Course Description

    This continuing education course explores the intersection between narcissistic personality features and attachment dynamics, integrating psychodynamic, attachment-based, and compassion-focused perspectives. Participants will examine how early caregiving patterns influence the development of narcissistic defenses, including grandiosity, shame, and emotional dysregulation. Through an evidence-informed synthesis of theory and practice, clinicians will learn to recognize the dual faces of narcissism, grandiose and vulnerable, and their corresponding attachment strategies. Emphasis is placed on therapeutic attunement, boundary clarity, and empathic containment as foundations for effective treatment. This is a NBCC and Florida Board Approved course for 2 CE hours.

Please review the course materials prior to purchasing the course. Often, individuals will print a copy of the course worksheet to complete while they view the course material. Once you are ready to complete the course, please enroll in the course and complete the course requirements, including the course post-test and course survey. You will receive your certificate automatically for printing or downloading after achieving an 80% or higher on the post-test and completing the course survey. 

Attachment and the Narcissistic Self Course Text.pdf

Attachment and the Narcissistic Self Course Worksheet.pdf

Course Author:  Bryan Glazier, PhD, LMFT, LMHC,, FL Qualified MHC/MFT Supervisor 

Course Time/Location: 1 CE Hour, Location: www.directceu.com (web-based, asynchronous/home study) 

Course Text: Attachment and the Narcissistic Self

Course Board Approval Statement(s): NBCC, Florida Board Approved

Directceu, llc has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7411. directceu, llc maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

directceu, llc (BAP # 50-17578) is approved by the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy, and Mental Health Counseling. directceu, llc maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

 Financial Disclosure Statement

directceu, llc is committed to providing our professional colleagues with unbiased information. directceu does not accept commercial support and our course authors have no significant financial interests or other conflicts of interest pertaining to the material.

Learning Objectives:

Through the completion of this course, participants will be able to:

  1. Describe the theoretical relationship between narcissistic personality development and early attachment experiences, drawing from psychodynamic and attachment frameworks.
  2. Differentiate between grandiose and vulnerable expressions of narcissism and their corresponding attachment strategies in clinical assessment and formulation.
  3. Apply attachment-informed and compassion-focused interventions to improve therapeutic alliance, emotional regulation, and self-other differentiation in clients with narcissistic traits.
  4. Demonstrate ethical and reflective practices, such as maintaining therapeutic boundaries and employing measurement-based care—when treating individuals with narcissistic pathology.

 Course Syllabus:

Theoretical Foundations

  • Evolution of narcissism: Freud, Kohut, and Kernberg
  • Attachment theory and the self-system

Clinical Presentation and Dynamics

  • Grandiose vs. vulnerable narcissism
  • Attachment insecurity and defense mechanisms

Therapeutic Approaches

  • Psychodynamic, schema, and attachment-based methods
  • Compassion-focused and mindfulness-informed interventions

Ethical and Professional Considerations

  • Boundaries, transparency, and reflective supervision

Measurement and Outcomes

  • PNI, ECR-R, and functional anchors for progress tracking