Dynamics of self-concept in the process of psychotherapy of narcissistic personalities as the focus of empirical research: Theoretical justification and methodological guidelines

Background. Narcissistic personality disorders represent a complex pattern of grandiosity, need for admiration, and lack of empathy, masking a fragile and vulnerable self. Therapy of patients with narcissistic personality traits is associated with technical difficulties and specific factors of proce...

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Main Author: Ivan E. Kharchenko
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Science and Innovation Center Publishing House 2025-04-01
Series:Russian Journal of Education and Psychology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://rjep.ru/jour/index.php/rjep/article/view/739
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author Ivan E. Kharchenko
author_facet Ivan E. Kharchenko
author_sort Ivan E. Kharchenko
collection DOAJ
description Background. Narcissistic personality disorders represent a complex pattern of grandiosity, need for admiration, and lack of empathy, masking a fragile and vulnerable self. Therapy of patients with narcissistic personality traits is associated with technical difficulties and specific factors of process and outcome. One of the key focuses in the psychotherapy of narcissism is working through the defects of self-concept. However, there is a clear lack of systematic studies on the dynamics of the narcissistic self in the process of therapy. Conceptualization of regular transformations of self-concept in individuals with narcissistic personality traits under the influence of psychotherapy will allow differentiating targets and strategies of therapeutic work, predicting crises and evaluating intermediate results. Purpose – to develop theoretical and methodological foundations for an empirical study of the dynamics of self-concept in the process of psychotherapy of persons with narcissistic personality disorders. Materials and methods. Theoretical and methodological analysis of the concepts of narcissism, models of self-concept, ideas about the dynamics of self in therapy. Systematization, generalization and operationalization of theoretical constructs for building the methodology of empirical research. Results. The specificity of the self-concept of persons with narcissistic personality traits, its polar structure, and conflicting dynamics of self-modalities are theoretically substantiated and described. The main directions and mechanisms of changing the narcissistic self in the process of therapy are considered: destruction of grandiosity, acceptance of the vulnerable self, achievement of self-cohesion. A plan for an empirical study of the dynamics of self-concept of narcissistic patients in the process of undergoing psychoanalytic therapy is presented, including a description of the design, stages, methods and hypothetical results of the work. EDN: NBMAPR
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spelling doaj-art-011d3d88e8184608960e8c8ecee9ce8a2025-08-20T03:51:30ZengScience and Innovation Center Publishing HouseRussian Journal of Education and Psychology2658-40342782-35632025-04-0116257860110.12731/2658-4034-2025-16-2-739739Dynamics of self-concept in the process of psychotherapy of narcissistic personalities as the focus of empirical research: Theoretical justification and methodological guidelinesIvan E. Kharchenko0Belgorod State National Research UniversityBackground. Narcissistic personality disorders represent a complex pattern of grandiosity, need for admiration, and lack of empathy, masking a fragile and vulnerable self. Therapy of patients with narcissistic personality traits is associated with technical difficulties and specific factors of process and outcome. One of the key focuses in the psychotherapy of narcissism is working through the defects of self-concept. However, there is a clear lack of systematic studies on the dynamics of the narcissistic self in the process of therapy. Conceptualization of regular transformations of self-concept in individuals with narcissistic personality traits under the influence of psychotherapy will allow differentiating targets and strategies of therapeutic work, predicting crises and evaluating intermediate results. Purpose – to develop theoretical and methodological foundations for an empirical study of the dynamics of self-concept in the process of psychotherapy of persons with narcissistic personality disorders. Materials and methods. Theoretical and methodological analysis of the concepts of narcissism, models of self-concept, ideas about the dynamics of self in therapy. Systematization, generalization and operationalization of theoretical constructs for building the methodology of empirical research. Results. The specificity of the self-concept of persons with narcissistic personality traits, its polar structure, and conflicting dynamics of self-modalities are theoretically substantiated and described. The main directions and mechanisms of changing the narcissistic self in the process of therapy are considered: destruction of grandiosity, acceptance of the vulnerable self, achievement of self-cohesion. A plan for an empirical study of the dynamics of self-concept of narcissistic patients in the process of undergoing psychoanalytic therapy is presented, including a description of the design, stages, methods and hypothetical results of the work. EDN: NBMAPRhttps://rjep.ru/jour/index.php/rjep/article/view/739narcissismpersons with narcissistic personality traitsself-conceptpsychotherapydynamics of self-concept changes
spellingShingle Ivan E. Kharchenko
Dynamics of self-concept in the process of psychotherapy of narcissistic personalities as the focus of empirical research: Theoretical justification and methodological guidelines
Russian Journal of Education and Psychology
narcissism
persons with narcissistic personality traits
self-concept
psychotherapy
dynamics of self-concept changes
title Dynamics of self-concept in the process of psychotherapy of narcissistic personalities as the focus of empirical research: Theoretical justification and methodological guidelines
title_full Dynamics of self-concept in the process of psychotherapy of narcissistic personalities as the focus of empirical research: Theoretical justification and methodological guidelines
title_fullStr Dynamics of self-concept in the process of psychotherapy of narcissistic personalities as the focus of empirical research: Theoretical justification and methodological guidelines
title_full_unstemmed Dynamics of self-concept in the process of psychotherapy of narcissistic personalities as the focus of empirical research: Theoretical justification and methodological guidelines
title_short Dynamics of self-concept in the process of psychotherapy of narcissistic personalities as the focus of empirical research: Theoretical justification and methodological guidelines
title_sort dynamics of self concept in the process of psychotherapy of narcissistic personalities as the focus of empirical research theoretical justification and methodological guidelines
topic narcissism
persons with narcissistic personality traits
self-concept
psychotherapy
dynamics of self-concept changes
url https://rjep.ru/jour/index.php/rjep/article/view/739
work_keys_str_mv AT ivanekharchenko dynamicsofselfconceptintheprocessofpsychotherapyofnarcissisticpersonalitiesasthefocusofempiricalresearchtheoreticaljustificationandmethodologicalguidelines