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Offering a sophisticated introduction to a contemporary psychodynamic model of the mind and treatment, this book provides an approach to understanding and treating higher level personality pathology. It describes a specific form of treatment called "dynamic psychotherapy for higher level personality pathology" (DPHP), which was designed specifically to treat the rigidity that characterizes that condition. Based on psychodynamic object relations theory, DPHP is an outgrowth of transference-focused psychotherapy (TFP) and is part of an integrated approach to psychodynamic treatment of personality pathology across the spectrum of severity -- from higher level personality pathology, described in this volume, to severe personality pathology, described in a companion volume, Psychotherapy for Borderline Personality: Focusing on Object Relations. Together, they provide a comprehensive description of an object relations theory-based approach to treatment of personality disorders, embedded in an integrated model of personality.

As a guide to treatment, Handbook of Dynamic Psychotherapy for Higher Level Personality Pathology provides a clear, specific, and comprehensive description of how to practice DPHP from beginning to end, presented in jargon-free exposition using extensive clinical illustrations. The authors offer a comprehensive description of psychodynamic consultation that includes sharing the diagnostic impression, establishing treatment goals, discussing treatment options, obtaining informed consent, and establishing treatment frame. Throughout, the book emphasizes fundamental clinical principles that enable the clinician to think through clinical decisions moment-to-moment and also to develop an overall sense of the trajectory and goals of the treatment. Among the book's benefits: Takes a diagnosis-driven approach, presenting a clear model of both the psychopathology and its treatment; Explains underlying theory and basic elements of DPHP for those first learning dynamic therapy; Offers an integrated, innovative synthesis of contemporary psychodynamic approaches to personality pathology and psychodynamic psychotherapy; Describes goals, strategies, tactics, and techniques of the treatment to demonstrate its flexibility over a relatively long course of treatment; Provides sophisticated discussion of integrating dynamic psychotherapy with medication management and other forms of treatment.

DPHP offers a broad range of patients the opportunity to modify maladaptive personality functioning in ways that can permanently enhance their quality of life. Handbook of Dynamic Psychotherapy for Higher Level Personality Pathology provides experienced clinicians with a hands-on approach to that method, and is also useful as a primary textbook in courses focusing on the technique of dynamic psychotherapy or in courses on psychodynamics. This is a very good book and methodology for the treatment of patients who are functional in most areas of their life but continue to have problems secondary to their personality issues. The breakdown of the guidelines from overall goals to moment to moment interactions in session is well done. The clinical examples are extremely useful in illustrating treatment points. * Doody's Book Review Service * As an extension of TFP to the therapy of higher level personality pathology, this text fills an important theoretical and clinical gap in the psychoanalytic literature. To my knowledge, it is the first psychoanalytic work to address work with this population. It expands psychoanalytic expertise into areas covered previously by cognitively oriented authors. * PsycCRITIQUES *

Handbook of Dynamic Psychotherapy for Higher Level Personality Pathology

PrefaceAbout the AuthorsChapter 1. Introduction and overviewPart I: Theoretical Understanding of Higher Level Personality PathologyChapter 2. A psychodynamic approach to personality pathologyChapter 3. Internal object relations, mental organization, and subjective experience in personality pathologyPart II: Psychotherapeutic Treatment of Higher Level Personality PathologyChapter 4. The basic elements of DPHPChapter 5. The strategies of DPHP and the treatment settingChapter 6. The techniques of DPHP, part 1: listening to the patientChapter 7. The techniques of DPHP, part 2: interveningChapter 8. The tactics of DPHPPart III: Patient Assessment, Phases of Treatment, and Combining DPHP With Other TreatmentsChapter 9. Patient assessment and differential treatment planningChapter 10. The phases of treatmentChapter 11. Combining DPHP with medication management and other forms of treatmentChapter 12. Concluding commentsReferencesIndex