This paper is about a long, ongoing, client-centered psychotherapy with a client diagnosed as having a Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Repeated childhood traumas were invisible during the intake and first few years of psychotherapy. An overview will be given of the development of the psychotherapy process between client and psychotherapist. Particular attention is paid to the way in which the client's own development parallels this process.
The beginning and middle phases of the therapy become visible, with theory from Client-Centered and Experiential literature. Attention is paid to the use of Focusing during the psychotherapy process. This discussion includes why Focusing was not preferable at first and then later on was used implicitly, for example, to look at body signals whose felt meaning, until then, were un-enterable for the client.
therapeutic attention, unconditionality, long-term psychotherapy
The tPeP (Journal Person-centered experiential Psychotherapy) is the scientific journal for Dutch and Flemish psychotherapists, psychologists, and psychiatrists, that work from, or are interested in a client-centered perspective.