Effective Therapeutic Approaches for Treating Personality Disorders in Clinical Practice

Briefly describe the personality disorder you selected, including the DSM-5-TR diagnostic criteria.
When you start, take a moment to connect personally with your topic—it helps bring clarity and empathy into your writing. Acknowledge what drew you to this specific disorder or what aspects you find most intriguing. Briefly describe the personality disorder you selected, including the DSM-5-TR diagnostic criteria. You might consider how these criteria reflect the everyday experiences of individuals living with the condition and how cultural or contextual factors could influence diagnosis.

Explain a therapeutic approach and a modality you might use to treat a client presenting with this disorder. Explain why you selected the approach and modality, justifying their appropriateness.
It’s always helpful to imagine sitting across from a client—what would you say, and how would you begin? Explain a therapeutic approach and a modality you might use to treat a client presenting with this disorder. Explain why you selected the approach and modality, justifying their appropriateness. Try to link your choices to both the client’s needs and current evidence-based practices, showing that you understand the real-world application of theory.

Next, briefly explain what a therapeutic relationship is in psychiatry. Explain how you would share your diagnosis of this disorder with the client in order to avoid damaging the therapeutic relationship.
Think of the therapeutic relationship as the bridge that connects understanding with healing—it’s the foundation of every clinical encounter. Next, briefly explain what a therapeutic relationship is in psychiatry. Explain how you would share your diagnosis of this disorder with the client in order to avoid damaging the therapeutic relationship. Consider how compassion, tone, and timing play vital roles in preserving trust and respect.

Compare the differences in how you would share your diagnosis with an individual, a family, and in a group session.
Different settings bring different dynamics, and that can really shape how a diagnosis is received. Compare the differences in how you would share your diagnosis with an individual, a family, and in a group session. Reflect on the nuances of confidentiality, sensitivity, and group process when discussing potentially stigmatizing information.

Support your response with specific examples from this week’s Learning Resources and at least three peer-reviewed, evidence-based sources. Explain why each of your supporting sources is considered scholarly. Attach the PDFs of your sources.
Your goal is to demonstrate that your ideas are grounded in credible, well-established research—something that both strengthens your argument and boosts your academic credibility. Support your response with specific examples from this week’s Learning Resources and at least three peer-reviewed, evidence-based sources. Explain why each of your supporting sources is considered scholarly. Attach the PDFs of your sources so your work can be verified and referenced by others.

• Evaluate the DSM-5-TR criteria and therapeutic modalities for treating personality disorders.

• Prepare a 2-page paper exploring diagnosis disclosure and therapeutic relationships in psychiatry.

Required Media

Symptom Media. (2020). Antisocial personality disorder ASPD online CNE CEU courses for nurses [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewBFri65Quw
Symptom Media. (2020). Histrionic disorder NP mental health continuing education [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJVRGofeV-w
Symptom Media. (2020). Narcissistic personality disorder online LPN CE credit CEU unit classes [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knfVjj3P9es

Required Reading

American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed., text rev.). https://go.openathens.net/redirector/waldenu.edu?url=https://dsm.psychiatryonline.org/doi/book/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787
Paris, J. (2015). Psychotherapies. In A concise guide to personality disorders (pp. 119–135). American Psychological Association.
Wheeler, K. (Ed.). (2020). Psychotherapy for the advanced practice psychiatric nurse: A how-to guide for evidence-based practice (3rd ed.). Springer Publishing. Chapter 18, “Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Complex Trauma.”

References

1. Calati, R., & Courtet, P. (2020). Is psychotherapy effective for borderline personality disorder? Current Opinion in Psychiatry, 33(2), 105–110. https://doi.org/10.1097/YCO.0000000000000577

2. Kealy, D., & Ogrodniczuk, J. S. (2022). A review of contemporary psychodynamic approaches to personality disorders. Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy, 52(4), 271–281. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10879-022-09548-1

3. Bateman, A. W., & Fonagy, P. (2019). Handbook of mentalizing in mental health practice. American Psychiatric Publishing.

4. Storebø, O. J., Stoffers-Winterling, J. M., Völlm, B. A., et al. (2020). Psychological therapies for people with borderline personality disorder. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (5). https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD012955.pub2

5. Linehan, M. M., Korslund, K. E., & Harned, M. S. (2021). Dialectical behavior therapy in clinical practice: Applications, adaptations, and evidence. Guilford Press.

Required Media:

• Symptom Media. (2020). Antisocial personality disorder ASPD online CNE CEU courses for nurses Links to an external site. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewBFri65Quw
• Symptom Media. (2020). Histrionic disorder NP mental health continuing education Links to an external site. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJVRGofeV-w
• Symptom Media. (2020). Narcissistic personality disorder online LPN CE credit CEU unit classes Links to an external site. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knfVjj3P9es

Required Reading:

• American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders Links to an external site. (5th ed., text rev.). https://go.openathens.net/redirector/waldenu.edu?url=https://dsm.psychiatryonline.org/doi/book/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787
  • “Culture and Psychiatric Diagnosis”
• Paris, J. (2015). PsychotherapiesLinks to an external site.. In A concise guide to personality disorders  (pp. 119–135). American Psychological Association.
• Wheeler, K. (Ed.). (2020). Psychotherapy for the advanced practice psychiatric nurse: A how-to guide for evidence-based practice (3rd ed.). Springer Publishing.
  • Chapter 18, “Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Complex Trauma”