Understanding and identifying vulnerable narcissism in patients presenting with depression is of vital importance if we are to successfully treat them. Very little research has focussed on this type of narcissism, the other type being grandiose narcissism, which has occupied psychoanalytic thinking for decades. I will discuss what constitutes vulnerable narcissism, its manifestations, its complexity and the difficulties encountered in psychotherapy.

The Conversational Model provides us with ample guidance in the relational approach to vulnerable narcissism, by promoting a sense of agency in a previously helpless individual, developing trust in a hitherto distrustful and uncompromising and immature individual, and improve interpersonal relatedness, through empathic validation, clarification, reflection and re-presentation. This evidence-based approach, developed at first for the treatment of borderline personality disorder, has clinical utility for treatment resistant depression, the latter often being due to vulnerable narcissism which is often responsible for chronic depression, and is frequently overlooked, and with debilitating consequences.

Learning Objectives:

· Better understand vulnerable narcissism

· Be aware of the manifestations of vulnerable narcissism in depression

· Compare “neurotic” depression with “vulnerable depression”.

· Deal with ‘Shame’ in depression

Venue: Live Webinar (Zoom Link Embedded in your booking confirmation emails)

Date: Saturday, 21st March, 2026 

Time: 11.00 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Sydney/Melbourne/Canberra Time)

Cost: 120 (Non Members), 90 (ANZAP Members), 60 (Other Students), 40 (Westmead Students), 0 (ANZAP Students)

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