Discussed in this episode: What is narcissism, and what makes us vulnerable to it?  A listener’s letter regarding how to balance being independent and relational;   A three-step paradigm to counteracting narcissism: self-awareness, self-ownership, self-gift; The false dichotomy between isolation and dependency;  Using objective moral criteria to determine how to be a gift of self; God as the ultimate source of our validation Resources mentioned or relevant: Podcast series on Mental Health and the Spiritual Life:  Episode 66: Self-Ownership or Self-Surrender: What's My Responsibility Episode 65: Self-Compassion vs. Self-Denial: Finding the Balance Become a member of the Integrated Life Community to get access to every course Dr. Greg has created, AND the opportunity to participate in our Integrated Life “App Groups” (time-limited, group experiences covering topics like trauma, boundaries, and forgiveness)! Download The Integrated App for access to free Mindfulness audio exercises, the Catholic Mindfulness Virtual Retreat, Integrated Life Membership courses, and more; Sign up for our weekly newsletter, Being Human, to keep up with all the exciting things happening at CatholicPsych. Learn more about IDDM, Dr. Greg’s new model of treatment!  Visit the CatholicPsych BookShop Need help? Schedule a free 15-minute consultation call! Read the CatholicPsych blog. Explore resources from the CatholicPsych Institute.  If there is a topic or a question you would like Dr. Greg to address, please email your request to beinghuman@catholicpsych.com. We would love to hear from you! Rate, review, and subscribe: Please help us in our mission to integrate the Faith with Psychology by hitting subscribe and also sharing this podcast with your friends. Also consider rating or leaving a review of our show. It helps us reach other Catholics just like you who want to become more integrated, whole, and happy human beings. For Apple podcasts, click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate 5 stars, and choose “write a review”. Then type your sincere thoughts about the show! If you haven’t already, make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on any episodes. Subscribe to the podcast now!