TELECONFERENCE: What can I do when psychotherapy doesn’t work?

An International Support Group facilitated by Dr. Marshack. This Teleconference is only for members of Meetup. Click here for membership details and to register for this call.

Topic: TELECONFERENCE: What can I do when psychotherapy doesn’t work?

When: Friday, July 24th at 1 pm Pacific Time

Register: here.

This topic is so obvious to me that I completely forgot to write a description of the call. Even so several of you gave me grace and registered anyway. Or perhaps you know about this subject. Just in case you don’t, please read on.

First, psychotherapy is unlikely to work at all with your “Aspie.” They are not wired for the relationship format used by most psychotherapists. Therapists are trained to build on empathic rapport with clients. You’ve seen how well that works in your family! Expecting an “Aspie” to have empathy into your internal experience, or insight into their own is not realistic.

However, what does seem to work is to appeal to their narcissism. Yes, I mean it. “Aspies” have the same feelings as the rest of us. They feel sad and angry and depressed too. The ticket is to appeal to a plan that promises to make them feel better if they just follow the rules.

For this reason I recommend a coaching model rather than psychotherapy. In fact I offer this model online in my video sessions with “Aspies” around the world. It works because they need tools. They are not motivated by making you feel better but by feeling better themselves. Of course they want you to feel better too, but it isn’t first on their minds. They fully believe if they feel better, you will feel better about them.

Narcissism — get it?