Unaddressed trauma often resurfaces when folks with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) start pursuing their authentic goals.

These painful emotions, coupled with a lack of coping skills, lead them to revert to maladaptive behaviors such as substance abuse, self-harm, and binge eating.

This unconscious self-protection mechanism manifests as procrastination, preventing them from completing their tasks.

Elinor Greenberg’s Borderline, Narcissistic, and Schizoid Adaptations: The Pursuit of Love, Admiration, and Safety is a seminal work that delves deeply into the adaptive strategies individuals develop in response to their early emotional environments.

Greenberg’s approach is unique in its empathetic and non-pathologizing perspective, seeing these adaptations not as immutable disorders but as dynamic responses to specific developmental contexts.

Elinor is changing how we think about personality disorders at a time when we sorely need a new paradigm.

Concern and care for others' feelings are virtues we seek to instill in our children, yet they are sorely lacking in many adult Americans today.

Scientific research supports the notion that Americans care less for others and more about themselves.

Sara Konrath, PhD, an associate professor of philanthropic studies at Indiana University and director of the Interdisciplinary Program on Empathy and Altruism Research, has a lot to say about where we are as a culture right now.

Let’s discuss why empathy is declining and what we can do to increase kindness and compassion in our communities.

If you’re hoping that the narcissist in your life will change, a new study suggests you may have to wait a very long time. And even then, the change might be minimal.

A study published in the journal Psychological Bulletin analyzed 51 studies with more than 37,000 participants from North America, Europe, and New Zealand. The research explored how narcissism changes over a person’s lifespan.

While the researchers found that narcissism gradually declined with age, “the results show that this decline is not as large as one might hope,” said Ulrich Orth, the lead author and a professor of developmental psychology at the University of Bern in Switzerland.

Grieving the loss of a loved one is a deeply personal and often excruciating experience.

But what happens when a narcissist is faced with such a profound life event?

The grieving process for folks with Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) can be markedly different from that of others, shaped by their unique psychological makeup.

Understanding how narcissists grieve can shed light on their behavior and offer pathways for ways to offer compassion and support.

Psychopaths enjoy an undeserved reputation as evil geniuses. In reality, they aren't all that smart, though they can be surprisingly subtle, especially when they’re female.

Their willingness to lie and manipulate to get what they want is chilling, yet intriguing.

In this blog, I’ll review a dozen psychological studies on psychopathy, revealing their personality traits, dark secrets, and why some psychopaths can be relatively successful.

Let’s discuss the elusive Nice Guy Narcissist.

This charming specimen seems perfect on the surface—attentive, caring, and oh-so-polite. But as you look deeper, you might notice that there's something off about this seemingly perfect gentleman.

Let's dive into the 12 traits that define the Nice Guy Narcissist, shedding light on how to spot him early on.

Narcissism, often misunderstood and misrepresented, is an annoying and problematic personality trait.

While the term "narcissist" is frequently thrown around in popular culture, true narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) is a serious condition that affects how sufferers perceive themselves and interact with intimate others.

Understanding the 12 foundational traits of narcissism can help identify and address this disorder effectively.

Here, we’ll explore the 12 most prominent traits of narcissism, supported by social science research.

The Single Inventory Narcissism Score (SINS) is a psychological tool designed to measure narcissistic traits using just one straightforward question.

Unlike the more extensive Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI), which includes multiple questions, SINS offers a quick and simple assessment.

Why does this one question work so well in detecting narcissism?

Narcissistic mortification is a profound emotional experience characterized by intense feelings of shame, humiliation, and inadequacy.

This concept is especially pertinent in the context of personal relationships, where partners may inadvertently or intentionally trigger these emotions in one another.

As a couples therapist, understanding and addressing narcissistic mortification is crucial for helping individuals and couples navigate the complex dynamics that can arise from these deep-seated emotional wounds.

As a marriage and family therapist, I've seen firsthand how past traumas can cast a long shadow over present relationships.

A recent study published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships brings this into sharp focus.

It reveals that Israeli Arabs who experienced higher levels of physical abuse in childhood often face poorer marriage quality as adults.

These folks also tend to report higher levels of psychological distress and are more likely to exhibit insecure attachment styles.

As a couples therapist, I often hear the phrase, "The eyes are the windows to the soul."

But did you know that those windows can reveal an astonishing amount about a person's emotions?

Recent research suggests that the way people widen or narrow their eyes can tell us volumes about what they're feeling.

Let's explore the science behind this fascinating phenomenon and compare it to our well-documented struggle to detect lies.