Field Development Accomplishments and Contributions

Field Development Accomplishments and Contributions Field Development Work 1980s-1990s Founded a Personality Disorder Program and created a dual-focus track for partners and children of Personality Disorders Began data collections and mapping of relational dynamics identified as ‘Pathological Relationships’ (today called Narcissistic and Psychopathic Abuse) Worked on re-development of inpatient Women’s Trauma/Women’s Personality Disorder Inpatient unit, […]
Narcissistic/Psychopathic Abuse: Common Errors in Treating and Coaching Survivors

Everyone is an ‘expert’ in helping survivors of narcissistic/psychopathic abuse. But are they really? Sandra L. Brown, MA’s book ‘Women Who Love Psychopaths: Inside the Relationships of Inevitable Harm With Psychopaths, Sociopaths & Narcissists’’ is the seminal book that launched the ‘narcissistic and psychopathic abuse’ field. In this mini book, this field pioneer gives an in-depth discussion […]
Narcissistic/Psychopathic Abuse: How Trauma Bonds and Cognitive Dissonance are Related.

Narcissistic and psychopathic abuse has long been associated with what is called ‘trauma bonds’ and also the condition that develops called, ‘cognitive dissonance.’ Why are these created and how are they connected? Sandra L. Brown, MA’s book Women Who Love Psychopaths is the seminal book that launched the ‘narcissistic and psychopathic abuse’ field. In this […]
Research on Survivors of Psychopaths

Call for Participants: Research on Survivors of Psychopaths Sandra is serving as Advisor Consultant for a new study being conducted by Jayne Dales-Tibbott, doctoral researcher at Metanoia Institute and Middlesex University in the United Kingdom. Dales-Tibbott is now seeking participants for her qualitative research entitled: The long road back to self. An exploration of the lived experience […]
Personality Profiles of Women in Relationships Involving Men with Pathological Personality Features

Personality Profiles of Women in Relationships Involving Men with Pathological Personality Features Authors and Contributors Katherine Lucas (0000-0002-6262-5933) Susan C. South (0000-0003-0341-7074) Sandra Brown Jennifer Young Douglas B. Samuel (0000-0003-3592-1523) Department of Psychology, Purdue University The Institute for Relational Harm Reduction Author’s Notes Katherine Lucas is now at the Department of Psychology at the University […]
Are You a Therapist Who Doesn’t Believe?

Are You a Therapist Who Doesn’t Believe?
Why Cognitive Dissonance is So Traumatic for Survivors of Pathological Love Relationships

Why Cognitive Dissonance is So Traumatic for Survivors of Pathological Love Relationships by Kristen Milstead, Ph.D. | October 3, 2021 In the 1950s, social psychologist Leon Festinger studied a group of people in a cult who were convinced an apocalypse was looming, and that UFOs were going to visit from planet Clarion and take the […]
Certification
Clinical Certification “Clinical Narcissistic Abuse Trauma Professional” Currently, The Association is working on a clinical certification as a ‘Clinical Narcissistic Abuse Trauma Professional’ (exact title is pending). The certification process is in the works but it does take some time for it to have any ‘meaning’ or ‘teeth’ in it. We are working with a […]
Trainings
Narcissistic/Psychopathic Abuse: The Clinician’s Guide to the New Field of Traumatic Pathological Love Relationships This training became available in July 2021 as a digital online two-day in- depth training. Take it at your convenience. This training is a pre-requisite for not only the next training coming up in late 2021, Treating the Survivor of Narcissistic […]
History of the Field
The History of the Narcissistic & Psychopathic Abuse and Relationship Field Copyright © 2019 by Sandra L. Brown, MA, The Institute for Relational Harm Reduction “If you don’t know history, then you don’t know anything. You are a leaf that doesn’t know it is part of a tree. ” ― Michael Crichton In an interview, I was […]