Surviving Narcissism with Dr. Les Carter

With narcissists, the name of the game is mind control.  They have convinced themselves that they are on a higher plane than you, and it is therefore your duty to prop up their vaulted ego.  Of course, you know that their distorted thinking is not accurate, yet they can persist in the effort to keep you subordinate.  In this crucial discussion, Dr. Les Carter identifies eight of the...

There is a form of narcissism that is especially difficult: the sociopathic narcissist.  Sociopaths are known for their lack of a moral compass, their lack of compassion, and their strong tendency toward punitive anger.  Dr. Les Carter highlights twelve ways to identify a sociopathic narcissist.  As you become aware of their tendencies and how they wish to take over your distinction...

For any relationship to thrive, trust has to be paramount. And for trust to be established, honesty is essential. Narcissists, however, live behind the wall of the False Self. They have an exploitative agenda as they make connections, which means honesty is little more than a commodity that can be twisted to suit their immediate desires. A narcissist's "truth" is not truth at all, but an attempt t...

Academia tells us that narcissists are identified by an attitude of entitlement, the need for control, willingness to exploit, low empathy, and more.  Drawing upon his 40+ years of speaking with individuals in his therapy office, Dr. Les Carter expands upon the academic definition by highlighting 15 of the most common "off-label" indicators of narcissism.  As you see the many ways that a...

In this episode, Dr. Carter takes you inside the mind of a therapist, discussing the patterns he would identify in his patients.  He focuses on 4 universal truths (and more) that we each need to come to terms with, then highlights the healthy alternatives.  Then he focuses on the mind of a narcissist, describing how they tend to respond when confronted with the need for growth and change...

One of the finest qualities you can have is the desire to grow and learn. You know yourself well enough to understand that you can always improve, so that is part of the mindset you bring to your relationships.  But when you are engaging with narcissists, it eventually becomes apparent that they don't share the same eagerness to grow and learn. Instead, they think competitively, mea...

If you're trying to manage life honestly, your entanglements with a narcissist can prove to be especially difficult.  One of the defining features of narcissism is phoniness...the commitment to living behind the shield of a False Self.  In this episode, Dr. Les Carter offers multiple ways of identifying how narcissists illustrate their phoniness, then he goes behind the scenes to describ...

In an effort to convey how narcissists think in real time, Dr. Les Carter draws upon testimonials from members of Team Healthy who have received haughty comments from narcissists.  Not only do these comments reveal egotism, but they also illustrate how illogical (to the point of ignorant) narcissists can be.  As you are able to see through their entitled attitudes, you will be poised to...

It should come as a shock to no one that narcissists have a pervasive need to control people and circumstances, and in this episode Dr. Les Carter describes how it plays out.  But as you pull back and reflect upon the effectiveness of a controlling approach to relationships, you can quickly conclude...it doesn't work.  Control is an illusion.  Even as narcissists seem to score "vict...

Narcissism is defined by the need for control, a lack of empathy, an attitude of entitlement, self-absorption, and more.  Overt narcissists leave little to the imagination, and you can spot them rather quickly.  Covert narcissists have the same defining features, but they are much more deliberate in hiding their inclinations.  Over time, however, their real colors will eventually su...

Narcissism is definitely a hot topic in the world of psychotherapy, and as such, the word "narcissist" is prone to being misused or misunderstood. Dr. Les Carter gives you a solid working definition of narcissism so you can know what you're dealing with as you encounter individuals on the spectrum. The more clearly you understand this pattern of life, the more successfully you can plan to overcome...