Living with pathological narcissism: core conflictual relational themes within intimate relationships

Background Pathological narcissism is a severe mental health condition that includes disturbances in interpersonal functioning. Interpersonal difficulties by those affected include aggressive, domineering, cold and coercive behaviours which often result in strong negative reactions from others. We sought to examine the moment-to-moment patterns that emerge within close relationships between intimate partners and family members. Methods Participants (N = 15) were romantic partners (73.3%) and family members (26.6%) in a close and long-term relationship (+ 10 years) with an individual with pathological narcissism. Participants told verbatim relationship narratives involving five narrative interactions with their relative with pathological narcissism and five narrative interactions with others. Transcripts were coded using the using Core Conflictual Relationship Theme method. Participants also completed three versions of the Relationship Questionnaire, reporting on 1. their relationship style ‘in general’, 2. their relationship style ‘with their relative’ and 3. the relationship style of their relative. Results A total of 133 relationship episodes were analysed, comprising 783 components (wishes, responses of others and responses of self). While the identified wishes (e.g., for love, for support) were consistent between relative and non-relative narratives, there was significantly higher disharmony and lower harmony in narratives involving relatives with pathological narcissism. Described disharmony in these relationships involved the relative’s rejecting, subjugating and attacking behaviours, and participants rejecting and withdrawing behaviours. There was a prominent deactivation of participants attachment system when interacting with their relative with pathological narcissism, endorsing predominately dismissing relationship styles. Individuals with pathological narcissism were similarly rated as predominately dismissing. Conclusions Together, these results reflect the cycles of interpersonal dysfunction for individuals with pathological narcissism and their partners and family members. Treatment implications point to the risk of therapists withdrawing and dismissing a patient with high pathological narcissism in the countertransference. Strategies to monitor and manage these core relational themes in treatment remain a challenge.

Experimental Variation of Relationship Styles Draft Version Preprint

Objective: In psychotherapy process research, there is a lack of experimental designs that specifically explore which therapeutic style is helpful for which patient. Thus, the aim of this study was to test the feasibility of experimentally varying the therapeutic style under realistic conditions and how this affects alliance. Method: We defined two therapeutic styles (relationship-focused vs. problem-focused) based on the interpersonal circumplex. In a randomized two-group design, 64 healthy university students (70% female, Mage=23.78 years old, SDage=2.81) were assigned to one of the styles and received a single psychological counseling session on interpersonal conflicts. We checked the manipulation success using an adherence rating and counselors’ interpersonal impressions via the Interpersonal Message Inventory (IMI-R). Primary outcome was alliance (Working Alliance Inventory, WAI). Symptom severity (Symptom Checklist, SCL-K-9) was also assessed. Results: Analyses of adherence (p< .001) and IMI-R ratings (p< .001 in friendly dimension, p=.003 in hostile dimension) were hypotheses-conform to the proposed therapeutic styles. Alliance was highly rated in both conditions and by all raters. While clients did not show any group differences, counselor and observer ratings were significantly higher in the relationship-focused than in the problem-focused condition (p=.040; p=.003). In both groups, symptom severity decreased significantly after the session (p=.020).Conclusions: The experimental variation of the therapeutic style is feasible under realistic conditions with high overall alliance ratings. The novel experimental design may provide a basis for further process research. Mediator and moderator analyses could yield more detailed information on differential relationship forming and thus an individualized therapeutic style.

تشخيص اّليات عملية التعاون التنافسي الإلكتروني في شركات الاتصالات المتنقلة في مدينة كركوك-العراق

This research aims to diagnosing the vital mechanisms for completing the of Electronic Coopetition Process, then determined its levels in cellular companies in Kirkuk city in Iraq, as a field of study and as a source of gaining the data that collected by distributed questionnaire on the branches of three companies: (Zain Al-Iraq, Asia cell and Korek Telecom), the numbers of distributed questionnaire are (105), the researchers are recollected (95) questionnaire. This research appointment the analytical descriptive method for achieves its goals and treats its problem, by using some of the researching tools such as: interviews, questionnaire, and gains the results then formation of its conclusions, the vital one of these conclusions is: The process management model can contribute in building completed theoretical frame, as a developed model for analyzing the relationship styles among contributors, and describes the natural of electronic cooperative among competitors, these results are reinforced by Chi-Square values that enhance these factors in different levels in researched companies.

Building Competence in Practice with the Polyamorous Community: A Scoping Review

The landscape of relationships, gender, and sexuality continues to change rapidly across the world. This includes recognition of relationship styles such as polyamory, in which individuals have multiple romantic relationships with the knowledge and consent of all involved. In the academic literature on polyamory, social work perspectives are noticeably absent. Thus, a scoping review concerning social work, counseling, and polyamory was conducted to assess knowledge from the last decade and to contribute to the field. The themes that arose were the need for clinicians to examine their biases toward monogamy and polyamory, including perceptions of insecure attachment and a lack of commitment in polyamorous relationships. The literature also recognizes that polyamorous individuals often have fluid identities and sexual orientations. Finally, social workers have a duty to create a safe environment for polyamorous clients because of widespread societal stigma. As social work values client self-determination and examination of societal discourses, the field would benefit from further research into polyamory; this article is just the beginning.

Pengaruh Layanan Konseling Kelompok Dengan Teknik Problem Solving untuk Mengatasi Konflik antara Remaja yang Memiliki Insecure Attachment dengan Orang Tua

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh layanan konseling kelompok dengan teknik problem solving untuk mengatasi konflik antara remaja yang memiliki insecure attachment dengan orang tua. Penelitian ini menggunakan Quasi Experimental dengan bentuk pretest-posttest Nonequivalent Control Grup Design. Teknik pengambilan sampel yang digunakan adalah purposive sampling. Sampel penelitian ini adalah 10 peserta didik dengan skor level intensitas konflik yang tinggi. Sampel penelitian ini dibagi menjadi dua kelompok, yaitu 5 orang dalam kelompok ekperimen dan 5 orang dalam kelompok kontrol. Instrumen yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah relationship styles questionnaireI(RSQ) dan issue checklist(IC). Pengujian hipotesis menggunakan teknik Mann Whitney U-Test. Hasil pengujian hipotesis menunjukkan bahwa nilai Asymp.sig sebesar 0,008. Nilai probabilitas tersebut lebih kecil dibandingkan nilai signifikansi α (alpha) 0,05 yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini. Dengan demikian dapat disimpulkan bahwa H0 ditolak dan H1 diterima. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian dapat disimpulkan bahwa konseling kelompok dengan teknik problem solving memberikan pengaruh yang signifikan dalam menurunkan skor intensitas konflik antara remaja yang mengalami insecure attachment dengan orang tua.

Internet addiction in high school and university students: an evaluation in terms of various psychological, social and personal variables

The purpose of this research was to examine internet addiction among high school and university students in terms of interpersonal relationships, automatic thoughts and problem-solving skills. The sample of the study comprised a total of 480 participants: 195 (40.6%) high school and 285 (59.4%) university students. Females constituted 53.3% (256) of the participants and males 46.7% (224). In addition to a Personal Information Form, the Interpersonal Relationship Styles Scale, Automatic Thoughts Scale, Problem Solving Inventory and Internet Addiction Scale, for which validity, reliability and adaptation studies were performed, were used for data collection. A significant difference was determined between the groups with no or limited symptoms of internet addiction in terms of inhibitory interpersonal relationship styles, automatic thoughts and problem-solving skills. Inhibitory interpersonal relationships, automatic thoughts and problem-solving skills were identified as predictive of internet addiction.

A Brief Moral History of Psychotherapy

To grasp its moral history, psychotherapy’s profoundly and pervasively moral dimensions, its inextricable sociocultural connections, critics’ challenges to moral claims, the historical origins of moral ideas and practices, and some key historical trajectories of psychotherapy are addressed. Connections among professions, professional ethics, and morality (construed broadly); moral understandings of psychological problems and goals; and moral considerations concerning therapy techniques and relationship styles are emphasized. Finally, some changing interrelationships among psychotherapy, the self, society, and morality are reviewed.