This book provides an approach to understanding and treating higher level personality pathology. It describes a specific form of treatment called "dynamic psychotherapy for higher level personality pathology" (DPHP), which was designed specifically to treat the rigidity that characterizes that condition. Handbook of Dynamic Psychotherapy for Higher Level Personality Pathology provides a hands-on approach to a treatment method that offers a broad range of patients the opportunity to modify maladaptive personality functioning in ways that can permanently enhance their quality of life.

The authors provide a clear, specific, and comprehensive description of how to practice DPHP from beginning to end, presented in jargon-free exposition using extensive clinical illustrations. Throughout, the book emphasizes fundamental clinical principles that enable the clinician to think through clinical decisions moment-to-moment and also to develop an overall sense of the trajectory and goals of treatment. Taking a diagnosis-driven approach, the book describes goals, strategies, tactics, and techniques, demonstrating the flexibility of the approach across a relatively long course of treatment. Finally, the authors provide a sophisticated discussion of integrating dynamic psychotherapy with medication management and other forms of treatment.