Transforming Narcissism: Buddhist and Psychotherapeutic Perspectives

Australian Association of Buddhist Counsellors and Psychotherapists presents: 9th Conference - 15th & 16th September 2018 in Sydney

Keynote Speakers: Pilar Jennings and Neville Symington

Pilar Jennings is a New York-based psychoanalyst and author of Mixing Minds: The Power of Relationships in Psychoanalysis and Buddhism and To Heal a Wounded Heart: The Transformative Power of Buddhism and Psychotherapy in Action.

Neville Symington is a leading Sydney based psychoanalyst and author of many books, including Narcissism: A New Theory and Emotion and Spirit. Neville is a former president of the Australian Psychoanalytical Society and senior staff member of the Tavistock Clinic, London.

 AABCAP Speakers: Louise Fisher and Eng-Kong Tan

 Louise Fisher is a psychologist working in private practice in Potts Point. She is also a Director of the DBT Psychology Clinic. She is a former Director of Training of AABCAP’s Professional Training Course.

 Eng-Kong Tan is a consultant psychiatrist and analytic psychotherapist. He is the Founding President of AABCAP, its first Director of Training and former Chairman of Training of the Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Association of Australia.

Registration Fee: AABCAP Members $450, Non members $490, Full time students and AABCAP PTC students $250 (fee includes lunch, morning and afternoon tea).

www.trybooking.com/383918

A $50 discount for Early Bird Registration, prior to 30th July 2018.

 Pilar Jennings presents “Healing the Selfless Self: When Buddhism and Subjectivity Collide”. In the history of Buddhist spirituality, the relevance of subjectivity has been challenged in ways that seem directly at odds with a psychoanalytic understanding of the human condition. Over time, and perhaps particularly in contemporary Western cultures, the Buddhist emphasis on self-transcendence has created opportunity for practitioners to consider the development and pitfalls of self-experience throughout the life cycle. In this talk, Pilar Jennings will explore the lively intersection of a Buddhist and psychoanalytic approach to narcissism in its various forms, with emphasis on the run from subjectivity in the Buddhist tradition, and the charge toward subjectivity in the analytic endeavour. Taken in tandem, these perspectives can illuminate the healing process of building up sturdy and supple self-hood.

Neville Symington presents “Transforming Narcissism by the Act of Understanding”. It is a source of pain and suffering for a person to be utterly alone and alienated from any shared experience, as often is the plight of the narcissist. In this talk, Neville tells the story of a patient who was suffering from being in this isolated state and how an engagement with her opened a doorway to a new and shared experience. Often this is the transformation required in the therapy of narcissistic disorders. A shared experience does not cancel out suffering but enables it to be embraced as part of the human condition, a process that is inherent in both spiritual and psychotherapeutic healing traditions.

 Louise Fisher presents “Narcissism: Therapist Views of the Therapeutic Journey”. Louise will present findings from her master’s thesis on narcissism. For this study, Louise interviewed nine therapists with an average of 30 years experience in working with clients high in narcissism. The findings offer practice-based evidence concerning effective ways of working with narcissistic clients to bring about a willingness to accept limitation and develop intimacy skills. She will discuss how aspects of Buddhism are also aimed at developing these qualities. 

 Eng-Kong Tan presents “From Narcissistic Self Investment to Development of Self-lessness”. Eng-Kong will briefly describe what makes sense for him as a clinician from analytic theories in the development of a narcissistic personality disorder. He will then attempt to delineate what works and what obstructs progress in therapy for narcissistic disorders from his clinical work. He will refer to the Buddhist teachings and practices he has found useful for the therapeutic dyad working in this challenging area.

Book your seat online today:  www.trybooking.com/383918

Venue: Crows Nest Centre,  2 Ernest Street, Crows Nest,  Sydney, NSW. 

Time: 9am-5pm both days