Borderline Personality Disorder: Treatment and Management that Works

Credit

Handouts

Faculty

Gregory Lester, PhD Related seminars and products

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Gregory W. Lester, Ph.D., is a clinical, consulting, and research psychologist with practices in Colorado and Texas. Dr. Lester has presented over 2,000 personality disorders trainings to over 200,000 professionals in every major city in the United States, Canada, and Australia. In his nearly 40 years of clinical practice, Dr. Lester has treated over 1,000 personality disorder cases and has performed psychological evaluations on over 2,500 individuals.

Dr. Lester has served on the graduate faculty of The University of St. Thomas and as a special consultant to The United States Department of Justice. Dr. Lester’s office served as one of the original research sites for the DSM-5® revision of the personality disorders section where he collaborated with Emory University, the New York State Psychiatric Group, The University of Missouri, The University of Kentucky, and the late Dr. Robert Spitzer, chairman of the DSM-3 committee.

Dr. Lester is a member of the American Psychological Association, the Texas Psychological Association, and the Colorado Psychological Association. He is the author of nine books, including Power with People, a manual of interpersonal effectiveness, Shrunken Heads, an irreverent memoir of his graduate school training, and Diagnosis, Treatment, and Management of Personality Disorders, which is the largest-selling front-line clinical manual on diagnosing, treating, and managing personality disorders.

Dr. Lester’s research and articles have appeared in publications including The Journal of the American Medical Association, The Western Journal of Medicine, The Yearbook of Family Practice, The Journal of Behavioral Therapy, The Journal of Marriage and Family Therapy, The Handbook of Depression, Transactional Analysis Journal, Living Word Magazine, The Priest Magazine, and The Houston Lawyer.

 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Gregory Lester maintains a private practice. He is a consultant for Improvement Research Group. He is a published author and receives royalties. Dr. Lester receives a speaking honorarium, recording royalties, and a consulting fee from PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Gregory Lester is a member of the American Psychological Association, the Texas Psychological Association, and Colorado Psychological Association.

Additional Info

Target Audience

• Psychologists
• Psychiatrists
• Physician Assistants
• Nurse Practitioners
• Social Workers
• Marriage and Family Therapists
• Counselors
• Alcohol and Drug Counselors
• Case Managers
• Occupational Therapists
• Nurses
• Home Health Care Personnel
• Nursing Home Personnel
• Pharmacists

Objectives

1. Examine the history of the Borderline Personality Disorder diagnosis, the progression of its understanding, and the evolution to its effective management, as it relates to clinical interventions
2. Identify clinical treatment approaches that incorporate the latest in brain and behavior studies into clinical practice
3. Design practical and easy-to-implement clinical approaches that improve client outcomes
4. Discuss clinical strategies to diminish crises, control emergencies, and reduce self-harming behaviors in clients
5. Examine specialized and advanced topics in the treatment of personality disorders, including medication recommendations, liability issues, suicidal behaviors, relationship barriers, and self-care of the practitioner
6. Outline clinical techniques and tools for use in the diagnosis and treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder
7. Discover how to best handle and diminish self-harm behaviors and acute and chronic suicidality in clients
8. Assess strategies for reducing client emergencies and crises
9. Analyze the types, uses, and effects of medications used in treatment of clients with Borderline Personality Disorder

Outline

FUNDAMENTALS

• The diagnosis—beginnings, progress, and revisions
• The disorder—evolution of effective understanding
• The new brain and behavior studies
• Current formulations

THE PRACTICAL FEATURES OF BPD

• Behavioral characteristics
• Typical beginnings, life course, and outcome
• Background and cause

MOOD FEATURES

• Emotional liability
• Emotional over-intensity
• Splitting and dichotomizing

BEHAVIORAL FEATURES

• Anger, rage, and verbally assaultive
• Effects on other people
• Impulsivity and self-destructive behaviors

SELF-HARM AND SUICIDAL BEHAVIORS

• Self-damaging acts
• Acute and chronic suicidality

PRINCIPLES OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE TREATMENT

• The proven dynamic, analytic approach
• The proven behavioral, cognitive approach
• The proven attachment, mentalization approach

PRINCIPLES OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT

• Relationship management
• Contextual interventions

MEDICATIONS

• Types, uses, and effects

CRISES

• Crisis intervention
• Hospitalization
• Telephone contacts

PRACTITIONER ISSUES

• Emotional stress
• Negative reactions and counter-transference

RISK MANAGEMENT

• Empirical realities of the risks involved
• Risk of suicide
• Risk of homicide
• Risk of legal actions

CASE STUDIES