Managing severe personality pathology, particularly Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), requires a structured yet deeply psychological approach. Richard G. Hersh, Eve Caligor, and Frank E. Yeomans’ (Springer, 2016) serves as a vital bridge between specialized individual therapy and everyday clinical practice. What is Transference-Focused Psychotherapy (TFP)?
The goal is to help patients integrate "split-off" parts of themselves (viewing self or others as all-good or all-bad) into a more nuanced, realistic sense of identity. Core Strategies for Clinicians
Using structural interviews to assess personality organization. Yeomans’ (Springer, 2016) serves as a vital bridge
TFP is an evidence-based, manualized treatment rooted in . It focuses on how patients experience and "live out" internal mental images of past relationships within their current interaction with the therapist—a phenomenon known as transference .
The 2016 volume by Hersh, Caligor, and Yeomans outlines a clear process for applying these principles across various settings: The 2016 volume by Hersh
Offering hypotheses about the patient's underlying motivations. Applications Beyond Individual Therapy
Establishing clear "contracts" that outline responsibilities and set limits on destructive behaviors like self-harm. Tactical Interventions: Utilizing techniques such as: Clarification: Asking for more detail on unclear points. realistic sense of identity.
Fundamentals of Transference-Focused Psychotherapy: Applications in Psychiatric and Medical Settings