The Codependency Cure™: Recovering from Self-Love Deficit Disorder™
When The Human Magnet Syndrome came out, it explained why a certain kind of person keeps ending up with a certain kind of partner. What readers wanted next was obvious, and they said so for years: that is useful, now tell us what to do. Ross Rosenberg’s answer was always that it would be in the next book, and the next book was going to take a long time to write. So he built this instead, and recorded it as the second day of a weekend, the day after he taught the Human Magnet material.
That sequence is worth knowing, because this course is the answer to a question rather than a standalone subject. Day one is the problem. This is the whole picture of the way out.
The centre of it is a reframing. He renames codependency as self-love deficit disorder, and the renaming carries an argument: that this is not a relationship habit or a personality flaw but a condition built from attachment trauma, core shame, pathological loneliness and addiction. If that is what it is, then treating it as a matter of better boundaries and firmer decisions was never going to work, which is his explanation for why it so often does not. Five and a half hours moving from there to what he calls self-love abundance, taking in the ten-stage model that gets someone there, how to handle narcissists along the way, and what changes once the underlying trauma is addressed rather than managed.
You’ll walk away with
- Self-love deficit disorder as a reframing of codependency, and the clinical argument for the change
- Why he treats attachment trauma, core shame and pathological loneliness as the causes rather than the consequences
- Codependency understood as an addiction, including what pathological loneliness has to do with it
- The ten-stage recovery model in overview, and how the stages fit together
- The Self-Love Deficit Disorder pyramid as a way of organising where a client actually is
- Why a codependent client cannot also be a narcissist, and why he thinks the distinction matters clinically
- Setting boundaries with hostile and dangerous narcissists, and managing the injury that follows
- The Observe Don’t Absorb technique and predictive awareness as preparation for boundary setting
- Power and control strategies narcissists use, named so a client can recognise them in the moment
- Why sex and romance are prohibited during certain stages of recovery
- Building a narcometer, his term for an internal early warning system a client develops over time
- The role of sadness and grief in recovery, and why forgiveness is treated as a choice rather than a requirement
Watch the course trailer
CPD Information For Mental Health Professionals
Enjoy complete flexibility with 100% self-paced learning you can access anytime, anywhere, and on any device. This course is included with your Tatra Training membership, along with every other course in the library.
Where this sits: this is the overview of the whole recovery picture, recorded as the follow-up to The Human Magnet Syndrome. A separate course teaches the ten-stage treatment model in full.
Course Duration: 5.5 learning hours
Certificate and CPD hours: On completion you’ll receive a Certificate of Completion to support your CPD records. Your certificates are yours to keep.
Assessment: Complete a short quiz at the end (80% pass mark), which you can resit as many times as needed.
Revisit Anytime: Come back to the course as often as you like while your membership is active, whenever you want a refresher for practice.
CPD Eligibility: This program may be suitable for CPD for professionals such as:
- Psychologists
- Counsellors and Psychotherapists
- Social Workers
- Community Workers
- Mental Health Nurses
- General Practitioners (GPs)
- Occupational Therapists
CPD requirements vary between professional bodies, so please check with your association or credentialing body to confirm you can claim CPD hours/OPD points for this program and what evidence they require.
Course Content
Meet Your Instructor
Individuals trapped in destructive relationships with narcissists - and the practitioners trying to help them break free from what seems like magnetic attraction to toxic partners - may need more than traditional codependency treatment to understand and heal the deeper patterns that keep them stuck. Ross Rosenberg has spent over 35 years developing groundbreaking theories about what he calls "The Human Magnet Syndrome," becoming one of the world's leading experts in narcissistic abuse recovery and the pioneer of "Self-Love Deficit Disorder™" as a revolutionary replacement for outdated codependency concepts.
As CEO/Owner of Self-Love Recovery Institute and bestselling author of The Human Magnet Syndrome (200,000+ copies sold in 12 languages, Amazon bestseller since 2013), Rosenberg brings unique expertise that combines clinical excellence with massive global reach. His 34+ million YouTube views, 310,000+ subscribers, and top 2% globally-ranked Self-Love Recovery Podcast demonstrate his exceptional ability to make complex psychological concepts accessible to millions worldwide. His latest work, The Codependency Revolution: Fixing What Was Always Broken, introduces his revolutionary Self-Love Deficit Disorder™ concept, fundamentally reshaping how we understand and treat codependent patterns.
Rosenberg's expertise spans codependency (Self-Love Deficit Disorder™), narcissistic abuse recovery, pathological narcissism, trauma treatment, gaslighting recovery, and what he describes as helping people break free from their "magnetic" attraction to partners who hurt them. His approach recognises that traditional codependency treatment often fails because it doesn't address the deeper self-love deficits that create vulnerability to narcissistic partners. He specialises in helping survivors of narcissistic abuse understand why they repeatedly choose harmful partners, develop the self-love necessary to break these patterns, and recover from the complex trauma that narcissistic relationships create.
What sets his training apart is theoretical innovation combined with authentic vulnerability. Rosenberg doesn't just teach recovery techniques - he shows practitioners and clients how to understand the unconscious "magnetic" dynamics that draw codependent individuals to narcissistic partners. His willingness to share his own recovery journey creates the authentic connection that facilitates deep healing in both professional and personal contexts.
For your practice, expect to gain specific techniques for treating narcissistic abuse trauma, tools for helping clients develop genuine self-love, and frameworks for understanding the complex dynamics that keep people trapped in toxic relationships. His approach particularly benefits practitioners working with domestic abuse survivors, those treating complex trauma presentations, or clinicians wanting to develop expertise in narcissistic abuse recovery.
Quick Win: Rosenberg's "Observe Don't Absorb" technique helps clients to create emotional boundaries with narcissistic partners - sometimes providing the first sense of personal power they've experienced in years while building the foundation for deeper recovery work.
Qualifications
- M.Ed., Counseling Psychology, Boston University, 1988
- B.A., Psychology, Towson University, Maryland, 1987
- Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC), Illinois
- Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC)
- Certified Sex Addiction Therapist (CSAT)
- 35+ years clinical experience (practicing since 1988)
Authored Books & Publications
- The Codependency Revolution: Fixing What Was Always Broken (2024, introduces Self-Love Deficit Disorder™ concept)
- The Human Magnet Syndrome: The Codependent Narcissist Trap (2018, Morgan James Publishing, complete rewrite)
- The Human Magnet Syndrome: Why We Love People Who Hurt Us (2013, Premier Publishing & Media, 200,000+ copies sold in 12 languages, Amazon bestseller since 2013)
- The Codependency Cure™ (treatment methodology book)
Media & Global Reach
- 34+ million YouTube views with 310,000+ subscribers
- Self-Love Recovery Podcast: Top 2% globally ranked, 245,000+ downloads
- Featured on: ABC Late Night, Fox News, WGN News, UT-San Diego News
- Regular contributor: Huffington Post, PsychCentral.com
- Featured in: Chicago Tribune, Publisher Weekly
- Hundreds of podcast guest appearances
Professional Experience & Leadership
- CEO/Owner, Self-Love Recovery Institute, Pensacola, FL, September 2013–present
- Owner, Clinical Care Consultants, Arlington Heights, IL, 2012–current
- Expert Witness, Narcissistic Abuse cases, current
- Owner, Advanced Clinical Trainers (professional training company)
Clinical Specialties
- Narcissistic abuse recovery and complex trauma treatment
- Self-Love Deficit Disorder™ (codependency) treatment
- Pathological narcissism and personality disorders
- Gaslighting recovery and psychological manipulation
- Sex and love addiction therapy
- Expert witness work in narcissistic abuse cases
Ready to help clients break free from their magnetic attraction to toxic partners and develop genuine self-love? Discover how Ross Rosenberg's revolutionary Self-Love Deficit Disorder™ methods can transform your understanding of codependency while giving you the tools to help survivors of narcissistic abuse create healthy, loving relationships for the first time.
Feedback & Reviews
This course includes:
- Lessons 2
- Topics 6
- Duration 5.5 hours
- Quizzes 2
- Language English