Malignant Narcissism & Power: A Psychodynamic Exploration of Madness in Leadership

Malignant Narcissism & Power: A Psychodynamic Exploration of Madness in Leadership

Friday, March 12, 2021

Registration 8:30am Program 9am to 12pm

Presented By: Charles Zeiders, Psy.D. and Peter Devlin, LGSW

Location: Online Workshop

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

3.0 CE Credits

Act 48 Credits Available

Drawing from their recent book, the presenters will generate leading-edge insight into the pathological impact of the Malignant Narcissist in Leadership (MNL). Each will offer a case study unpacking the essential elements of the mad leader, the MNL’s rise and fall, and the deleterious impact on those patients down-stream from his or her profoundly selfish, but bizarrely seductive, manipulative, and coercive style. Special care will be taken to offer assessment criteria of the MNL, the essential features of which are Narcissism, Criminality, Paranoia, and Sadism, and selected psychodynamic epidemiological features and interdisciplinary observations will be presented, drawing on cult studies, forensic psychology, and the humanities. While most clinicians encounter only the victims of MNL’s, the possibility of treating MNL’s themselves will be explored. Is it possible, or even safe, for a clinician to develop “sympathy for the devil?” Covered will be the patho-dynamics of totalitaria to answer the question, how do mad leaders form followers and gain ascendance? How do such actors transform otherwise normal people, families, and organizations in insanely controlled regimes? For attendees fascinated by organizational (mis) development, a totalitarian sampler will be offered depicting diverse mad leaders in the context of their cultic organizations, with remarks as to the clinical features of patients who dissent from the MNL’s vindictive domination. The presenters will discuss how mad leaders cause perversion of utopia, and shall offer clinically helpful notions about the MNL’s so-called god-drive, sexuality, and relation to Freud’s primal horde theory. Primacy of place shall be given to making the material relevant for the front-line psychotherapist.

Objectives:

1. Utilize case vignettes to a develop profile of the malignant narcissist in leadership (MNL).
2. Identify the four principal traits of malignant narcissism in leadership and associated features of this dangerous psychopathology, likely to lead to patient trauma.
3. Explain controversies surrounding the treatability of the MNL character.
4. Identify the pathogenic features of the MNL in the context of his or her cult-like organization, and identify specific manipulative behaviors MNL’s and their confederates use to gain followers, ascend to power, and maintain socially destructive power.
5. Analyze clinically useful insight regarding MNL pathology concerning sexuality, traumatizing style , and uncanny allure.

Charles Zeiders, PsyD, is the T.S. Eliot Lecturer for Humanities and Spiritual Psychology, Reformed Episcopal Seminary in metropolitan Philadelphia. A clinical and forensic psychologist, Dr. Zeiders is Practice Director of CCT Associates of the Main Line. His books include The Clinical Christ, Faith, Forensics, and Firearms, as well as volumes of depth-psychological poetry published by Fischer King Press.

Peter Devlin, LGSW, is a psychotherapist at Capitol Hill Consortium in Washington, DC. He received his BA from the University of Pennsylvania and his MSW from the University of Southern California. His research interests include trauma and the psychology of power.

PSCP: The Psychology Network is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. PSCP: The Psychology Network maintains responsibility for this program and its content.