Official Course Start Date: May 28(2024)

Exploring, identifying, and addressing the emotional narrative linked with early unmet needs are essential elements for formulating a robust conceptualization and effective implementation of treatment. This can be a triggering endeavor, especially when facing: 

1.     the self-righteous entitlement, neurotic victimization, approval-seeking, and bully/attack Overcompensating Modes of a covert or overt narcissistic client)

2.     the rigidly disparaging or unyielding demands of Inner Critic Modes

3.     the uncompromising (multiple) masks of Detached Protector Modes

4.     the angry (several forms), help-rejecting, compliant-surrendering, enmeshed, hyper-autonomous, avoidant, dependent, perfectionistic… Modes

At the heart of schema therapy, we have an approach capable of weakening and evacuating Maladaptive Coping modes, confronting, modifying, and converting Inner Critic modes. Healthy Adult responses replace self-defeating ones as schemas heal and clients find their authentic voices. Reflection replaces reaction. Using highly effective strategies grounded in emotional engagement, schema therapists are poised to correct the biased emotional experiences typically linked with ruptured attachments and early embedded unrealistic demands, imprinted messages of inadequacy and unlovability, devalued and diminished self-identity, poor limit setting, hypervigilance, neglect, and abuse.

Empathic Confrontation, in its many elaborations, is one of the most powerful strategies for fortifying the therapy relationship and deconstructing the painful underlying emotional narrative; escorting the client on a journey of reimagined experiences that fulfill unmet emotional needs and rescript lifelong biased messages related to self, others, and the future. 

Participants will learn how to:

A)  Identify and conceptualize the evolution of challenging and uncompromising modes.

B)  Cultivate a navigational treatment map.

C)  Apply one of the many elaborations of Empathic Confrontation strategies to:

1.     Fortify the therapy relationship

2.     Confront, address, weaken, modify, and convert compensatory, detached, angry, and critical modes 

3.     Create customized dialogues that embolden trust, safety, leverage, and enhance opportunities to access client vulnerability and emotional resonance

     D) Attend to the therapist’s own schemas and mode activation – how to sustain a sturdy, curious, and empathically attuned caregiver agency.

     E) Integrate effective experiential strategies designed to meet the primary unmet needs, especially those related to toxic shame, mistrust, injustice, and unconditional love/acceptance. 

CPD Hours: This course constitutes 18-hours of active professional development; attendees are provided with a certificate of completion.


Pricing: 16-Week (Standard; 289AUD) and 12 months (Extended; 325AUD). Access Options are available - (Some folks love more time with the materials). Scroll down for Pricing Options.

Scroll down for a sneak peek of the training curriculum with Wendy

US CE Credits Available: For those US-based therapists that wish to get continuing education credits (CE) for completing this training, please visit CEUnits.com after completion of the course. Details at:

https://www.ceunits.com/social-workers/237/Schema-Therapy-Online-Course-3-Empathic-Confrontation-Strategies-Navigating-Narcissism-and-Other-Challenging-Modes-in-Treatment/





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Your Presenter

Wendy Behary

LCSW, Advanced Schema Therapist and Trainer

President International Society of Schema Therapy 2010- 2014

With 25+ years of professional experience and advanced level certifications, Wendy Behary is the founder and director of The Cognitive Therapy Center of New Jersey and The Schema Therapy Institutes of NJ- NYC-DC. She has been treating clients, training professionals and supervising psychotherapists for many years. Wendy was on the faculty of the Cognitive Therapy Center and Schema Therapy Institute of New York (until the Institutes merged in 2012), where she trained and worked with Dr. Jeffrey Young since 1989. She is a founding fellow and consulting supervisor for The Academy of Cognitive Therapy (Aaron T. Beck’s Institute). Wendy served as the President of the Executive Board of the International Society of Schema Therapy (ISST) from 2010-2014.

Wendy Behary has co-authored several chapters and articles on Schema Therapy and Cognitive Therapy. She is the author of an international bestselling book, "Disarming the Narcissist...” (New Harbinger, 2nd edition, translated in 15 languages; 3rd edition, October 2021.) Wendy has a specialty in treating narcissists and the people who live with and deal with them. As an author and an expert on the subject of narcissism, she is a contributing chapter author of several chapters on schema therapy for narcissism for professional readers. She lectures both nationally and internationally to professional and general audiences on schema therapy, narcissism, interpersonal relationships, anger, and dealing with difficult people.

Her private practice is primarily devoted to treating narcissists, partners/people dealing with them, and couples experiencing relationship problems.

Training Curriculum


  Week 1: The Art of Empathy / Cultivating an Intention = Impact Outcome
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  Week 2: The Super-Sufferers and Virtuous Victims – Empathic Confrontation with Covert Narcissism
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  Week 3: The Chauffer of Shame! Effectively Confronting, Evacuating, and Converting the Inner Critic Mode
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  Week 4: Limits, Leverage, Bullies, and Entitlement: A Mode Profile of Narcissism and Overcompensation
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  Week 5: The Guard, The Cave, The Soldier, The Wall, The Bubble, The Fortress – Detached Modes
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  Week 6: Other Gnarly Challenges – Enmeshed Loyalty Mongers, Angry Modes, and the Chronically Disappointed
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  Bonus! Therapist Improv: Body and Drama Exercises to Fortify Your Empathic Confrontation Presentation
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