Psychotherapy of the narcissistic personality disorder patient: two contrasting approaches

Abstract

The differences in the theoretical and clinical approaches that Kernberg and Kohut have defined are used to discuss the psychodynamics and psychotherapy of the narcissistic personality disorder patient. Their contrasting contributions help clarify the nature of these patients' difficulties, the possibility that there is a spectrum of narcissistic disorders, the effect of existing theory and the personalities of clinicians-theoreticians on the collection of clinical data, and the effects of theoretical formulations on the psychotherapeutic process.