Description
Book SynopsisThe therapeutic task, with patients of narcissistic disorders, necessitates a special form of attunement and a particular treatment stance that take into account the often hidden sensitivities and painful feelings that lie beneath the surface for both child and parent.
Trade ReviewA conceptual emphasis is matched by a clinical one in an altogether readable and valuable collection that brings together a wide range of quality papers on the broad theme of narcissistic pathology and its treatment in children and adolescents. -- Fred Pine, Ph.D.
Outstanding in its range, this book contributes to our understanding of children who often work strenuously to defeat those who attempt to alleviate their suffering. It is an important addition to the current literature on narcissism because it extends contemporary theoretical and developmental perspectives into the world of working with children and apprehending their inner lives as well as the contexts in which they live. -- Anni Bergman Ph.D.
Such detailed, thorough, and reflective accounts of psychoanalytic child treatment are hard to come by and will be prized by all teachers in the field. As a contribution to the current discourse on how narcissistic disorders are shaped by trauma, they will be relevatory even for those who work only with adults. The individual authors concur impressively in understanding children's cruel play and provocative attitudes in terms of the disruptions and distortions of early attachments and the regulation of mutuality, not just the regulation of attention or conduct. The therapists' struggles to stay honestly engaged in the face of these patients' subtle but long-enduring contempt will speak to everyone who works with children who have been hurt into not asking for help. -- Elsa First, M.A.
