Identity, External Validation, and Control: Clinical Strategies for Assessment and Treatment

Course overview

This course examines the development and maintenance of externally anchored identity structures, in which self-worth is derived primarily from image, social perception, and controllable external variables (e.g., partner success, social standing, material indicators, and family behavior). Participants will explore underlying psychological mechanisms, including attachment dynamics, narcissistic adaptations, shame-based identity formation, and cognitive distortions, and will learn evidence-based interventions to support clients in developing a stable, internally grounded sense of self.