ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author attempts to understand issues of technique that may be helpful in such cases through some clinical vignettes and an examination of the transference–countertransference dynamics. She tries to tease out any differences between the narcissistic feeling of being “an exception” and the ego attitude of entitlement, in an effort to understand whether this has implications for technique. Although this is an exploration of extremes, psychoanalysts need to be reminded that narcissism is an important factor in healthy self-esteem, as is “a sense of entitlement”, for ensuring that they get the rights that they deserve. The author focuses on the two polarized extremes: either excessive, with considerable narcissism and grandiosity, or restricted, which they say is often a reaction formation where the patient is found to function in a modest and self denying way.
