Week 11: Psychotherapy With Personality Disorders

APA FORMAT PLEASE; ONE PAGE

Post a description of the personality disorder you selected. Explain a therapeutic approach (including psychotropic medications if appropriate) you might use to treat a client presenting with this disorder, including how you would share your diagnosis of this disorder to the client in order to avoid damaging the therapeutic relationship. Support your approach with evidence-based literature.

Week 11: Psychotherapy With Personality Disorders

Since personality represents who someone is at the deepest level, it is understandable that many people with personality disorders resist the idea that they have a fundamental dysfunction with their personality. Even when clients acknowledge that their personality problems are at the heart of their interpersonal problems, they often find it difficult to change. As the mental health professional, how do you overcome this challenge and effectively counsel these clients?

This week, as you explore psychotherapy with personality disorders, you examine therapeutic approaches to treating clients with personality and interpersonal problems. You also develop a client termination summary for a client who may be ready to complete therapy.

Photo Credit: [Tempura]/[E+]/Getty Images

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Learning Resources

REQUIRED READINGS

American Nurses Association. (2014). Psychiatric-mental health nursing: Scope and standards of practice (2nd ed.). Washington, DC: Author.

• Standard 5H “Psychotherapy” (pages 63-64)

Wheeler, K. (Ed.). (2014). Psychotherapy for the advanced practice psychiatric nurse: A how-to guide for evidence-based practice (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.

• Chapter 20, “Termination and Outcome Evaluation” (Review pp. 693–712)

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
Note: You will access this text from the Walden Library databases.

Dixon-Gordon, K. L., Turner, B. J., & Chapman, A. L. (2011). Psychotherapy for personality disorders. International Review of Psychiatry, 23(3), 282–302. doi:10.3109/09540261.2011.586992
Note: You will access this text from the Walden Library databases.

Lorentzen, S., Ruud, T., Fjeldstad, A., & Høglend, P. A. (2015). Personality disorder moderates outcome in short- and long-term group analytic psychotherapy: A randomized clinical trial. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 54(2), 129–146. doi:10.1111/bjc.12065
Note: You will access this text from the Walden Library databases.

Paris, J. (2004). Personality disorders over time: Implications for psychotherapy. American Journal of Psychotherapy, 58(4), 420–429. PMID: 15807086
Note: You will access this text from the Walden Library databases.

Swift, J. K., & Greenberg, R. P. (2015). What is premature termination, and why does it occur? In Premature termination in psychotherapy: Strategies for engaging clients and improving outcomes (pp. 11–31). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. doi:10.1037/14469-002
Note: You will access this text from the Walden Library databases.

OPTIONAL RESOURCES

Dorr, D. (1999). Approaching psychotherapy of the personality disorders from the Millon perspective. Journal of Personality Assessment, 72(3), 407–425. PMID: 10491846

Bach, B., Lee, C., Mortensen, E. L., & Simonsen, E. (2016). How do DSM-5 personality traits align with schema therapy constructs? Journal of Personality Disorders, 30(4), 502–529. doi:10.1521/pedi_2015_29_212

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Discussion: Therapy for Clients With Personality Disorders

Clients with personality disorders often find it difficult to overcome their problems and function in daily life. Even when these clients are aware that they have a dysfunction with their personality and are open to counseling, treatment can be challenging for both the client and the therapist. For this Discussion, as you examine personality disorders, consider therapeutic approaches you might use with clients.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

STUDENTS WILL:

• Analyze therapeutic approaches to treating clients with personality disorders

To prepare:

• Review this week’s Learning Resources and reflect on the insights they provide.
• Select one of the personality disorders from the DSM-5.

Note: For this Discussion, you are required to complete your initial post before you will be able to view and respond to your colleagues’ postings. Begin by clicking on the “Post to Discussion Question” link and then select “Create Thread” to complete your initial post. Remember, once you click Submit, you cannot delete or edit your own posts, and cannot post anonymously. Please check your post carefully before clicking Submit!