In just about 100 pages the new book details:

- How to recognize the symptoms of subjugation trauma - the impact of coercive control and narcissistic abuse;

- How to identify the 8 behaviors of the traumatizing narcissist that cause subjugation trauma in victims;

- How to understand the psychology of the traumatizing narcissist and the developmental conditions that form the traumatizing narcissist’s personality;

- How to understand and heal the self-alienation and fragmentation that is the result of narcissistic abuse.

Please pick up the book on Amazon or at the Routledge site - I hope you will find it to be an important addition to your library.

I chose this image for the cover of my second book, Traumatic Narcissism and Recovery: Leaving the Prison of Shame and Fear, because it represents what I believe is the universal human journey, the journey of life. It is Albrecht Durer’s The Knight, Death and the Devil.

If we are hoping to live a life worth living, we are on the clock: we don’t have infinite time to get there. The Knight on his journey is being followed by Death on a Pale Horse, holding an hourglass with the sands of time running out.

Following behind the Knight is The Devil, the horned beast. I see the Devil as standing for Shame and Fear, instinctual human emotions that are hard to handle, and can become crippling and obsessive in adverse circumstances. The Knight cannot afford to allow the Devil to impede his journey.

To lead a life worth living, knowing we only have so much time and never knowing just how much time we have, we have to find ways to manage shame and fear. Shame and fear will impact all of us to some extent, but the impact is most painful for those who have suffered traumatization. Shame and Fear are protective instincts in some ways, but they can take over after traumatization, and draw us backward, not forward.

The point of healing and recovery from trauma is to become free to realize our potential to live a life worth living, whatever that means for each of us. Durer’s Knight knows just how challenging his journey is, he knows the obstacles that could hold him back and defeat him. He’s overcome many already, and will continue to meet and overcome the ones ahead. He inspires me to keep going, right up to the end of the journey.

How good it would be to know, in one’s final moments, that in spite of all the struggles and regrets, mistakes, losses, shortcomings and failures, that one’s life had nevertheless been a life worth living, that love had conquered hate, and that self-pity had been rejected in favor of gratitude for life, gratitude for love.

The author of the letter was not, in fact, a historian. He was a golf caddy. But Trump’s evident pride in the comparison revealed something to the two New York Times reporters about what drives his second presidency.

‘Trump was visibly in a state of pleasure to be in their company,” Swan told Vanity Fair. “He wants to be a great man of history.’ " From Vanity Fair, June 20, 2026

Donald Trump is the epitome of the malignant narcissist described by Erich Fromm, in his 1964 book The Heart of Man: Its Genius for Good and Evil. I cannot emphasize enough how brilliant Fromm’s insights in this book are, and how astutely and accurately he describes the psychology of Donald Trump, long before Trump ascended to power. I cannot recommend this book strongly enough to all those who are trying to study and chronicle the reign of Donald Trump.

Here are a few passages from Fromm’s The Heart of Man:

“A particular instance of narcissism which lies on the borderline between sanity and insanity can be found in some men who have reached an extraordinary degree of power. The Egyptian Pharaohs, the Roman Caesars, the Borgias, Hitler, Stalin, Trujillo-they all show certain similar features. They have attained absolute power; their word is the ultimate judgment of everything, including life and death; there seems to be no limit to their capacity to do what they want. They are gods, limited only by illness, age and death. They try to find a solution to the problem of human existence by the desperate attempt to transcend the limitation of human exis­tence. They try to pretend that there is no limit to their lust and to their power, so they sleep with countless women, they kill num­berless men, they build castles everywhere, they “want the moon,” they “want the impossible.”³² This is madness, even though it is an attempt to solve the problem of existence by pretending that one is not human. It is a madness that tends to grow in the lifetime of the afflicted person. The more he tries to be god, the more he isolates himself from the human race; this isolation makes him more frightened, everybody becomes his enemy, and in order to stand the resulting fright he has to increase his power, his ruthless­ness, and his narcissism. This Caesarian madness would be noth­ing but plain insanity were it not for one factor: by his power Caesar has bent reality to his narcissistic fantasies. He has forced everybody to agree that he is god, the most powerful and the wis­est of men-hence his own megalomania seems to be a reasonable feeling. On the other hand, many will hate him, try to overthrow and kill him-hence his pathological suspicions are also backed by a nucleus of reality. As a result he does not feel disconnected from reality-hence he can keep a modicum of sanity, even though in a precarious state.

Psychosis is a state of absolute narcissism, one in which the per­son has broken all connection with reality outside, and has made his own person the substitute for reality. He is entirely filled with himself, he has become “god and the world” to himself It is pre­cisely this insight by which Freud for the first time opened the way to the dynamic understanding of the nature of psychosis.”

“There are other examples in history of megalomaniac leaders who “cured” their narcissism by transforming the world to fit it; such people must also try to destroy all critics, since they cannot tolerate the threat that the voice of sanity constitutes for them. From Caligula and Nero to Stalin and Hitler we see that their need to find believers, to transform reality so that it fits their narcissism, and to destroy all critics, is so intense and so desperate precisely because it is an attempt to prevent the outbreak of insanity. Para­doxically, the element of insanity in such leaders makes them also successful. It gives them that certainty and freedom from doubt which is so impressive to the average person.”

Fromm’s wisdom and insight about malignant narcissism is unmatched. Read the book in full, at The Heart of Man: Its Genius for Good and Evil.

***************************

​Daniel Shaw LCSW

Author, Traumatic Narcissism Theory: A Contemporary Introduction

Website: www.danielshawlcsw.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/DanielShawLCSW

Substack:

On Traumatic Narcissism - Daniel Shaw LCSW

Psychoanalyst, author, teacher. www.danielshawlcsw.com. Also see https://www.routledge.com/authors/i21146-daniel-shaw

danielshawlcsw@gmail.com

Cell: (845) 548-2561

​​211 W. 56th St., Apt. 4K, NY 10019

719 W. Nyack Rd., Ste. 44. W. Nyack, NY 10994

www.danielshawlcsw.com

Click here for more info

Click here for all the info

Expert Talk & Book Release with Daniel Shaw: Understanding the Allure & the Dangers of Cults

• Thursday, June 11, 2026

• 6:00 PM 7:00 PM

Daniel Shaw is an award-winning psychotherapist, practicing in New York City and in Nyack. He is the author of three books on the subject of traumatic narcissism, the latest being Traumatic Narcissism Theory: A Contemporary Introduction, published in May of 2026 by Routledge.

At this talk, Dan will share excerpts from this most recent book, providing insight into the specialty of his practice and answering questions from the audience.

As a psychoanalytically trained professional, Dan has been recognized for his impactful work with cult survivors by The International Cultic Studies Association who presented him with the Margaret Thaler Singer Award for advancing awareness of coercive control and undue influence.

Reservations are required as space is limited for this event.

Dan will have copies of his new book available for purchase at the event, or you can order one online through the link below.

Get your copy here!

RSVP

CLICK HERE

I’ll be speaking on Zoom on Thursday, May 21st, 7-9pm ET to review the themes of the book: the psychology of the traumatizing narcissist, the nature of the traumatizing narcissist’s relational system of subjugation, and the clinical approaches that address the profound self-alienation suffered by the victims of subjugation trauma.

2 CEUS - the program will not be recorded. REGISTER HERE FOR THE ZOOM PRESENTATION.

To read about and order the book, click HERE, use code 26SMA2 for 20% discount.

Some reviews:

“Daniel Shaw’s work on traumatic narcissism is a gift to all of us who care about our own and others’ mental health. Therapists, counselors, educators, and people who have been on the receiving end of the dynamics he describes will appreciate Shaw’s unwavering determination to understand destructive narcissistic processes as he casts a psychoanalytic searchlight on a notoriously dark human space. Those of us who have worked with clients suffering narcissistic abuse often feel painfully inadequate as we witness the relentless damage to their self-esteem and even their sense of reality. This beautifully written book is the antidote to that sense of helplessness. I intend to recommend it to all my colleagues as well as some of my patients.

Nancy McWilliams, PhD, ABPP, Visiting Professor Emerita, Rutgers Graduate School of Applied & Professional Psychology.

“In his penetrating and timely study, Daniel Shaw offers a compelling and urgently needed psychoanalytic account of traumatizing narcissism – one that speaks with equal power to clinicians and general readers. Drawing on his unique personal experience as a former cult member, together with decades of clinical practice and a deep command of psychoanalytic theory, Shaw brings unmatched authority to a subject that devastates so many lives.

This book is a tour de force, extending beyond traditional diagnostic categories to formulate an original Traumatic Narcissism Theory. Shaw carefully maps how malignant narcissists develop and preserve their delusions of omnipotence by subjugating others, illuminating their developmental pathways and their destructive enactments in parenting, family life, and leadership. He ranges widely – through history, biography, literature, mythology, and even scripture – yet writes with clarity and elegance that make his insights accessible. The result is a work of both breadth and depth, offering survivors a path to reclaim dignity and freedom.”

Kenneth Frank, Author, Psychoanalytic Participation: Action, Interaction, and Integration.

“In this remarkably concise and brilliantly argued book, psychoanalyst Dan Shaw provides us with an overview of Traumatic Narcissism Theory. Based on decades of clinical work, Shaw offers psychotherapists and those subjugated by narcissists insight for understanding and pathways to recovery from the prison of shame and fear that narcissistic abuse often engenders.”

Ilene Philipson, Psychoanalyst, Sociologist, and Author, On the Shoulders of Women: The Feminization of Psychotherapy.

Best wishes,

Dan Shaw

danielshawlcsw@gmail.com

--

***************************

Daniel Shaw LCSW

Author, Traumatic Narcissism Theory: A Contemporary Introduction

Website: www.danielshawlcsw.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/DanielShawLCSW

Substack:

On Traumatic Narcissism

Psychoanalyst, author, teacher. www.danielshawlcsw.com. Also see https://www.routledge.com/authors/i21146-daniel-shaw

danielshawlcsw@gmail.com

Cell: (845) 548-2561

211 W. 56th St., Apt. 4K, NY 10019

719 W. Nyack Rd., Ste. 44. W. Nyack, NY 10994

www.danielshawlcsw.com

iarpp-members-list@listserv.iarpp.net. Press tab to insert.

The Israeli historian Omer Bartov argues in his new book that a “state ideology” of Zionism has led to what he calls genocide in Gaza.

I agree. The interview is here:

Omer Bartov Interview

I was interviewed for The Jung in the World podcast.

Link HERE

As part of the Introduction to Contemporary Psychoanalysis Series for Routledge, this new book summarizes and updates my work on traumatic narcissism. Books in this series must contain no more than 40,000 words, so I’ve made this concise and accessible for all readers, not just mental health professionals.

What kind of person is the traumatizing narcissist? How do they subjugate others? What are their most characteristic behaviors in relationships, families, and groups, and why do they behave as they do?

How can victims of the traumatizing narcissist understand how they got into a relationship with a traumatizing narcissist? Why do victims stay, how can they break free, how can they recover and feel confident that they will not make the same mistakes again?

What can therapists do to help these victims recover? What can victims do on their own to claim their freedom and their dignity?

These are the questions I address in Traumatic Narcissism Theory. To pre-order now on Amazon, click HERE. Or to pre-order on Routledge, press HERE.

An Extraordinary Account of a Dangerous Marriage

Having studied and practiced contemporary relational psychoanalysis for many years, I learned of Janina Fisher’s work when I was looking for more help, about ten years ago, specifically in my work with a client suffering from extreme episodes of depersonalization and de-realization. Fisher was the instructor for the Level 1 training in Sensorimotor Psychotherapy I completed, and from there I went on to read her excellent, comprehensive book, Healing the Fragmented Selves of Trauma Survivors: Overcoming Internal Self-Alienation. I also completed and was certified in Fisher’s Trauma-Informed Stabilization Treatment course.

Fisher has been a leading therapist and teacher of trauma treatment since the 1980s. Her trauma-informed psychotherapy model contains a unique integration of concepts from neuroscience research, attachment theory, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy (Ogden and Fisher), Structural Dissociation Theory (van der Hart et al.), and Internal Family Systems theory. Using the synthesis of these concepts as presented by Fisher in my work with clients over the last decade has been deeply rewarding, for me and for those I work with.

I am grateful for my foundation in psychoanalytic training, for my supervision and study with James Fosshage, Steve Mitchell, Lew Aron and Philip Bromberg, and for what I learned from the many other inspiring psychoanalytic teachers whose lectures I attended and whose books I read. My work has been enhanced immeasurably by integrating Fisher’s extraordinary understanding of the legacy of traumatic experience; by her deeply compassionate way of recognizing the importance and the dignity of all the wounded parts of trauma survivors; and by using the exceptionally effective tools she provides in her books and lectures that work to heal shame and fear, that create internal safety and strength, and promote the healing of self-alienation.

Her Embracing Our Fragmented Selves workbook is a great place to start to get to know Fisher’s work. Her website is an excellent resource to learn more about her other books and her courses: www.janinafisher.com

The Epstein Files begins to awaken thousands of MAGAs, Evangelicals, Deepak Chopra followers, and any adults who were abused as children - and slowly, all over the world, a great uprising of victims and their supporters breaks through the silence....

Here’s a script:

Hi, my name is [Your Name], and I’m a constituent from [Your City, State].

I’m calling to urge Senator [Name] to refuse to vote for any appropriations bill for the Department of Homeland Security that fails to rein in ICE.

Renee Good’s killing on January 7, is part of a broader pattern of unchecked violence, impunity, and abuse carried out by federal immigration enforcement agencies against our communities.

We can’t wait around while ICE harms more people. Senator [NAME] must push for an appropriations bill that puts serious restrictions on ICE, ends its dragnet raids, and doesn’t add a penny to its already bloated budget.

Greed has poisoned men’s souls, has barricaded the world with hate, has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed. We have developed speed, but we have shut ourselves in. Machinery that gives abundance has left us in want. Our knowledge has made us cynical. Our cleverness, hard and unkind. We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery we need humanity. More than cleverness we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost…

The aeroplane and the radio have brought us closer together. The very nature of these inventions cries out for the goodness in men - cries out for universal brotherhood - for the unity of us all. Even now my voice is reaching millions throughout the world - millions of despairing men, women, and little children - victims of a system that makes men torture and imprison innocent people.

To those who can hear me, I say - do not despair. The misery that is now upon us is but the passing of greed - the bitterness of men who fear the way of human progress. The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people. And so long as men die, liberty will never perish…

Soldiers! don’t give yourselves to brutes - men who despise you - enslave you - who regiment your lives - tell you what to do - what to think and what to feel! Who drill you - diet you - treat you like cattle, use you as cannon fodder. Don’t give yourselves to these unnatural men - machine men with machine minds and machine hearts! You are not machines! You are not cattle! You are men! You have the love of humanity in your hearts! You don’t hate! Only the unloved hate - the unloved and the unnatural! Soldiers! Don’t fight for slavery! Fight for liberty!

In the 17th Chapter of St Luke it is written: “the Kingdom of God is within man” - not one man nor a group of men, but in all men! In you! You, the people have the power - the power to create machines. The power to create happiness! You, the people, have the power to make this life free and beautiful, to make this life a wonderful adventure.

Then - in the name of democracy - let us use that power - let us all unite. Let us fight for a new world - a decent world that will give men a chance to work - that will give youth a future and old age a security. By the promise of these things, brutes have risen to power. But they lie! They do not fulfil that promise. They never will!

Dictators free themselves but they enslave the people! Now let us fight to fulfil that promise! Let us fight to free the world - to do away with national barriers - to do away with greed, with hate and intolerance. Let us fight for a world of reason, a world where science and progress will lead to all men’s happiness. Soldiers! in the name of democracy, let us all unite!