And Utilize Specific Tools For Increasing Differentiation

Last month we talked about one defensive pattern of a narcissistic partner. This month we will address the low level of empathy in the narcissistic partner.

A narcissistic partner would never start therapy by saying this in an initial interview:

“I wish I could give even when it isn't convenient for me. However, I hate to admit I'm wrong and I have a very thin skin, so I frequently make demands or attack my partner. I wish I could make a sustained effort to give and respond in an empathic way. But, I am rarely giving or nurturing unless I feel like it.”

The narcissist will never say this because they do not give when it is inconvenient and they have minimal capacity to be psychologically separate from another person. By being separate we mean having clear enough boundaries that they can understand and accept another person having different emotional responses and different vulnerabilities than they themselves have.

Our favorite definition of empathy comes from Judith Jordan (1984) at The Stone Center. She defines empathy as, “A cognitive and emotional activity in which one person is able to experience the feelings and thoughts of another while simultaneously knowing his/her own thoughts and feelings.”

Another aspect of empathy is the ability to understand verbal or nonverbal communication of the cognitive and affective experience of what is being communicated to you while simultaneously knowing your own thoughts and feelings.

The narcissist struggles mightily with being empathic. A major flaw in the relationship often becomes evident when life circumstances or therapy requires one partner to function empathically towards the other. In fact many relationship breakdowns emerge when empathy is desired. Here are two recent examples:

1. The wife of a narcissistic partner was pregnant with twins. She was confined to bed and then hospitalized for the last eight weeks of her pregnancy. Her husband could not empathize with her fear that the babies would be born prematurely, her pain with early labor or her difficulty being confined to bed. Instead, he raged at how much she was inconveniencing him.

2. A husband and only child was called suddenly to go to Kansas when his 80 year old mother had a stroke. While he was at the hospital, his wife called and cussed at him for missing a friend's 40th birthday party. She could not understand why he didn't want to leave his mother under only the doctor's care.

USE THE INITIATOR-INQUIRER PROCESS TO IDENTIFY THE CAPACITY FOR EMPATHY
The inquirer role in the initiator-inquirer process will illuminate a partner's capacity for empathy. This role has 4 requirements:
1. Listen actively and recap.
2. Ask questions to understand the partner's feelings, thoughts or desires.
3. Respond with empathy.
4. Give several empathic responses until a soothing moment occurs. For thorough training on the Initiator-Inquirer Process, see our CD set “In Quest of the Mythical Mate Practice Development Kit”

A partner with a very low level of differentiation will respond vacantly. They will treat the other as an extension of themselves and expect the spouse to feel the same as they would feel in the same situation. They may even belittle a partner who feels differently or who exposes more vulnerability. And they will not be able to express any effective empathy.

A partner in the mid ranges of differentiation will be able to contain themselves to listen, will be able to recap and ask some questions and may show genuine curiosity about their spouse's feelings.

At higher levels of differentiation, the listening spouse will be able to empathize, and express compassionate understanding for the partner's feelings or divergent point of view without compromising personal integrity. The inquirer may even go beyond what the initiator says, add to it and truly help create a moment of soothing and shared understanding.

Asking an inquirer to be empathic is frequently stressful. When you ask a narcissistic partner to function in the inquirer role, you are stretching their capacity for differentiation. Empathy is a powerful way to promote differentiation. The primary purpose of the empathy is not to serve the initiating partner's desire for fusion but to increase the developmental capacity of the Inquirer. For the narcissistic partner, this addresses their self-centeredness and decreases their self absorption. Over time functioning in this role will increase their capacity for separateness and also help the narcissist learn to delay gratification by putting their own desires on hold.

The Initiator – Inquirer communication process is used by couples and therapists around the world to build more successful relationships. It helps couples manage emotionally stressful conversations and also give each other positive support.

Besides promoting empathy and personal growth in your narcissistic clients, the initiator-inquirer process will help you assess and intervene with your couples in a more targeted and precise way. Complete training on the technique is found in our CD set “In Quest of the Mythical Mate.” There you will find easy to follow examples by listening to clinical couples, hearing role plays and following specific transcripts of sessions that demonstrate developing empathy in the inquirer role.

For more information or to buy the program, find out about our Mythical Mate CD set.

Or, click for more information on my online couples therapy training program that provides you with the framework and confidence you need to work with couples and relationship partners.