribution of power within the family and power differentials between men and women in terms of decision making, child rearing, career options, and division of labor.
3.Therapists understand the sexist context of the social system and its impacts on both the individual and the family.
4.Therapists are committed to promoting roles for both women and men that are not limited by cultural or gender stereotypes.
5.Therapists acquire intervention skills that assist clients in their gender role journey.
6.Therapists are committed to work toward the elimination of gender role bias as a source of pathology in all societal institutions.
These principles are based on a gender fair ideology for counseling which may be applied to family therapists as well. These principles also apply to both individual and group therapy. The fact that many principles of feminist therapy can be incorporated into other therapies is a strength because it can broaden the theoretical base of other models and therapies. Feminist therapy aims at enriching and enlightening everyone’s lives by hopefully encouraging social activism in a positive direction.

There are some criticisms and limitations to feminist therapy. Some therapists may be too feminist and militant in their views there by persuading clients. No therapist should persuade nor tell someone the “right” way to look at things. The therapist’s task is to offer support and information to challenge the client to examine for herself which road to take. Another criticism is the biased stance that feminists take. They are not neutral. They are all for a definite change in society and they should take caution not to be too pushy with their views on clients. It is also important that clients take responsibility for actions and experiences and not just blame society. They can be aware of society’s impacts but they also need to fess up and not avoid taking personal responsibility. Another criticism is the fact that feminism originated and was developed by, middle class, white, heterosexual women. Other races and cultures were not involved. This has been brought to attention and feminists have become much more inclusive.

In summary, feminist therapy is beneficial and advantageous to today’s society. The human race will continue to evolve and new theories will also evolve to meet the needs of our unsustainable, plastic society. Feminist therapists will continue to break down the hierarchy of power by therapeutic approaches and interventions with the overall remaining goal as empowerment of the client and social positive change and transformation.

References
1.Walker, Lenore E.A. (1990). A Feminist Therapist Views the Case. In Dorthy W. Cantor (Ed.), Women as Therapists, (pp. 78-79). New York: Spring Publishing Company.
2.Hecklinger, Fred J. (2003). Training for Life: A Practical Guide to Career and Life Planning. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall Hunt Publishers.
3.Bohan, Janis S. (1992). Replacing Women in Psychology: readings Toward a More Inclusive History, (pp. 88-99). Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall Hunt Publishers.
4.Swanson, Jane L. (1999). Career Theory and Practice: Learning Through Case Studies. Thousand oaks, CA: Sage Publications
5.Benjafield, John G., (1996). A History of Psychology, (pp.321), Needham Heights, Massachusetts: Allyn and Bacon
6.Corey, Gerald (2001). Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy 6TH Edition, (pp. 341-375), Wadsworth: Brooks Cole, Thompson Learning.

Elizabeth Mahaney, MA, MHC, is a Mental Health Counselor and a Marriage and Family Therapist in private practice in Tampa, FL. Elizabeth can be contacted for questions or scheduling here: http://www.goodtherapy.org/m15_view_item.html?m15:item=elizabethmahaney%40msn.com and here: http://www.goodtherapy.org/Tampa-therapy.htm

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Adult pathological narcissism is no more “curable” than the entirety of one’s personality is disposable. The patient is a narcissist. Narcissism is more akin to the colour of one’s skin rather than to one’s choice of subjects at the university.

Moreover, the Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) is frequently diagnosed with other, even more intractable personality disorders, mental illnesses, and substance abuse.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapies (CBTs)

The CBTs believe that insight – even if merely verbal and intellectual – is sufficient to induce an emotional outcome. If properly manipulated, verbal cues, insights, analyses of standard sentences we keep saying to ourselves (”I am ugly”, “I am afraid no one would like to be with me”), inner dialogues and narratives, and repeated behavioural patterns (learned behaviours) coupled with positive (and, rarely, negative) reinforcements – are sufficient to induce a cumulative emotional effect tantamount to healing.

Psychodynamic theories do not believe that cognition can influence emotion. They believe that much deeper strata have to be accessed and studied by both patient and therapist. The very exposure of these strata is considered sufficient to induce a dynamic of healing. The therapist’s role is either to interpret the material revealed to the patient (psychoanalysis) by allowing the patient to transfer past experience and superimpose it on the therapist – or to actively engage in providing a safe emotional and holding environment conducive to changes in the patient.

The sad fact is that no known therapy is effective with narcissism ITSELF – though a few therapies are reasonably successful as far as coping with some of its effects goes (behavioural modification).

Dynamic Psychotherapy

Or Psychodynamic Therapy, Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy

As opposed to common opinion it is NOT psychoanalysis. It is an intensive psychotherapy BASED on psychoanalytic theory WITHOUT the (very important) element of free association. This is not to say that free association is not used – only that it is not a pillar of the technique in dynamic therapies. Dynamic therapies are usually applied to patients not considered “suitable” for psychoanalysis (such as Personality Disorders, except the Avoidant PD).

Typically, different modes of interpretation are employed and other techniques borrowed from other treatments modalities. But the material interpreted is not necessarily the result of free association or dreams and the psychotherapist is a lot more active than the psychoanalyst.

These treatments are open-ended. At the commencement of the therapy the therapist (analyst) makes an agreement (a “pact”) with the analysand (patient or client). The pact says that the patient undertakes to explore his problems no matter how long it takes (and how expensive it becomes). This is supposed to make the therapeutic environment much more relaxed because the patient knows that the analyst is at his/her disposal no matter how many meetings would be required in order to broach painful subject matter.

Sometimes, these therapies are divided to expressive versus supportive, but I regard this division as misleading.

Expressive means uncovering (=making conscious) the patient’s conflicts and studying his/her defences and resistances. The analyst interprets the conflict in view of the new knowledge gained and guides the therapy towards a resolution of the conflict. The conflict, in other words, is “interpreted away” through insight and the change in the patient motivated by his/her insights.

The supportive therapies seek to strengthen the Ego. Their premise is that a strong Ego can cope better (and later on, alone) with external (situational) or internal (instincts, drives) pressures. Supportive therapies seek to increase the patient’s ability to REPRESS conflicts (rather than bring them to the surface of consciousness). As a painful conflict is suppressed – so are all manner of dysphorias and symptoms. This is somewhat reminiscent of behaviourism (the main aim is to change behaviour and to relieve symptoms). It usually makes no use of insight or interpretation (though there are exceptions).

Group Therapies

Narcissists are notoriously unsuitable for collaborative efforts of any kind, let alone group therapy. They immediately size up others as potential Sources of Narcissistic Supply – or potential competitors. They idealise the first (suppliers) and devalue the latter (competitors). This, obviously, is not very conducive to group therapy.

Moreover, the dynamic of the group is bound to reflect the interactions of its members. Narcissists are individualists. They regard coalitions with disdain and contempt. The need to resort to team work, to adhere to group rules, to succumb to a moderator, and to honour and respect the other members as equals – is perceived by them to be humiliating and degrading (a contemptible weakness). Thus, a group containing one or more narcissists is likely to fluctuate between short-term, very small size, coalitions (based on “superiority” and contempt) and outbreaks (acting outs) of rage and coercion.

Can Narcissism be Cured?

Adult narcissists can rarely be “cured”, though some scholars think otherwise. Still, the earlier the therapeutic intervention, the better the prognosis. A correct diagnosis and a proper mix of treatment modalities in early adolescence guarantees success without relapse in anywhere between one third and one half the cases. Additionally, ageing ameliorates or even vanquishes some antisocial behaviors.

In their seminal tome, “Personality Disorders in Modern Life” (New York, John Wiley & Sons, 2000), Theodore Millon and Roger Davis write (p. 308):

“Most narcissists strongly resist psychotherapy. For those who choose to remain in therapy, there are several pitfalls that are difficult to avoid … Interpretation and even general assessment are often difficult to accomplish…”

The third edition of the “Oxford Textbook of Psychiatry” (Oxford, Oxford University Press, reprinted 2000), cautions (p. 128):

“… (P)eople cannot change their natures, but can only change their situations. There has been some progress in finding ways of effecting small changes in disorders of personality, but management still consists largely of helping the person to find a way of life that conflicts less with his character … Whatever treatment is used, aims should be modest and considerable time should be allowed to achieve them.”

The fourth edition of the authoritative “Review of General Psychiatry” (London, Prentice-Hall International, 1995), says (p. 309):

“(People with personality disorders) … cause resentment and possibly even alienation and burnout in the healthcare professionals who treat them … (p. 318) Long-term psychoanalytic psychotherapy and psychoanalysis have been attempted with (narcissists), although their use has been controversial.”

The reason narcissism is under-reported and healing over-stated is that therapists are being fooled by smart narcissists. Most narcissists are expert manipulators and they learn how to deceive their therapists.

Here are some hard facts:

There are gradations and shades of narcissism. The difference between two narcissists can be great. The existence of grandiosity and empathy or lack thereof are not minor variations. They are serious predictors of future dynamics. The prognosis is much better if they do exist.

There are cases of spontaneous healing and of “short-term NPD” [see Gunderson's and Roningstam work, 1996].

The prognosis for a classical NPD case (grandiosity, lack of empathy and all) is decidedly not good as far as long-term, lasting, and complete healing. Moreover, narcissists are intensely disliked by therapists.

BUT…

Side effects, co-morbid disorders (such as Obsessive-Compulsive behaviors) and some aspects of NPD (the dysphorias, the paranoiac dimensions, the outcomes of the sense of entitlement, the pathological lying) can be modified (using talk therapy and, depending on the problem, medication). these are not short-term or complete solutions – but some of them do have long-term effects.

The DSM is a billing and administration oriented diagnostic tool. It is intended to “tidy” up the psychiatrist’s desk. The Personality Disorders are ill demarcated. The differential diagnoses are vaguely defined. There are some cultural biases and judgements [see the diagnostic criteria of the Schizotypal PD]. The result is sizeable confusion and multiple diagnoses (”co-morbidity”). NPD was introduced to the DSM in 1980 [DSM-III]. There isn’t enough research to substantiate any view or hypothesis about NPD. Future DSM editions may abolish it altogether within the framework of a cluster or a single “personality disorder” category. As it is, the difference between HPD, BPD, AsPD, and NPD is, to my mind, rather blurred. When we ask: “Can NPD be healed?” we need to realise that we don’t know for sure what is NPD and what constitutes long-term healing in the case of an NPD. There are those who seriously claim that NPD is a cultural disease with a societal determinant.

Narcissists in Therapy

In therapy, the general idea is to create the conditions for the True Self to resume its growth: safety, predictability, justice, love and acceptance – a mirroring and holding environment. Therapy is supposed to provide these conditions of nurturance and the guidance necessary to achieve these goals (through transference, cognitive re-labelling or other methods). The narcissist must learn that his past experiences are not laws of nature, that not all adults are abusive, that relationships can be nurturing and supportive.

Most therapists try to co-opt the narcissist’s inflated ego (False Self) and defences. They compliment the narcissist, challenging him to prove his omnipotence by overcoming his disorder. They appeal to his quest for perfection, brilliance, and eternal love – and his paranoid tendencies – in an attempt to get rid of counterproductive, self-defeating, and dysfunctional behaviour patterns.

By stroking the narcissist’s grandiosity, they hope to modify or counter cognitive deficits, thinking errors, and the narcissist’s victim-stance. They contract with the narcissist to alter his conduct. Some even go to the extent of medicalizing the disorder, attributing it to a hereditary or biochemical origin and thus “absolving” the narcissist from guilt and responsibility and freeing his mental resources to concentrate on the therapy.

Confronting the narcissist head on and engaging in power politics (”I am cleverer”, “My will should prevail”, and so on) is decidedly unhelpful and could lead to rage attacks and a deepening of the narcissist’s persecutory delusions, bred by his humiliation in the therapeutic setting.

Successes have been reported by applying 12-step techniques (as modified for patients suffering from the Antisocial Personality Disorder), and with treatment modalities as diverse as NLP (Neurolinguistic Programming), Schema Therapy, and EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization).

But, whatever the type of talk therapy, the narcissist devalues the therapist. His internal dialogue is: “I know best, I know it all, the therapist is less intelligent than I, I can’t afford the top level therapists who are the only ones qualified to treat me (as my equals, needless to say), I am actually a therapist myself…”

A litany of self-delusion and fantastic grandiosity (really, defences and resistances): “He (my therapist) should be my colleague, in certain respects it is he who should accept my professional authority, why won’t he be my friend, after all I can use the lingo (psycho-babble) even better than he does? It’s us (him and me) against a hostile and ignorant world (follies-a-deux)…”

Then there is: “Just who does he think he is, asking me all these questions? What are his professional credentials? I am a success and he is a nobody therapist in a dingy office, he is trying to negate my uniqueness, he is an authority figure, I hate him, I will show him, I will humiliate him, prove him ignorant, have his licence revoked (transference). Actually, he is pitiable, a zero, a failure…”

And this is only in the first three sessions of the therapy. This abusive internal dialogue becomes more vituperative and pejorative as therapy progresses.

Narcissists generally are averse to receiving medication. Resorting to medicines is an implied admission that something is wrong. Narcissists are control freaks. Additionally, many of them believe that medication is the “great equaliser” – it will make them lose their uniqueness, superiority and so on. That is unless they can convincingly present the act of taking their medicines as “heroism”, a part of a daring enterprise of self-exploration, a distinguishing feature and so on.

They often claim that the medicine affects them differently than it does other people, or that they have discovered a new, exciting way of using it, or that they are part of someone’s (usually themselves) learning curve (”part of a new approach to dosage”, “part of a new cocktail which holds great promise”). Narcissists must dramatise their lives to feel worthy and special. Aut nihil aut unique – either be special or don’t be at all. Narcissists are drama queens.

Very much like in the physical world, change is brought about only through incredible powers of torsion and breakage. Only when the narcissist’s elasticity gives way, only when he is wounded by his own intransigence – only then is there hope.

It takes nothing less than a real crisis. Ennui is not enough.

About The Author

Sam Vaknin is the author of Malignant Self Love – Narcissism Revisited and After the Rain – How the West Lost the East. He is a columnist for Central Europe Review, PopMatters, and eBookWeb , a United Press International (UPI) Senior Business Correspondent, and the editor of mental health and Central East Europe categories in The Open Directory Bellaonline, and Suite101 .

Until recently, he served as the Economic Advisor to the Government of Macedonia.

Visit Sam’s Web site at http://samvak.tripod.com; palma@unet.com.mk

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Today, the arena of psychotherapy encompasses a broad category of mental health professionals who help individuals and families work through mental or emotional disorders by psychological means. Though, a psychiatrist, psychologist, social worker or mental health nurse can perform the role of a counselor or psychotherapist, the mental health care professional who has undertaken a degree in psychotherapy will be in ever greater demand. So, if you are really looking forward to becoming a counselor or a psychotherapist, you must earn a degree in psychotherapy. Attaining a degree in psychotherapy and counseling can be a real benefit for you. In fact, in recent times, it has emerged as the basic requirement for a psychotherapist’s license in many European countries.

Moreover, it is also important to have the proper counseling psychotherapy training from an authentic psychotherapy training institute. The correct training can help you gain various skills that are required in this profession, for example;

* The ability to recognize fundamental theories or concepts of counseling and psychotherapy that need to be followed.

* The ability to utilise different models of counseling and psychotherapy depending upon the clinical situation.

* The ability to prepare and undertake responsibility for the application of theoretical modals, via individual client care plans that can be effectively utilized in different clinical situations.

However, the key point that one needs to understand is that psychotherapy training takes a long time and you will be required to undergo your own personal therapy. Besides this, as a trainee you may choose from a range of training opportunities from introductory counseling psychotherapy courses, through advanced diplomas, Degrees to PhD as well.

Once you complete your training and earn a degree, you can become a psychotherapist, and may perform private practice or join a larger organization. Today the opportunities for psychotherapists are numerous. All you require is a good training from a good training institute. It may take anywhere from two to five years to become a psychotherapist, depending on the level of education you wish to acquire, but after you complete your education, the rewards that you can enjoy are immense.

Looking for a sound career move? Think about becoming a Psychotherapist! Browse the site for the complete guide on Psychology courses, jobs and career information on counselling and psychotherapy for aspiring psychologists.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Amit_Kothial

Mental health professionals and staff thrive across the globe. Psychiatric counselling has helped patients a great deal in coming out of depressions, rectifying personality disorders, correcting insomnia etc. Aids Phobia is common among a large number of people. Possessing little or lack of knowledge about HIV, and misinformed about Aids, people panic and suffer from mental and physical aspects. There are many such psychic disorders and phobias, schizophrenic cases, nervous disorders that require the expertise of a psychiatrist to deal with these.

Anorexia is a very common psychological disorder and more so in today’s young girls. Anorexia is a mental disorder where a person stops eating or eats less for fear of getting fat. Eventually such habit leads to a loss of appetite. The concept of hour glass figure is a growing trend among today’s young girls and it has had disastrous effects on the body and mind. Anorexia nervosa is one of the most common psychiatric disorders among young women. 1% of all teenage girls suffer from the condition, while for boys it is 0.1%. The disease has physical side effects like infertility among women.

Like Anorexia, other common mental disorders include hallucination, depression, headache, fatigue, anxiety, confusion, erratic behaviour, hearing voices, and weight loss.

Psychiatry deals with what’s inside the head. And what’s inside the head is a result of some chemical imbalance which did not happen one fine day. The way people think, their beliefs, their culture and the experience, situations in life and a lot of other things tend to shape up their psyche, their thought pattern which might at moments or for a long time be seriously challenged due to circumstances. A psychiatrist through mental counselling and dosage of medicine try to revive the balance in the mind. The function of psychiatric treatment is to open the closed mind of the patient. The closed mindedness is what harms the patient who then undergoes tremendous depression, leading to symptoms of regular psychological disorder.

Schizophrenia is another common serious psychotic disorder and a consistent challenge in the field of psychiatry from a long time. It is an abnormal perception of reality that affects all five senses- sight, touch, smell, hearing, and touch. Hallucinations, bizarre delusions, abnormality in speech and disorganized thinking pattern, multiple and split personality traits, paranoia are common behavioral patterns among schizophrenic patients. People with schizophrenia usually suffer from major depression and anxiety disorders. Substance abuse including hard drugs remains a common problem. Social problems, such as unemployment, poverty and homelessness, are common. The average life expectancy of people with schizophrenia is about 10 years less than those without. One major reason behind this is the high suicidal rate among schizophrenics. Although not hereditary, Schizophrenia tends to run in families.

Delusion is another very common psychological disorder. People can have various degrees of delusions. In such cases, the patient holds on to his own idea about something even if it is wrong. The person might become so disillusioned, that he would not budge from his viewpoint even if presented with the correct facts. A person might believe that some conspiracy is going on behind his back. This might happen in workplace or at home. This leads to unrest, abnormal behavior, and rash reactions if the degree of delusion becomes high. Sometimes the patient’s beliefs get out of proportion and he might think of himself as Napoleon or Hitler or anyone else. Such short and long term delusions are common case studies in psychiatry.

Visual and/or auditory hallucinations must have had happened to everyone but the difference between normal and abnormal lies in the frequency of such hallucinations. People see things that are not there, or hear a voice as if someone called them. For people suffering from hallucinations, it happens often. Drug abuse is one reason for hallucination, where the treatment of drug abuse is more important than dealing with hallucination. For those hallucinating to a great extent without the help of any psychotic substance, psychological counselling and mild steroids and prescribed medicines work wonders.

The Department of Psychiatry in Vydehi Hospital provides exemplary clinical care, consultation services and treatment, both to inpatients and outpatients, along with crisis and emergency services. The department is devoted to the optimal recovery of patients suffering from psychiatric problems. The department has state of the art equipments for various therapies namely Biofeedback Therapy Relaxation therapy, Multi Behaviour therapy, Brain Polariser Sex Therapy, Aversion Therapy, Electro-Sleep Therapy, Electro-convulsive therapy. A different department deals with psychological issues and cases. The psychiatric services empower individuals to change their lives in a positive manner.

About The Author

Article written by Ranadwip Saha , working for Vydehi Medical College Bangalore.Who use to write blogs and articles in web.