Schema Therapy for Borderline Personality Disorder

Schema therapy is a new integrative psychotherapy based on cognitive
models, and offers an effective treatment of borderline personality disorder
(BPD). A recent multi – centre trial conducted in the Netherlands demon-
strated that schema therapy leads to recovery from BPD in about half of
the patients, whereas two – thirds of the patients experience a clinically sig-
nifi cant improvement (Giesen – Bloo et al ., 2006 ). Schema therapy proved
to be more than twice as effective as a psychodynamic treatment in terms
of recovery rates.
This book offers a practical guide for therapists to conduct schema
therapy with BPD patients. Building upon Jeffrey Young ’ s schema mode
model, Young ’ s schema therapy, and insights from Beck ’ s and Arntz ’ s cogni-
tive therapy and experiential methods, it offers a conceptual model of BPD,
a treatment model, and a wealth of methods and techniques for treating
BPD patients. The treatment not only addresses the DSM BPD criteria –
related problems, but also the psychopathological personality features
underlying the symptoms, like attachment problems, punitive conscience,
inadequately processed childhood traumas and so on. Research has dem-
onstrated that patients improve in all these aspects, including on the level
of automatic information processing.
The authors equate their treatment to blind simultaneous chess playing
in a pinball machine, meaning that the therapist has to be actively aware
of the abundance of quickly changing factors that play a role in the patient ’ s
problems, and simultaneously has to address them. Though treatment of
BPD is complicated, many therapists can learn this method. Experienced
therapists with good stamina will feel supported and stimulated by the
book ’ s practical explanations and examples. Central in the therapeutic
relationship is the concept of ‘ limited reparenting ’ , which forms the basis
for a warm and collaborative relationship.