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Current Psychiatry Reports

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01-08-2020 | Psychotherapy | Personality Disorders (K Bertsch, Section Editor)

How Personality Disorders Change in Psychotherapy: a Concise Review of Process

Authors: Ueli Kramer, Hélène Beuchat, Loris Grandjean, Antonio Pascual-Leone

Published in: Current Psychiatry Reports | Issue 8/2020

Abstract

Purpose of Review

The present review summarizes the current state of the art in psychotherapy processes during treatments for clients with personality disorders. We outline some methodological challenges in the discipline of process research, give a brief historical account on process research, and then focus on specific processes studied from an empirical perspective.

Recent Findings

The current review acknowledges the centrality of the therapeutic relationship, in particular the therapeutic alliance, therapist empathy, and responsiveness in explaining outcome across treatment modalities for personality disorders. The review describes evidence from three overall and overlapping lines of inquiry that have garnered scientific interest in the past years.

Summary

For emotional change (regulation, awareness, and transformation), socio-cognitive change (mentalizing, meta-cognition, and interpersonal patterns), and increase in insight and change in defense mechanisms, evidence is moderate to strong for these processes to contribute to healthy change in treatments for personality disorders, in particular borderline personality disorder. Avenues of future studies are outlined.

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Title: How Personality Disorders Change in Psychotherapy: a Concise Review of Process
Authors: Ueli Kramer
Hélène Beuchat
Loris Grandjean
Antonio Pascual-Leone
Publication date: 01-08-2020
Publisher: Springer US
Keywords: Psychotherapy
Borderline Personality Disorder
Published in: Current Psychiatry Reports / Issue 8/2020
Print ISSN: 1523-3812
Electronic ISSN: 1535-1645
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-020-01162-3

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

How Personality Disorders Change in Psychotherapy: a Concise Review of Process

Abstract

Purpose of Review

Recent Findings

Summary

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Purpose of Review

Recent Findings

Summary

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