Comparative Treatments For Borderline Personality Disorder

Within the field of clinical psychology, the term borderline personality disorder was developed to fulfill a diagnostic need and has come to possess specific stereotypes and negative meanings. Because the term borderline is an emotionally charged word, it can lead to a less-than-accurate view of the situation or patient being described, thus presenting a challenge to even the most experienced therapists and becoming one of the most complex disorders to treat.

Through the use of one case study, however, experts in borderline personality disorders have put this difficulty at ease. Applying a variety of modalities to identify treatment goals, including: selecting assessment tools, conceptualizing progression, pinpointing pitfalls, and developing techniques, diagnosing and treating BPD has created a more successful therapeutic result.

Freeman (psychology, University of St. Francis) reviews the characteristics of the diagnosis of borderline personality disorder (BPD), then presents a case history of a patient with BPD. Using this case study to demonstrate concepts, contributors apply a variety of modalities, such as self-psychological treatment and dialectical behavior therapy, to identify treatment goals, select assessment tools, conceptualize progress, and move toward a successful therapeutic outcome in the treatment of BPD. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:Gary B Kaniuk, Psy.D.(Cermak Health Services)
Description:The book compares nine treatment alternatives for borderline personality disorder using one specific case study. The reader is able to see how the authors would apply specific strategies to an actual case and what problems they would anticipate.
Purpose:According to the editors, "Our contributors have carefully examined the case of Linda and applied their theoretical and therapeutic skills toward developing a conceptual framework, a treatment direction, and a set of interventions that are designed to help the patient better cope. The book definitely meets the editors' objectives.
Audience:The book vaguely describes the audience by saying: "You, the reader, must be acknowledged for your interest and investment in treating this often maligned and underserved patient group. You are part of the front-line troops who will ultimately be in the consulting room with the patient." In my judgment, graduate students in clinical and counseling psychology and practitioners would be well served by this book. The authors and contributors are credible authorities.
Features:To demonstrate the nine different theoretical approaches to treating borderline personality disorder, each chapter is arranged in a similar manner in order to describe the clinical application of the specific paradigm including overview of the model, therapeutic goals, assessment, conceptualization, potential difficulties, prognosis, timeline, and specific techniques. This book is great because the reader can plainly see how the theories of personality are applied using the exact same case material. I particularly liked chapter 12, Similarities and Differences in Treatment Modalities for Linda, because the models are compared side-by-side by having the authors of each chapter answer specific treatment questions. This book will be especially helpful for students who have not fully embraced a theoretical orientation yet.
Assessment:I have nothing but good things to say about this book. It is well written, easy to read, and contains wonderful treatment information. Readers can see how a specific paradigm is applied and compare it to the eight other orientations, using the same case material. This is invaluable for graduate students and will keep clinicians on the cutting edge by showing how to treat a difficult patient population.

Arthur Freeman (EdD, ABPP), is visiting professor in the Department of Psychology at Governors State University, University Park, IL, a clinical professor in the Department of Psychology at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, and Director of Training at Sharidan Shores Care and Rehabilitation Center in Chicago. He is a Distinguished Founding Fellow at the Academy of Cognitive Therapy. Freeman has published widely in CBT and has lectured internationally. His work has been translated into twelve languages. He holds diplomas in clinical, family, and behavioral psychology from the American Board of Professional Psychology and is a Fellow of APA. Springer Publishing Company has published numerous of his books, including Cognitive Behavior Therapy in Nursing Practice, co-edited with Sharon Morgillo Freeman (2004), Cognition and Psychotherapy, now in its second edition, coedited with Michael J. Mahoney, Paul DeVito, and Donna Martin (2004) andBorderline Personality Disorder: A Practitioner's Guide to Comparative Treatments, coedited with Mark Stone and Donna Martin (2004, paperback 2007).

Mark H. Stone, PsyD, is a member of the Doctoral Care Faculty and a Distinguished Service Professor at the Adler School of Professional Psychology. Dr. Stone earned his BA and BM at North Park University, his MM at the Chicago Musical College, and his PsyD in Clinical Psychology at Forest Institute of Professional Psychology. He is a Diplomate and Fellow of the American Board of Professional Psychology and School Psychology and of the American Board of Medical Psychotherapists. He is a Certified Supervisor and Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse (AODA) counselor for Community Services for Drug and Alcohol Abuse (CSADC). He teaches courses in research methods, statistics and psychometrics, assessment of dementia, and other neuropsychological topics. His additional interests include Rasch measurement, data analysis, attention and memory, treatment of sex offenders, psychology supervision, and organizational counseling.

Donna M. Martin, PsyD, is an instructor and director of the academic support program at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, where she received her doctorate in clinical psychology. In her present position she works closely with medical students and graduate students to enhance both their successful performance and to remediate problems that arise in the graduate student population. She is currently involved with institutional outcome research to measure the effectiveness of this program's, and the school's other various interventions, on success in the first year of medical school. Dr. Martin is also manager of the Center for Brief Therapy, the PCOM training clinic, and is involved in the supervision and training of psychology practicum students and interns. She has sat on the board of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Dr. Martin has published several articles and chapters, and has edited and co-authored a chapter in the second edition of Cognition and Psychotherapy with Arthur Freeman, EdD, Michael Mahoney, PhD, and Paul DeVito, PhD. (Springer Publishing 2004).