Cited by 45Personality Disorders and PsychopathologyPsychoanalysis and Psychopathology ResearchPsychotherapy Techniques and Applications

The role of shame and self‐compassion in psychotherapy for narcissistic personality disorder: An exploratory study

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Kramer, Ueli, Pascual‐Leone, Antonio, Rohde, Kristina B., Sachse, Rainer·2018·Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy

Abstract

This process‐outcome study aims at exploring the role of shame, self‐compassion, and specific therapeutic interventions in psychotherapy for patients with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD). This exploratory study included a total of N = 17 patients with NPD undergoing long‐term clarification‐oriented psychotherapy. Their mean age was 39 years, and 10 were male. On average, treatments were 64 sessions long (range between 45 and 99). Sessions 25 and 36 were rated using the Classification of Affective Meaning States and the Process‐Content‐Relationship Scale. Outcome was assessed using the Symptom Check List‐90 and Beck Depression Inventory‐II. Between Sessions 25 and 36, a small decrease in the frequency of shame was found (d = .30). In Session 36, the presence of self‐compassion was linked with a set of specific therapist interventions (process‐guidance and treatment of behaviour‐underlying assumptions; 51% of variance explained and adjusted). This study points to the possible central role of shame in the therapeutic process of patients with NPD. Hypothetically, one way of resolving shame is, for the patient, to access underlying self‐compassion.

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  • A few pre-post studies have documented clinically significant change, including symptom reduction and improved functioning, among patients with narcissistic personality disorder.

    “A few pre-post studies have documented clinically significant change, including symptom reduction and improved functioning among patients (95–97) (Weinberg et al., 2019, unpublished manuscript)”

    From Narcissistic Personality Disorder: Progress in Understanding and Treatment (2022) · cites this paper as [97]

    The Results (Preliminary Analyses; page unavailable) report pre–post symptom reductions and reliable clinical change in patients with NPD. The study measured symptom distress with the GSI and BDI-II, but the passages do not report improved functioning, so that part of the claim is unsupported. (LLM, conf=0.86)

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Research works printed but not linked: 6

  1. Greenberg, L. S. (1999). Ideal psychotherapy research . Journal of Clinical Psychology, 55 (12), 1467-1480.
  2. Greenberg, L. S. (2015). Emotion-focused therapy: Coaching clients to work with their feelings. Second Edition. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
  3. Lewis, H. B (1971). Shame and guilt in neurosis . New York: International Universities Press.
  4. Ogrodniczuk, J. S. (2013). Introduction. In J. S. Ogrodniczuk (Ed.), Understanding and Treating Pathological Narcissism (pp. 3-12). Washington, D. C.: American Psychological Association.
  5. Ronningstam, E. (2005). Identifying and understanding the narcissistic personality . Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  6. Sachse, R., & Sachse, M. (2016). Effekte Klärungsorientierter Psychotherapie bei Klienten mit narzissistischer Persönlichkeitsstörung. In R. Sachse, & M. Sachse (Eds.).

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Authors
Kramer, U., Pascual‐Leone, A., Rohde, K. B., & Sachse, R.
Affiliations
  • Institute of Psychotherapy and General Psychiatry Services, Department of Psychiatry Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne Lausanne Switzerland
  • University of Windsor (CA)
  • University of Bern (CH)
  • Institut für Psychologische Psychotherapie (DE)
Venue
Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2017-12-19
Volume
25
Issue
2
Pages
272-282
ISSN
  • 1063-3995 (ISSN-L)
  • 1099-0879
OpenAlex
W2778835416
Cited by
45
References
45
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 3
FWCI
3.39
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • SERVAL (Université de Lausanne) (acceptedVersion, other-oa)
  • IRIS (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Disorders and Psychopathology
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychoanalysis and Psychopathology Research
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications
Keywords
narcissistic personality disorder, shame, self-compassion, therapeutic process, therapist interventions, procedural guidelines, underlying assumptions, long-term psychotherapy
MeSH terms
Adult, Empathy, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Personality Disorders, Psychotherapy, Self Concept, Shame, Young Adult

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