Johns Creek High School Auditorium Lobby
4/10/19 11:35am-12:25pm
You Asked For It and We Listened!
Join us for a Live Q&A Session with Lisa Van Der Merwe, LCSW, PC at JCHS!
Johns Creek High School Auditorium Lobby
4/10/19 11:35am-12:25pm
You Asked For It and We Listened!
Join us for a Live Q&A Session with Lisa Van Der Merwe, LCSW, PC at JCHS!
Narcissism is a spectrum of character traits. Narcissists have difficulty with empathy, they fail to appreciate that other people may have perspectives that differ from their own, and they struggle significantly with taking accountability for their own behavior. Essentially, it is all about them and their needs.
People often believe there is something wrong with them when they can’t entirely “get over” an extremely painful situation or loss. While I steadfastly believe that we have the capacity to emerge from these experiences stronger and healthier, the concept that we can somehow “undo” what has happened or arrive at a point in time when the pain permanently dissipates is often a fallacy. We may be able to vastly improve upon how we carry the burden, and reach a place where it no longer negatively dominates our lives, but an integral part of healing is accepting that we are in some way forever altered by what has happened to us.
The term “flying monkey” is widely used by mental health professionals to describe individuals who enable the narcissist and do their bidding. Sometimes this person has no idea that they are being manipulated by the narcissist. Because narcissists always view themselves as the victim, they are highly adept at convincing enablers that they aren’t at fault for the situation in which they have found themselves.
Whether we acknowledge it or not, we tend to view a happy, contented life as a fundamental right that can easily be acquired without too much thoughtfulness or the experience of discomfort. There’s often an inherent belief that if we live the life that we were raised to believe is “good”, happiness will just sort of magically follow. The reality is that nothing can be further from the truth.
Lisa Van Der Merwe, LCSW, PC
Northfall Professional Park
11795 Northfall Lane, Suite 601 | Alpharetta, GA 30009
ph. 770-356-4408
lisa@lvcounseling.com
Looking for counseling or have a question? Please email, call, or use the contact form to reach me.
I will respond within one business day.