Traumatic Narcissism

Relational Systems of Subjugation

Nominated for the 2015 Gradiva Award

“A case in point about psychoanalytic theory and technique is Daniel Shaw’s brilliant book on psychoanalysis and Traumatic Narcissism. Dan’s exploration of the dynamics inherent in psychological abuse related to highly narcissistic parenting is thoroughly psychoanalytic, but it also is so trauma treatment savvy as to be breathtaking in its scope.”

— Richard Chefetz M.D., Author, Intensive Psychotherapy for Persistent Dissociative Processes: The Fear of Feeling Real.

In his book, Traumatic Narcissism, Daniel Shaw demonstrates how narcissism can best be understood not merely as character, but as the result of the specific trauma of subjugation, in which one person is required to become the object for a significant other who demands hegemonic subjectivity. Although primarily intended for the professional psychoanalyst and psychotherapist, Traumatic Narcissism is also a book that therapy patients and lay readers will find highly readable and illuminating.

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