Nancy McWilliams: Diagnosis, narcissism, and borderline personality disorder
Three parts, three dimensions of diagnosis: character, dynamics, and complex personality organization in psychotherapy practice.
An online seminar with in-depth theoretical and clinical expertise.
Access the seminar — 89 €
⏱️ Duration: 4 hour 14 minutes (recorded)
💻 Format: online video, 720p
🌐 Languages: english (original), and russian (simultaneous translation)
📋 Certificate: generated automatically after viewing
📅 Access: 7 days after purchase
💳 Cost: 89 €
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What is this seminar about?
This seminar is an in-depth exploration of psychoanalytic diagnosis with a focus on the differentiation of characterological structures, especially narcissistic and borderline. Nancy McWilliams takes the listener through key concepts, showing how to distinguish a healthy narcissistic organization from a pathological one, how to identify signs of a borderline structure, and how these differences affect the course of therapy, alliance, transference, and countertransference. She demonstrates that accurate diagnosis is not a label but a powerful tool that can change the entire therapeutic strategy. This intellectual yet deeply empathetic seminar will be useful not only in the client assessment phase but throughout the entire course of long-term therapeutic work.
Key topics of the seminar
Types of diagnostic approaches: categorical, dimensional, psychodynamic.
The psychoanalytic structure of diagnosis: symptom, character, personality.
Clinical typology of narcissism: shame, anger, grandiosity, vulnerability.
Borderline organization: criteria, differentiation from other forms of pathology.
Diagnosis as a tool for understanding, not a label.
This seminar is for those who want to diagnose more deeply, work more accurately, and see the client’s structure, experience, and potential for change behind their behavior.
What you will get from this seminar?
- A comprehensive understanding of the psychoanalytic approach to diagnosis.
- Tools for recognizing borderline and narcissistic organization.
- The difference between narcissism as a defense and as a structural organization.
- Clinical examples and guidelines for case formulation.
- An explanation of how diagnosis influences the choice of therapeutic strategy.
Access the seminar — 89 €
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Who is this seminar for
- Psychotherapists who want to better understand the characterological structures of their clients.
- For clinical psychologists working with diagnosis and case formulation.
- For supervisors who help colleagues navigate complex client histories.
- For teachers and students studying psychoanalytic theory and practice.
About the lecturer
Nancy McWilliams, Ph. D., is one of the most influential figures in contemporary psychoanalytic psychology. She is Visiting Professor Emerita at the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers University (USA) and has a private clinical practice in New Jersey.
Her books have been used to train thousands of psychotherapists around the world. Among them are Psychoanalytic Diagnosis, Psychoanalytic Formulation, Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, and Psychoanalytic Supervision. All of them were published by Guilford Press. Nancy is also co-editor of the Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual (PDM-2), an alternative to the DSM model of clinical understanding of personality.
She is a former president of the Division of Psychoanalysis of the American Psychological Association (APA), an honorary member of the American Psychoanalytic Association, and an honorary member of the psychoanalytic communities of Italy and Poland. Her lectures have been heard by professionals in over 30 countries, and her books have been translated into twenty languages.
Her research and clinical interests focus on psychoanalytic psychotherapy, the relationship between diagnosis and treatment, criticism of DSM categorical thinking, and the examination of personality organization in complex clinical cases. She has also written extensively on narcissism, trauma, altruism, dissociation, and the integration of feminist approaches into psychoanalytic practice.
Frequently asked questions
📌 Will I receive a certificate after the seminar?
Yes, a certificate will be automatically generated after viewing and will be available for download in your account.
📌 Can I watch the video on my phone?
Yes, the seminar is available on any device: smartphone, tablet, laptop, computer.
📌 How long will the video be available?
7 days from the moment of payment. This is enough time to watch the lecture at your own pace. You can continue watching at any time by paying for additional days.
📌 How will I get access after payment?
Immediately in your virtual сabinet.
📌 Can I pay from abroad?
Yes, you can pay from anywhere except countries under international sanctions. We accept international bank cards: Visa and Mastercard. We use the secure WayForPay acquiring service.
Access the seminar — 89 €
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💬 Feedback
This seminar helped me rethink my own approach to diagnosis. For the first time, I saw so clearly how borderline organization differs from narcissistic organization. I am deeply grateful for the clarity and humanity of the presentation.
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