Cognitive-Behavioral Therapies for Personality Disorders

Recommended Prerequisites

It is strongly recommended that students have previously done the following units: Behaviour Modification, Cognitive Models in Clinical Psychology, Psychopathology I, Psychopathology II, and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapies in Adults I & II.

Teaching Methods

Lectures, discussion of clinical cases, role-play of psychotherapy sessions. Simulation exercises based on famous persons (movies characters, books and biographical material, celebrities) who display typical traits of personality disorders.

Learning Outcomes

General Goals: (1) To know the nature, features and diagnostic criteria for personality disorders, and (2) to know the relevant cognitive-behavioral models for the assessment and intervention with personality disordered patients.

Specific Goals:

1. Knowledge about the diagnostic systems and criteria for personality disorders (DSM-IV-R and ICD 10);

2. Capability to assess personality disorders by using clinical interview and structured assessment instruments;

3. Knowledge of the main cognitive models relevant for case conceptualization and intervention with PD patients.

Learning Outcomes/Competencies

To know how to use personality disorders diagnose systems and manuals; to be able to recognize and diagnose personality disorders including differential diagnosis; to be able to use major cognitive-behavioral strategies with Axis II patients; to be able to adapt intervention programs to personality disordered people; to develop relational skills for interventions with difficult patients.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

1. Personality Disorders – Introduction, history and relevant issues

2. Personality Disorders in DSM-IV-R and ICD 10

3. Personality Disorders epidemiology and comorbidity issues

4. Diagnostic and assessment instruments and procedures

5. Cognitive psychopathology of Personality Disorders and therapeutic intervention: Beck and Freeman’s cognitive model, Young’s Schema Focused Therapy, and J. Safran’s cognitive-interpersonal approach

6. Critical issues of Personality Disorders psychotherapy: scope, efficacy and limits of the intervention.

Head Lecturer(s)

Daniel Maria Bugalho Rijo

Assessment Methods

Periodic
group paper (3 elements per group): (1) diagnosis of a case of personality disorder, and (2) case formulation according to the schema focused therapy model (25% + 25%): 50.0%
2 written classroom tests (25% + 25%): 50.0%

Final
Exam: 100.0%

Bibliography

Beck, A. T.; Freeman, A. et al. (2004). Cognitive Therapy of Personality Disorders. NY: Guilford.

 

Giesen‑Bloo, J., van Dyck, R., Spinhoven, P., van Tilburg, W., Dirksen, C., van Asselt, T.,

Kremers, I., Nadort, M. & Arntz, A. (2006). Outpatient Psychotherapy for Borderline

Personality Disorder. Arch Gen Psychiatric, 63, 649‑658.

 

Pinto-Gouveia, J. & Rijo, D. (2001). Terapia Focada nos Esquemas: questões acerca da sua validação empírica. Psicologia. Vol XV (2), pp. 309-324.

 

Safran, J.D. & Segal, Z.V. (1990). Interpersonal Process in Cognitive Therapy. Basic Books.

Young, J. E., Klosko, J. S., & Weishaar, M. E. (2003). Schema Therapy. A practioner’s guide. New York: The Guilford Press.