Effectiveness of Transpersonal Counseling Services in Handling Dark Triad Personality Disorder
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
This study aims to analyze the effectiveness of transpersonal counseling services in addressing symptoms associated with the Dark Triad personality traits—Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy. These traits, although subclinical, are associated with manipulative behaviors, lack of empathy, and a propensity for interpersonal exploitation. The increasing prevalence of such traits, especially among emerging adults in social environment, necessitates the exploration of novel therapeutic interventions. Utilizing a quasi-experimental design with a one-group pretest-posttest format, the study involved 30 participants identified with moderate levels of Dark Triad traits based on the Short Dark Triad (SD3) instrument. Participants underwent eight sessions of transpersonal counseling over a period of four weeks, focusing on mindfulness practices, guided imagery, and existential reflection to facilitate internal transformation. Paired sample t-tests were employed to analyze pre- and post-intervention scores. The results demonstrated statistically significant reductions in all three dimensions of the Dark Triad post-intervention (p < 0.05), with the largest effect size observed in Machiavellianism. These findings suggest that transpersonal counseling is not only a viable alternative to traditional cognitive-behavioral approaches but also uniquely capable of addressing deeper existential and spiritual dimensions of personality. The study supports the integration of transpersonal methods in counseling practices aimed at personality transformation and ethical development.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
References
Cohen, J. (2018). “Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences” (2nd ed.). Lawrence Erlbaum. Boorstein, S. (Ed.). (2016). “Transpersonal Psychotherapy,” SUNY Press.
Friedman, H. L., & Hartelius, G. (2013). Toward a transpersonal psychology for the 21st century. The Humanistic Psychologist, 41(2), 136–160.
Grof, S. (2008). Psychology of the Future: Lessons from Modern Consciousness Research. SUNY Press.
Jonason, P. K., Li, N. P., Webster, G. D., & Schmitt, D. P. (2009). The Dark Triad: Facilitating short‐term mating in men. “European Journal of Personality,” 23(1), 5–18.
Jones, D. N., & Figueredo, A. J. (2013). The core of darkness: Uncovering the heart of the Dark Triad. “European Journal of Personality,” 27(6), 521–531.
Jones, D. N., & Paulhus, D. L. (2014). Introducing the Short Dark Triad (SD3): A brief measure of dark personality traits. “Assessment,” 21(1), 28–41.
Muris, P., Merckelbach, H., Otgaar, H., & Meijer, E. (2017). The Malevolent Side of Human Nature: A Meta-Analysis and Critical Review of the Literature on the Dark Triad (Narcissism, Machiavellianism, and Psychopathy). “Perspectives on Psychological Science,” 12(2), 183–04.
Paulhus, D. L., & Williams, K. M. (2012). The Dark Triad of personality: Narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy. “Journal of Research in Personality.” 36(6), 556–563.
Vaughan, F. (2012). Transpersonal Approaches to Counseling and Psychotherapy. “The Journal of Transpersonal Psychology,” 14(2), 159–170.
Vaughan, F. (2015). “The Inward Arc: Healing in Psychotherapy and Spirituality”. Shambhala.
Walsh, R., & Vaughan, F. (Eds.). (2013). “Paths Beyond Ego: The Transpersonal Vision.” Tarcher/Putnam.
Wilber, K. (2010). “Integral Psychology: Consciousness, Spirit, Psychology, Therapy.” Shambhala Publications.