NARM Training Institute

This webinar, led by NARM Master Therapist Sherri Sharkins and NARM founder Dr. Laurence Heller, explores the NARM perspective on narcissism, challenging a misconception that narcissism is rooted in self-love. It explores how individuals can become identified with an image of themselves—whether idealized or despised—and how "failed narcissism" develops when a person cannot live up to their own unrealistic expectations. This dynamic often leads to cycles of self-judgment, self-rejection, collapse, and disconnection from one's authentic experience.

Through an in-depth exploration of NARM's Five Adaptive Survival Styles and their overt (pride-based) and covert (shame-based) expressions, this webinar clarifies how narcissistic identifications develop and why they can be so difficult to recognize and work with. You'll learn how shame-based identifications contribute to self-created suffering, how pride-based counter-identifications can obscure underlying vulnerability, and how curiosity and compassion can support deeper understanding in the therapeutic process. This webinar supports practitioners in recognizing narcissistic patterns with greater nuance and applying NARM principles in their clinical work.