Prepare to be awed by a master in action with this comprehensive video featuring the venerable psychotherapist Otto Kernberg. Watch this leading figure demonstrate Transference-Focused Therapy (TFP), a highly interactive approach to assessing and working with severe personality disorders—hardly the passive, blank-slate psychotherapy of yesteryear that you might expect. Indeed, you’ll be fascinated by Kernberg’s authenticity and deft handling of a client who presents a range of clinical and relational challenges.
Alfred, a 40-year-old night receptionist, has recently suffered an abrupt breakup with his girlfriend of four years. Despondent, he suspects that her therapists have influenced her to leave him—and wonders if Kernberg might be against him, too. In a style that manages to be both respectful and confrontational, Kernberg skillfully uncovers the details of Alfred’s story, including his heavy drinking and violent behavior, and presents interpretations that give him a clearer picture of his predicament. Leveraging Alfred’s paranoid transference, Kernberg manages to strengthen the therapeutic alliance and gain commitment to ongoing treatment.
You’ll find a demonstration of TFP assessment and technique here, with plenty of commentary along the way to highlight Kernberg’s objectives. This video presents three full sessions, giving you a wealth of material and a rare opportunity to learn from one of the leading figures in modern psychoanalytic theory and practice.
A classic in the making, this video is a must for therapists looking to understand more about transference dynamics, present-moment tracking, assessment of borderline and other personality disorders, and adopting the objective stance that creates safety and self-awareness.
Note: This video is part of a series, 3 Approaches to Personality Disorders, in which two other masters—DBT creator Marsha Linehan and CBT expert Art Freeman—work with the same client.
