Methods of restructuring personality disorders with comorbid syndromes

Abstract

This article reviews the current comorbid clinical syndromes often present in the personality disordered client and offers both theoretical and practical guidelines based on research, theory, and clinical experience. A case of a client with a mixed dependent/avoidant personality disorder and comorbid anxiety disorder is presented, along with transcripts of the last phase of treatment, to demonstrate the process and technique of short-term restructuring psychotherapy, an integrative treatment approach based on psychodynamic principles and utilizing three methods of restructuring—defensive, affective, and cognitive. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.