Heal NPD
Dr. Mark Ettensohn, a clinical psychologist specializing in narcissism and related disorders, shares his professional perspectives on the topic. The podcast aims to provide insights into narcissistic personality disorder and its treatment. It offers a clinical yet accessible look at the condition for those affected or interested.
Episodes
The Birth of Sorrow | Part 3: Conflict and Defense In Neurotic-Level Narcissism
This is the third part of a three-part exploration of narcissistic personality style at the neurotic level of personality organization.
In this episode, Dr. Ettensohn examines the defensive architecture of neurotic-level narcissism, including the characteristic defenses that allow individuals to manage conflict, preserve relationships, and maintain self-esteem without resorting to the identity fra
Internal Absence: Emptiness in NPD
Dr. Mark Ettensohn examines the experience of emptiness in narcissistic personality disorder and other forms of personality pathology.
Rather than approaching personality disorders as collections of traits or behaviors, the episode frames them as disturbances in identity. Dr. Ettensohn outlines how the sense of self is constructed through early relational experience and how disruptions in that pro
Living with Pathological Narcissism: What Loved Ones Reveal
This episode continues the Heal NPD Seminar Series with Dr. Mark Ettensohn, joined by his associates Deanna Young, Psy.D., and Danté Spencer, Ph.D.
In this session, the group discusses the paper “Living with Pathological Narcissism: A Qualitative Study” (Day et al., 2020), which examines narcissistic personality pathology from the perspective of partners and family members.
Unlike most research on
The DSM's New Model of Personality Disorders: The Good, The Bad, and What's Missing
This episode continues the Heal NPD Seminar Series with Dr. Mark Ettensohn, joined by his associates Deanna Young, Psy.D., and Danté Spencer, Ph.D.
In this session, the group examines the Alternative DSM-5 Model for Personality Disorders (AMPD), a dimensional framework introduced in Section III of the DSM-5 and retained in DSM-5-TR. The model was developed in response to longstanding limitations o
Narcissism Is Not a Moral Category
Dr. Mark Ettensohn examines a growing tendency in public discourse to treat narcissism as a moral category rather than as a psychological construct.
The episode explores why this shift occurs and how misunderstandings about the nature of mental illness contribute to it. While many people intuitively apply a medical model to psychological conditions, most forms of mental illness do not operate i
Accountability Without Dehumanization
Dr. Mark Ettensohn addresses a question that frequently arises in discussions of narcissism and abuse: Is it possible to maintain accountability without dehumanizing? Can someone preserve firm boundaries without abandoning empathy?
Dr. Ettensohn clarifies a distinction he often sees misunderstood. When he speaks about compassion toward pathological narcissism or narcissistic personality disorder,
2025 Study: Narcissism Does Not Predict Abuse
This episode continues the Heal NPD Seminar Series with Dr. Mark Ettensohn, joined by his associates Deanna Young, Psy.D., and Danté Spencer, M.A.
In this session, the group examines a recent empirical study titled Coercive Control and Intimate Partner Violence: Relationship with Personality Disorder Severity and Pathological Narcissism (2025).
The discussion responds directly to common claims i
The Ethics of Narc-Abuse Content: Why 'It Helps' Isn't Enough
In this episode, Dr. Mark Ettensohn examines a common defense of online “narcissistic abuse” content: the claim that, even if imperfect or inaccurate, it ultimately helps people leave harmful relationships.
Rather than focusing on whether such content feels validating or empowering, Dr. Ettensohn explores the ethical and psychological implications of justifying misinformation, stigma, and moraliz
From Validation to Isolation: The Narc-Abuse Pipeline
In this video, Dr. Ettensohn examines the online narc-abuse ecosystem and explores how content that initially feels validating and supportive can, over time, become thought-constraining and socially isolating for some viewers.
Drawing on clinical experience and established research on high-demand systems, Dr. Ettensohn analyzes the rhetorical patterns commonly used across narc-abuse channels: the
Understanding Empathy in Narcissistic Personality Disorder
This video continues the Heal NPD Seminar Series, featuring Dr. Mark Ettensohn with his associates, Deanna Young, Psy.D., and Danté Spencer, M.A.
In this session, the group discusses Empathy and Narcissistic Personality Disorder: From Clinical and Empirical Perspectives (2014), examining the long-standing assumption that narcissistic personality disorder is defined by a lack of empathy. Drawing on
Narcissism and Suicide Risk: The Hidden Side of NPD
This episode continues the Heal NPD Seminar Series, featuring Dr. Mark Ettensohn and his associates, Deanna Young, Psy.D., and Danté Spencer, M.A. I
n this session, the group discusses a recent meta-analytic review examining suicide-related outcomes in narcissistic personality functioning. The conversation explores why studies using DSM-based diagnoses of Narcissistic Personality Disorder consiste
What About Narcissists Who Had a Happy Childhood?
In this episode, Dr. Mark Ettensohn responds to a common question: How can someone with a perfectly normal and mostly happy childhood develop narcissistic personality disorder?
The discussion challenges the widespread misconception that narcissism is simply a personality type, a collection of traits, or the result of genetics alone.
Dr. Ettensohn explains that pathological narcissism is a diso
Seminar Series 3: Beyond Traits - The Relational roots of NPD
This episode continues the Heal NPD Seminar Series, featuring Dr. Mark Ettensohn and his associates, Deanna Young, Psy.D., and Danté Spencer, M.A.
In this session, the group discusses Narcissistic Personality Disorder: Progress in Understanding and Treatment by Igor Weinberg, Ph.D., and Elsa Ronningstam, Ph.D.
The conversation examines recent advances in how clinicians conceptualize and treat
Seminar Series 2: Rupture and Repair - Principles of Treatment for NPD
This episode continues the Heal NPD Seminar Series, featuring Dr. Mark Ettensohn and his associates, Deanna Young, Psy.D., and Danté Spencer, M.A.
In this session, the group discusses Principles of Psychodynamic Treatment for Patients with Narcissistic Personality Disorder by Holly Crisp, M.D., and Glen Gabbard, M.D.
The conversation explores how psychodynamic clinicians conceptualize and trea
It's Time We Discarded The Myth of "The Narcissist"
In this episode, Dr. Mark Ettensohn challenges one of the most persistent distortions in contemporary discourse on narcissism: the myth of “the narcissist.”
He explains how this cultural archetype, an image of coldness, cruelty, and manipulation, has eclipsed legitimate clinical understanding of Narcissistic Personality Disorder.
Drawing on both the peer-reviewed literature and his clinical experi
Seminar Series 1: Defining Pathological Narcissism - The Criterion Problem
This episode marks the beginning of a new educational series from Heal NPD, featuring Dr. Mark Ettensohn and his associates: Deanna Young, Psy.D. and Danté Spencer, MA.
This series offers a rare window into clinical reasoning and supervision, bringing viewers inside real discussions about theory, diagnosis, and treatment of personality pathology. In this first seminar, the group examines an influe
From Ideal to Real: Lessons From My Father
Dr. Ettensohn reflects on the recent loss of his father.
Drawing on both clinical theory and personal experience, he explores how children internalize idealized images of caregivers as a source of safety and reassurance during times of vulnerability.
This episode examines how these idealizations can provide stability but also carry developmental costs if they are never gradually tempered by ordina
Dissociation is Key: Linking Splitting, DID, BPD, and NPD
Dr. Ettensohn expands on his recent episode exploring splitting as a dissociative process.
Drawing from clinical experience and developmental theory, he addresses a common question: What’s the difference between splitting, identity diffusion, and Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)?
Rather than viewing these as separate diagnostic constructs, Dr. Ettensohn presents them as points along a continuu
What If Splitting Is Dissociation? A New Way to Understand Narcissism
In this episode, Dr. Ettensohn offers a groundbreaking perspective on one of the most misunderstood features of pathological narcissism: splitting.
Drawing from the work of Philip Bromberg and his own clinical practice, Dr. Ettensohn reframes splitting not as black-and-white thinking, but as a dissociative process rooted in early relational trauma.
Rather than treating splitting as a rigid symptom
Signs You're Trapped in a False Self
In this Weekly Insight, Dr. Ettensohn explores subtle signs of false self experiencing. Drawing from clinical work and developmental theory, he reflects on how early relational demands can lead individuals to organize their identity around performance, compliance, or emotional suppression.
The episode examines how precocious self-monitoring, idealized emotional states, and internalized expectation
What Narcissism Isn't: Clearing Up the Confusion
In this Weekly Insight, Dr. Ettensohn addresses widespread misconceptions about narcissism by clarifying what the term does not mean. Drawing on clinical examples and years of engagement with public discourse, he explores how the label “narcissist” has become a cultural catch-all for behaviors that are often common, non-pathological, and only proximally related to Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Live with Dr. Ettensohn 6-12-25
Join Dr. Mark Ettensohn from Heal NPD for a live broadcast answering questions and responding to viewer comments.
Do Narcissists *Really* Lack Empathy?
What does it mean to say that narcissists lack empathy?
In this Weekly Insight, Dr. Ettensohn challenges the common assumption that low empathy is a fixed trait in narcissistic personality disorder (NPD).
Drawing from psychoanalytic theory and clinical observation, he explores how empathy in NPD often collapses in response to internal threat, and how this collapse is due to defenses rather than in
Weekly Insights: Is Narcissism the New Moral Panic?
In this Weekly Insight, Dr. Ettensohn examines the rise of moral panic within contemporary discourse about narcissism, particularly how popular online narratives have transformed psychological terms into tools of moral judgment.
In this Weekly Insight, Dr. Ettensohn examines the rise of moral panic within contemporary discourse about narcissism, particularly how popular online narratives have tran
The Birth of Sorrow | Part 2: Emotional Life in Neurotic-Level Narcissism
Link to episode 1 in this series, on psychotic-level NPD: https://youtu.be/IoxUCbNUJUE
Link to episode 2 in this series, on borderline-level NPD: https://youtu.be/Oz-C503q_9Y
Link to part 1 of episode 3 in this series: https://youtu.be/vUsnambadIE
This is the third episode of a four-episode series describing the narcissistic personality style across different levels of severity. Due to the lengt
The Birth of Sorrow | Part 1: Crossing into Neurotic-Level Narcissism
Link to episode 1 in this series, on psychotic-level NPD: https://youtu.be/IoxUCbNUJUE
Link to episode 2 in this series, on borderline-level NPD: https://youtu.be/Oz-C503q_9Y
This is the third episode of a four-episode series describing the narcissistic personality style across different levels of severity. Due to the length of the material, this episode has been divided into three parts. This is
Weekly Insights: The Myth of Hardwired Narcissism
In this video, Dr. Ettensohn examines the growing claim that Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) is almost entirely genetic, offering a critical, clinically grounded reflection on what the current science actually supports—and where it falls short. He discusses how genetic contributions to personality traits are often misunderstood, and why claims of “hardwired narcissism” oversimplify a profo
Weekly Insights: Healing Without a Therapist
In this Weekly Insight, Dr. Ettensohn shares an adapted preview from his upcoming video on narcissism at the neurotic level of personality organization. He reflects on what it means to move toward psychological integration, emotional complexity, and the capacity for self-reflection - especially for those doing this work without a therapist.
Drawing from clinical understanding and developmental the
Weekly Insights: It Feels Real...But It's Not - Grandiosity in NPD
In this Weekly Insight, Dr. Ettensohn explores the nature of grandiosity in pathological narcissism and Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD), emphasizing that grandiose self-states are distortions that mask underlying vulnerability. He examines how these states emerge, why they are so compelling, and how they become self-reinforcing through positive feedback loops.
Dr. Ettensohn also discusses
Weekly Insights: The Hidden Fear Behind NPD - Being Ordinary
In this Weekly Insight, Dr. Ettensohn explores the deep existential conflict at the heart of pathological narcissism and NPD: the fear of being ordinary. Drawing from a recent presentation by psychiatrist and psychoanalyst Dr. Salman Akhtar, he examines how the pressure to be extraordinary—instilled early in life—becomes a defining and isolating feature of the narcissistic identity.
Dr. Ettensohn
Weekly Insight: Do Narcissists Seek Therapy?
In this weekly insight, Dr. Ettensohn addresses the common misconception that individuals with Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) never seek therapy—and the even more misleading idea that simply wondering whether you have NPD means that you don’t.
This episode explores the origins of these myths, explaining how they stem from a misunderstanding of personality disorders and the role of insight
Weekly Insights: The Cycle of Narcissistic Dehumanization
The "Weekly Insights" series is for paid members of Dr. Ettensohn's Heal NPD Youtube channel. In the short-term, Dr. Ettensohn is posting all even-numbered episodes free of charge. If you would like access to the full series, please follow this link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHeT5kujD1JqHRAi-x8xD-w/join
In this weekly insight, Dr. Ettensohn explores how cycles of narcissistic wounding and
Weekly Insights: Reflections on Dichotomous Thinking
The "Weekly Insights" series is for paid members of Dr. Ettensohn's Heal NPD Youtube channel. In the short-term, Dr. Ettensohn is posting all even-numbered episodes free of charge. If you would like access to the full series, please follow this link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHeT5kujD1JqHRAi-x8xD-w/join
In this weekly insight, Dr. Ettensohn discusses the limitations of polarized or dichot
Weekly Insights: Narcissism vs. Self Love: Understanding the Difference
The "Weekly Insights" series is for paid members of Dr. Ettensohn's Heal NPD Youtube channel. In the short-term, Dr. Ettensohn is posting all even-numbered episodes free of charge. If you would like access to the full series, please follow this link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHeT5kujD1JqHRAi-x8xD-w/join
What’s the difference between healthy self-love and pathological narcissism?
In this w
Weekly Insights: Try This Instead of Gratitude
The "Weekly Insights" series is for paid members of Dr. Ettensohn's Heal NPD Youtube channel. In the short-term, Dr. Ettensohn is posting all even-numbered episodes free of charge. If you would like access to the full series, please follow this link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHeT5kujD1JqHRAi-x8xD-w/join
In this episode of the members-only "Weekly Insights" series, Dr. Ettensohn reflects o
The False Self: A Tragic Survival Strategy
In this episode, Dr. Ettensohn explores the insights of Alice Miller regarding emotional abandonment and narcissistic use of the child, focusing on how these early dynamics shape pathological narcissism and Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD).
Drawing from Miller’s groundbreaking work, Dr. Ettensohn examines how a child growing up in a narcissogenic environment learns to adapt by creating a
Without Emotional Skin: Understanding Borderline-Level NPD
In this episode, Dr. Ettensohn draws on psychodynamic dimensional models of personality development to describe narcissism and NPD at the borderline level.
Characterized by identity diffusion, blurred boundaries, and disrupted internal experience, borderline personality organization represents an "in between" level where the perceptions of the self and others float in and out of clear focus.
This
Live with Dr. Ettensohn 7-25-24
Dr. Mark Ettensohn answers questions and responds to viewer comments in a livestream broadcast from 7-25-24.
A Nameless Dread: Understanding Psychotic-Level NPD
In this episode, Dr. Ettensohn draws on psychodynamic dimensional models of personality development to describe narcissism and NPD at the psychotic level.
Characterized by compromised reality testing, symbiotic object relations, low integration between parts of the self, and the use of reality-distorting defense mechanisms, psychotic-level NPD represents both the least developmentally mature and m
Live with Dr. Ettensohn 4-26-24
Dr. Mark Ettensohn answers questions and responds to viewer comments in a livestream broadcast from 4-26-24.
Live with Dr. Ettensohn 3-14-2024
Dr. Ettensohn answers listener questions and responds to comments in a livestream broadcast from 3-14-24.
Lisa Taylor-Austin’s Interview with Dr. Ettensohn
This episode is the audio from an on-camera interview between licensed psychotherapist Lisa Taylor-Austin and Dr. Ettensohn. The video of this interview can be viewed on Lisa's youTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@LisaTaylor-Austin
This audio recording is posted with Lisa's permission. This discussion covers numerous topics, from treating pathological narcissism, the diagnostic criteri
Decoding NPD: The Critical Role of Attachment
In this episode, Dr. Ettensohn draws heavily on his own research concerning pathological narcissism and attachment patterns, using attachment theory as a lens to focus explanatory power onto the often confusing dynamics of NPD.
Beginning with a general overview of Bartholomew's four-prototype model of adult attachment, Dr. Ettensohn identifies the most common attachment patterns of individuals wit
5 Common Misconceptions about NPD
In this episode, Dr. Ettensohn addresses 5 common misconceptions about pathological narcissism and NPD:
1. NPD is not a mental illness
2. NPD is not treatable
3. Even if NPD is treatable, actual healing is impossible
4. All individuals with NPD are abusers
5. People with NPD change their behavior behind closed doors, so they can't be mentally ill
Using authoritative mental health resources like th
Boundaries, Assertiveness, and NPD
In this episode, Dr. Ettensohn discusses the important topic of boundaries. He provides a definition of interpersonal boundaries, discusses the reasons why boundaries are important for mental health and healthy relationships, discusses the problems with boundaries that often occur in pathological narcissism and NPD, and provides some basic tips for assertive behavior.
Purchase Unmasking Narciss
What Causes Narcissistic Rage?
In this episode, Dr. Ettensohn explores the possible causes of narcissistic rage, referencing the work of Ernest S. Wolf, a close collaborator with Heinz Kohut and author of the book 'Treating the Self: Elements of Clinical Self Psychology."
Dr. Ettensohn discusses the ways in narcissistic rage functions as a defense of the unbearably wounded self and results from implicit confusion between self a
Do Narcissists ”Know What They’re Doing?”
In this episode, Dr. Ettensohn discusses the topic of self-awareness in NPD. Numerous commenters have shared their belief that narcissists "know what they are doing"...that they are fully aware of the harm caused by their behaviors. Centering the conversation in the idea of mental illness, Dr. Ettensohn discusses the faulty attributions, skewed perceptions, and interpersonal deficits often associa
Why Narcissists Lack Empathy
In this episode, Dr. Ettensohn outline 4 reasons why empathy may be impaired in pathological narcissism and NPD:
1. Lack of self awareness
2. Objectification of the self and others
3. A 'starvation mindset'
4. Avoidant attachment styles
Dr. Ettensohn also discusses his disagreement with Dr. Ramani's ideas concerning empathy and NPD, as expressed in the following video on her channel: https://yo
Illness Anxiety and NPD
In this episode, Dr. Ettensohn explores the connection between illness anxiety and pathological narcissism. This episode explores how illness anxiety in NPD can be disguised anxiety about loss of self or psychological disintegration.
Purchase Unmasking Narcissism: A Guide to Understanding the Narcissist in Your Life here: https://amzn.to/3nG9FgH
LISTEN ON APPLE PODCASTS: https://rb.gy/cklpum
LIST
A Real Definition of Narcissistic Abuse
The term ‘narcissistic abuse’ has been, itself, heavily abused. Is has largely been a pop-psychology term that means different things depending on how and where it is used. It is often used to demonize individuals with pathological narcissism and NPD, who represent an at-risk population for depression, self-harm, and suicide.
In this episode, Dr. Ettensohn provides a new definition for narcissist
Why Narcissists Feel Empty Inside
In this episode, Dr. Ettensohn discusses the emptiness that individuals with pathological narcissism and NPD often experience using the concept of ‘Self as Object.’
Individuals with pathological narcissism and NPD often report having been treated as an object for someone else’s gratification in childhood. This early exploitation can cause profound disconnect from emotional authenticity, because i
Social Anxiety and NPD
In this episode, Dr. Ettensohn discusses the relationship between social anxiety and pathological narcissism and NPD, focusing on underlying fears of shame and humiliation, loss of self, and the legacy of relational trauma.
The second half of the episode discusses general strategies for addressing social anxiety.
References:
Sartre, J.P. (1964). Nausea. New Directions Publishing Corp.
Malignant Narcissism
In this episode, Dr. Ettensohn clarifies the concept of Malignant Narcissism, drawing on the model developed by theorist Otto Kernberg. Common misconceptions are dispelled. Object Relations Theory is used to discuss the origins of both NPD and Malignant Narcissism, highlighting developmental differences between each disorder.
Two meaning of malignant narcissism are discussed:
1. Malignant narcissi
Getting Integrated
In this episode, Dr. Ettensohn discusses the topic of integration. Pathological narcissism is a disorder in which different parts of the self are not well-integrated, creating large disparities and discontinuities in identity, self-image, and perception of others. This phenomenon is sometimes called "splitting," and is thought to be partly due to chronic relational trauma and neglect in early chil
Recognizing Resiliency in NPD
In this episode, Dr. Ettensohn discusses the importance of recognizing the resiliency of those who struggle with NPD and pathological narcissism. Each person's psychology is a story of survival. In our focus on deficits and pathologies, we often overlook the strength of the individual and the sometimes surprising and ingenious ways that they have found to survive.
References:
Rogers, C. (1980).
Answering Questions About Therapy for NPD
In this episode, Dr. Ettensohn addresses common questions about therapy for NPD, discussing the current lack of competent therapists, where to find therapists who understand narcissism, and why it isn't effective to treat NPD on your own.
References:
Blagys, M.D., & Hilsenroth, M.J. (2000). Distincitve activities of short-term psychodynamic-interpersonal psychotherapy: A review of the comparativ
The Role of the False Self in Narcissism
Dr. Ettensohn discusses the protective false self, highlighting its origins in childhood relational trauma and its role in maintaining narcissistic grandiosity. He also discusses important related issues including the role of grief in reconnecting with authentic self experience.
References:
Johnson, S. M. (1987). Humanizing the narcissistic style. New York: W.W. Norton & Co.
Kernberg, O. F. (19
The Legacy of Relational Trauma in NPD
Narcissistic individuals are often hypersensitive to feeling criticized, rejected, or humiliated. In this episode, Dr. Ettensohn traces the roots of interpersonal hypersensitivity in narcissism, giving special focus to a particular constellation of relational trauma thought to contribute to NPD. In addressing these issues, he discusses the here-and-now strategy of pairing self-compassion with pers
The Power of Acceptance
Acceptance is one of the most powerful tools in healing and recovery from almost any mental illness. In this episode, Dr. Ettensohn discusses what acceptance means, why it is so important, and how it applies to healing from pathological narcissism and NPD. This episode also includes instructions for practicing acceptance in the form of mindfulness meditation.
Music: www.bensound.com
Is It Vulnerable Narcissism or BPD?
Dr. Ettensohn discusses the differences and similarities between vulnerable narcissism and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD).
Music: www.bensound.com
Narcissism is a Disorder of the Self
Using concepts from Self Psychology, Dr. Ettensohn discusses problems in the self that cause pathological narcissism. Topics include the building blocks of self experience, selfobjects, and defensive adaptations that produce grandiosity.
References:
Wolf, E. S. (1988). Treating the self: Elements of clinical self psychology. New York: Guilford Press.
Music: www.bensound.com
Are You a Narcissist?
Dr. Ettensohn breaks down the core beliefs, feelings, and perspectives that characterize narcissism, providing examples of how these tend to look at both the mild and severe ends of the narcissism spectrum.
References:
Lingiardi, V., & McWilliams, N. (Eds.). (2017). Psychodynamic diagnostic manual: PDM-2 (2nd ed.). New York: Guilford Press.
Music: www.bensound.com
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