speaker-photo

Wendy Behary, LCSW

With 30 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 more than 20 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 and served as the Training and Certification Coordinator for the ISST Executive Board from 2008-2010. She is currently the chair of the Schema Therapy Development Programs Sub-Committee for the ISST. 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…” translated into 16 languages. The Third Edition was recently released and was selected by Oprah Daily as one of the top books on the subject of Narcissism. Wendy has a specialty in treating narcissists and the people who live with and deal with them. As an author and subject matter expert on 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. She receives consistent high praise for her clear and articulate teaching style and her ability to bring the therapy to life through dramatic demonstrations of client interactions in the treatment room. Her work industry business speaking engagements focus on interpersonal conflict resolution. Her private practice is primarily devoted to treating narcissists, partners/people dealing with them, and couples experiencing relationship problems. Publications: Behary, W. T., Farrell, J. M., Vaz, A., Rousmaniere, T., Deliberate Practice in Schema Therapy (Essentials of Deliberate Practice), American Psychological Association; 1st edition (February 28, 2023). Heath, G., Startup, H., Schema Therapy: Advances and Innovation in Clinical Practice, Chapter Author, Behary, W., Empathic Confrontation and Limit Setting, Routledge Press, London, (2020). Beck, A.T., Davis D., and Freeman, A., Third Edition, Cognitive Therapy of Personality Disorders, Chapter Author, Behary, W., and Davis, D., Narcissistic Personality Disorder, Guilford Press (October 2014). Behary, W., Disarming the Narcissist…, New Harbinger Publications (Third Edition, October 1, 2021). Behary, W., Article: “Challenging the Narcissist, How to Find Pathways to Empathy”, Psychotherapy Networker, (July/August 2013). Ogrodniczuk, J., Treating Pathological Narcissism, Chapter Author, Behary, W., The Art of Adaptive Re-Parenting in the Treatment of Narcissism, APA Publications, (2013). Van Vreeswijk, M., The Handbook of Schema Therapy, Chapter Author, Behary, W., Schema Therapy for Narcissism, Wiley Publications, (2012). Campbell, W.K., and Miller, J.D., The Handbook of Narcissism and Narcissistic Personality Disorder, Chapter Author, Schema Therapy for Narcissism, Wiley Publications, (2011). Dieckmann, E., and Behary, W., Journal Article: German Publication: Schematherapie: Ein Ansatz zur Behandlung narzisstischer Persönlichkeitsstörungen, Translation: Pattern Therapy: A Beginning for the Treatment of Narcissistic Personality Disturbances, 2010. Behary, W., Article: The Way to Say It… Taking on Some of the Most Challenging Moments in the Treatment Room, In Consultation, Psychotherapy Networker, May/June 2010 Behary, W., Disarming The Narcissist…Surviving and Thriving With The Self- Absorbed, New Harbinger Publications, (First Edition, 2008). Behary, W., Article: The Art of Empathic Confrontation, Case Studies, The Psychotherapy Networker, (March/April edition, 2008). Shapiro, F., EMDR, An Integrative Psychotherapy Approach, Chapter Author, Zangwill, W., Young, J., and Behary, W., Integrating Schema Therapy with EMDR, American Psychological Association, (2002). Tarrier, Wells, and Haddock, Treating Complex Cases, Chapter Author, Young, J., and Behary, W., Schema Focused Therapy for Personality Disorders, Wiley Series in Clinical Psychology, (1998).
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Friday Dec 5th

DELIBERATE PRACTICE A BREAKTHROUGH METHOD TO DEVELOPING SCHEMA THERAPY MASTERY

Deliberate Practice is redefining how therapists build mastery. Just as musicians and athletes refine their craft through targeted, repeated exercises, Schema Therapists can now apply the same science of skill acquisition to clinical training. This session, led by two of the field’s foremost master trainers, demonstrates how deliberate practice turns knowledge into embodied expertise.

Participants will see how Schema Therapy’s most essential micro-skills—empathic confrontation, limited reparenting, and experiential dialogue—can be broken down, practiced, and strengthened through structured feedback and repetition. Using role-play and real-time feedback, the presenters show how small, precise improvements lead to major gains in clinical effectiveness.

This interactive session offers a rare chance to observe deliberate practice in action and to understand how it bridges the gap between theory and transformative therapeutic performance.

8.00 AM - 9.00 AM KEYNOTE

Thursday Dec 4th

KEYNOTE: 35 YEARS OF THE SCHEMA THERAPY MODEL OF JEFFREY YOUNG

Sustaining the Integrity of the Core Model

How do we protect what makes Schema Therapy work while continuing to evolve? Developed by Dr. Jeffrey Young, Schema Therapy blends cognitive, attachment, experiential, and psychodynamic traditions into one of the most effective models for clients long considered untreatable. As it spreads across cultures and settings, the challenge is to keep its core alive while adapting to new needs.

This session explores the essence of what gives Schema Therapy its power—transforming schemas, healing unmet needs, and using the therapeutic relationship as a force for deep emotional repair. Join us as we honor Dr. Young’s legacy and examine how true innovation begins by staying rooted in the principles that heal.

12.45 PM - 1:45 PM

Thursday Dec 4th

TREATING COUPLES WITH ISSUES OF NARCISSISM

Few dynamics challenge therapists more than couples impacted by narcissism. Guided by Schema Therapy and supported by other evidence-based approaches, this session examines how unmet core emotional needs and early attachment wounds create powerful schema chemistry—the unconscious pull that drives attraction, conflict, and emotional pain in intimate relationships.

Wendy Behary, internationally known for her expertise in narcissism and Schema Therapy, reveals how these dynamics evolve into cycles of control, mistrust, and emotional withdrawal. Attendees will learn practical interventions to manage narcissistic modes, strengthen empathy, and reduce defensiveness. Schema Therapy’s unique integration of individual and joint sessions provides a pathway to repair, allowing both partners to grow while rebuilding safety and connection.