The Narcissism of Kings :  Nero, Henry VIII, and Napoleon

This workshop is designed to educate and entertain through the compelling and fascinating lens of history.  Charismatic monarchs, self-proclaimed gods and demi-gods will be analyzed using object relations theory in a manner that most assuredly would have led to the burning, banishment, or beheading of even the most adept psychoanalysts of the time.  What happens to narcissism unfettered? Look no further than these megalomaniacs whose pathology led to world domination, atrocious acts of murder, unchecked greed, and gross acts of inhumanity.

This 3-hour(3CEU) workshop will offer a useful model upon which to better understand clients presenting with Axis II-type issues.  While borderline and narcissistic personality disorders will be exemplified through the lives of historical figures, the workshop will be useful in discussing more broadly disturbances in identity, primitive defensive systems, and impaired object relations.

Learning Objectives:

1.  Identify common family dynamics that influence the development of narcissism

2.  Review the course of narcissism across the lifespan

3.  Identify the primitive defenses used in borderline and narcissistic personality disorders

4.  Recognize the prognostic indicators that help determine mode of treatment

5.  Examine how the borderline/narcissist personality functions within interpersonal relationships (Anne Boleyn never had a chance)

Tracy Underwood, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist in private practice in Fort Worth.  She obtained her BA from the University of Texas in Austin in 1988 and her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Texas Tech University in 1996.  She specializes in bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, ADHD, and Asperger’s syndrome.  She is a national speaker on cognitive behavioral therapy for clients with problems in affect regulation.

Lunch provided for attendees from 12-1.