Group treatment of personality disorders: The power of the group in the intensive treatment of personality disorders

Because personality disorders are resistant to change and difficult to treat, powerful treatments are required. Group therapies are capable of mobilizing strong forces for change. Maladaptive behaviors are commonly demonstrated in the immediacy of the group situation; peer influence can be used to provide feedback and suggestions for change, and new adaptive behaviors can be practiced in the group. Group-oriented day treatment programs are intensive forms of group therapy, and this article describes a particular program that has treated clients with personality disorders for over 25 years. Its intensity is derived from the provision of many hours of group therapy per week to a large number of patients by multiple staff as part of a time-limited integrated system of diverse therapy groups. It is also derived from the implementation of modified principles of the therapeutic community. A case illustration demonstrates how the program is capable of bringing about change at the level of the individual client with a personality disorder. Given the number of clients who can be treated simultaneously, the program is also regarded as time efficient. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.