The Narcissistic/Borderline Couple: New Approaches to Marital Therapy

Defining the narcissistic/borderline couple as "individuals who, when they are together, form a shared couple myth that gives rise to many collective fantasies," Dr. Joan Lachkar peels back the interactional layers to reveal a tightly woven network that underlies this type of relationship. She works methodically and creatively to demonstrate how two theoretical constructs--self psychology and object relations--can be integrated to create an effective conjoint treatment of marital pathology. Throughout, the author's distinctive voice, both scholarly and passionate, galvanizes the discussion. The opening chapters present well-rounded examinations of the narcissistic personality disorder and the borderline syndrome, incorporating the ideas of Kohut, Grotstein, Klein, Bion, and others. Once this foundation is laid, the narcissistic/borderline dyadic unit comes into focus and the metaphor of the "dance" is introduced to represent the complexity and momentum of the couple's behavioral patterns. Psychodynamics and their qualitative differences in the two disorders come to the fore next, followed by consideration of dynamic positions and transference formations, including the various counter-transferential issues evoked in the therapist. Dr. Lachkar then turns her attention to the theoretical implications and techniques used in therapy, and to concepts from group psychology that hold the Promise of expanding our view of the primitive aspects of the narcissistic/borderline couple. Finally, the two closing chapters offer a six-point systematic treatment procedure and case material that gives even greater dimension to the understanding of the narcissistic/borderline couple. Honest and illuminating--and refreshingly idiosyncratic--this volume will stimulate the thinking and practice of all therapists who work with marital discord.