John F. Clarkin (EDT), Peter Fonagy (EDT), Glen O. Gabbard (EDT) Psychodynamic Psychotherapy for Personality Disorders

Annotation

This reference, written by 22 researchers and clinicians, reports on the latest work on psychodynamic psychotherapy for each of the Axis II personality disorders. The contributors assert that, contrary to common misconceptions, psychodynamic therapy is as effective as cognitive-behavioral therapy for personality disorders. The book will be useful to clinicians, graduate students, psychiatric residents, and psychoanalytic candidates. Part I, on personality pathology, reviews the object relations model of personality, attachment and personality pathology, the neurobiology of personality disorders, and assessment with the Shedler-Western instrument. Part II describes psychodynamic treatment approaches, such as mentalization-based treatment and transference-focused psychotherapy, for specific personality disorders, in both day treatment and inpatient settings. Each treatment chapter includes principles of intervention and clinical illustrations. Part III reviews evidence supporting the use of psychodynamic approaches in personality disorders, and looks ahead to changes in the DSM-5 diagnostic system. Clarkin is professor of psychology in psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College.