'What is Narcissism?' is one of the fastest-rising searches on Google, and articles on the topic routinely go viral. Yet the word 'narcissism' seems to mean something different every time it's uttered. The only certainty, it would seem, is that it's bad to be a narcissist--really bad. That's terrible news for millennials, who've been branded 'the most narcissistic generation ever.'

In Rethinking Narcissism, Dr. Craig Malkin--a Harvard Medical School Instructor and clinical psychologist with more than two decades of experience--offers a radically new model for understanding this often misused term. Narcissism, argues Dr. Malkin, is essentially a spectrum of self-importance--and everyone falls somewhere on the scale between utter selflessness and total arrogance. When we casually invoke the term 'narcissist,' most of us are referring to the shadowy outer edge of the spectrum, which can shade into dangerous psychopathy. Yet there are also those who live at the lower end of the spectrum--dubbed 'echoists' by Dr. Malkin. These, too, are people we know; people so fearful of attention or acknowledgment that they often seem to have no voice at all.

Drawing on his own research, as well as the latest findings in psychology, Dr. Malkin uses vivid stories of people from all walks of life to teach concrete strategies for spotting--and coping with--excessive narcissism. At the same time, he explains why embracing some degree of narcissism--the drive to feel special-- is essential to maintaining a healthy sense of self-worth. Using his new tool, the Narcissism Test, he not only guides readers through the process of measuring their narcissism, but also offers step-by-step advice to prevent unhealthy narcissism--and nurture healthy narcissism--in ourselves, as well as our partners, our colleagues, our friends, and especially our children.

As practical as it is wise, Rethinking Narcissism doesn't just help people avoid the temptations and dangers of extreme narcissism--and narcissists--in both the real world and cyberspace; it helps everyone, including people who don't feel special enough, find their voices and live more passionate, fulfilling lives.

Educational Objectives

Upon completion of this course, the clinician will be able to:

• Communicate to clients and or students a more complete understanding of narcissism and be able to clarify the connection between healthy and unhealthy narcissism.
• Administer an empirically-derived test, which encompasses both healthy narcissism and subtler forms of unhealthy narcissism.
• Communicate to clients and or students about echoism, or lack of healthy narcissism, what it is and how to cope with it.
• Employ a two-part attachment-based approach to reduce narcissistic behaviors.
• Help clients recognize and cope with unhealthy narcissism in the workplace, in children, and in social media, using strategies drawn from the latest research.
• Use evidence-based strategies to: help clients cope with narcissistic love ones; recognize dangerous narcissism sooner; and leave when necessary.

Syllabus / Course Instructions

• This course is suitable for CE for beginning, intermediate and advanced level clinicians.
• The Course consists of reading the selected book, successfully completing an online posttest and filling out a course evaluation.
• The printed book or ebook is not included. It must be purchased separately. We have supplied a link to Amazon.com for your convenience.
• Purchasing your course will give you access to both a printable copy of the test and an online version of the test. Print the test to use as a companion as you read the book and answer the questions.
• You cannot exit the online test once you begin, so have your answers available.

Additional Resources On This Site for CE

• The Gift of Therapy
  by Irvin Yalom: 10 CE Credits
• Getting Over OCD: A 10-Step Workbook for Taking Back Your Life
  Jonathan S. Abramowitz, PhD: 12 CE Credits
• The Bipolar Disorder Survival Guide: What You and Your Family Need to Know (2nd Edition)
  David J. Miklowitz, Ph.D.: 15 CE Credits
• Working With Narrative in Emotion-Focused Therapy: Changing Stories, Healing Lives
  by Lynne E. Angus, PhD, CPsych and Leslie S. Greenberg, PhD: 7 CE Credits
• Flourish: A New Understanding of Well-being
  by Martin E.P. Seligman: 13 CE Credits
• Emotion-Focused Therapy
  by Leslie S. Greenberg, PhD: 6 CE Credits
• ACT Made Simple: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
  by Russ Harris, MD: 11 CE Credits
• The Mindfulness Workbook for Addiction: A Guide to Coping with the Grief, Stress, and Anger that Trigger Addictive Behaviors
  by Rebecca Williams, PhD and Julie Kraft MA, LMFT: 7 CE Credits

Additional Resources Not On This Site

• American Psychological Association
• Association of Social Work Boards
• National Association of Certified Counselors
• National Association of Addiction Professionals

Bio: Craig Malkin, PhD

Craig Malkin, PhD is a psychologist, author and Director of YM Psychotherapy & Consultation, which provides psychotherapy and couples workshops. He's a former Chief Psychologist for Cambridge and currently teaches at Harvard Medical School. As a blogger for Psychology Today and the Huffington Post he frequently writes about psychology and relationships and works with media outlets such as Time Magazine, the The New York Times, and NPR. His new, critically acclaimed book, based on his preliminary research with the Narcissism Spectrum Scale (NSS), is Rethinking Narcissism: The Bad?and Surprising Good?About Feeling Special.