Authors: Marine Lavédrine and Andreea Gruev-Vintila
Setting boundaries is an important part of all relationships. It becomes even more important — and potentially life-saving — when you are interacting with a pathological narcissist. Those who are Self-Love Deficient (SLD), which is a new term for codependent, need to learn tools and strategies to set boundaries, even to the point of breaking up with someone.
One of the most effective techniques for setting boundaries and breaking free from a pathological narcissist is the “Of Course Method.” It may seem like a simple turn of phrase, but “of course” are two small words that hold huge power.
When Joey Ackerman was training to be a psychotherapist, her mentor told her that to truly understand gaslighting — a form of manipulation that often occurs in abusive relationships — she needed to rent the movie from which the term originated. Then they would talk about it.
Gaslighting “is a manipulative form of communication where a power differential exists,” said Angela Corbo, an associate professor and chair of communication studies at Widener University in Chester, Pa. It can occur in romantic relationships or friendships, between parents and children, when seeking medical care or even at work. “I see it as one party distorting information and preying upon another’s vulnerability,” said Corbo, who likened it to a “more sophisticated way of looking at bullying.”
September 25, 2020
By Doctor of Clinical Psychology
January 9, 2019 by narwisemaggie
Posted Nov 02, 2020