Schwere Persönlichkeitsstörung

Severe personality disorders were long considered untreatable by psychoanalysis. It is Kernberg's merit to have developed promising psychotherapeutic strategies after many detours and attempts, which he presents here.

A significant portion of the discussion focuses on treatment strategies. Central to this is the expressive psychotherapy, as Kernberg calls it, which he illustrates with treatment cases while distinguishing it from the standard psychoanalytic method and supportive psychotherapy. Special treatment strategies are necessary for certain patient groups, such as those at risk of suicide or antisocial individuals, which require a modified therapeutic setting. In many cases, the treatment of severe personality disorders necessitates inpatient care.

Therefore, the final section of the book is dedicated to clinical treatment. Kernberg outlines the model of a therapeutic community that integrates all elements important to the treatment process. The psychotherapeutic treatment of severe personality disorders carries risks and dangers arising from the altered handling of transference, interpretation, and technical neutrality. With his characteristic systematic approach and precision, these difficulties in dealing with patients are also taken into account.