Borderline Personality Disorder

Abstract

Borderline Personality Disorder is apparently common (APA, 1987, p. 347); it typically produces substantial impairment, and it has been cited as a major cause of negative outcome in psychotherapy (Mays & Franks, 1975). Furthermore, it is a diagnostic category with which many clinicians have limited familiarity and that has received limited attention from authors presenting cognitive-behavioral approaches to psychotherapy. The bulk of the literature on psychotherapy with Borderline Personality Disorder has been based on object-relations theory or other psychoanalytic approaches, and it has been argued that psychoanalytic psychotherapy is the treatment of choice for borderline clients (Kernberg, 1977). Some have asserted that Cognitive Therapy is not effective with this complex, long-standing problem (Rush & Shaw, 1983). However, our clinical experience suggests that, when properly applied, Cognitive Therapy can be effective with Borderline Personality Disorder and may have some distinct advantages over alternative treatment approaches.