Treating Difficult Personality Disorders

Certainly, there is no lack of individuals with difficult personality disorders and who could benefit from therapeutic treatment. Yet clinicians are often reluctant to treat them as the process can be demanding and painful for both client and clinician. Treating Difficult Personalities is an essential and usable resource for therapists who have taken on patients whose disorders have had life long negative effects on their identity, work, and relationships.Experts in the field offer the most current information for the successful assessment and clinical treatment of this challenging client population and outline flexible treatment options for borderline, narcissistic, and anti–social personalities. In addition, the book addresses the question of countertransference one of the most acute problems in treating difficult personalities with reassuring, supportive advice to help practitioners deal with their own emotions while working with these provocative clients.

Foreword.

1. The Assessment and Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder(Michael Rosenbluth, Daniel Silver).

2. Dealing with Self–destructiveness in Borderline Patients(John G. Gunderson, Timothy Davis, Virginia R. Youngren).

3. Combined Treatment Approach with Borderline Patients( Alan Bardikoff).

4. Psychotherapy of Borderline Patients(Jerome Kroll).

5. Treating the Narcissistic Personality Disorder(Gary Rodin, Sam Izenberg).

6. The Assessment and Management of Antisocial Personality Disorder(Robert G. Ruegg, Caroline Haynes, Allen Frances).

7. Countertransference and the Difficult Personality–Disordered Patient( Howard E. Book).

MICHAEL ROSENBLUTH is chief of the department of psychiatry at Toronto East General Hospital. He is the co–editor of Handbook of Borderline Disorders (1992, International Universities Press).

"Practicing clinicians from all mental health disciplines will benefit from this practical guide for treating personality disordered patients who present unique and difficult challenges to traditional methods of psychotherapeutic intervention. Nationally recognized experts in the treatment of severe character psychopathology present their perspectives on the management of these difficult–to–treat borderline and narcissistic patients."

Liberally illustrated with clinical vignettes that speak vividly to the struggles of every clinician who works with these kinds of patients, this book is a `best buy′ for any practitioner who would undertake such challenges. (Howard A. Bacal, M.D., training and supervising analyst, The Institute of Contemporary Psychoanalysis, Los Angeles)

Provides an excellent resource for working with these challenging patients. (Brian Shaw, PH.D., psychologist–in–chief, The Toronto Hospital/Hospital for Sick Children)

This pragmatic volume goes a long way toward guiding us to improving the care for people with difficult personality disorders. (Paul E. Garfinkel, M.D., professor and chair, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto Medical School)