Trastornos graves de la personalidad: Estrategias psicoterapéuticas

A seminal work on severe personality disorders

This book by Otto Kernberg, a central figure in contemporary psychiatry, offers a profound analysis of severe personality disorders. Through a psychodynamic approach, Kernberg develops specific therapeutic strategies to address conditions such as borderline, narcissistic, and antisocial personality disorders. The work combines object relations theory and ego psychology to offer a structural understanding of these disorders. It is essential reading for psychotherapists, psychiatrists, and advanced students.

About the author: Otto Kernberg

Otto Kernberg is a renowned psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, known for his theory of personality and his contribution to the treatment of severe disorders. His approach integrates concepts from classical psychoanalysis with contemporary developments and has influenced generations of clinicians. In this work, Kernberg presents his model of personality organization and its implications for psychotherapy.

Book content

The book focuses on severe personality disorders, including borderline, narcissistic, and antisocial personality disorders. For each, it describes structural characteristics, relationship patterns, and therapeutic difficulties. It also addresses differential diagnosis and frequent comorbidities. The work proposes an adapted psychotherapeutic technique that combines interpretation, confrontation, and support, based on object relations theory.

Relevance and legacy

Originally published in 1984, this text has maintained its relevance thanks to the depth of its analysis and the applicability of its principles. Kernberg's ideas on transference and countertransference in severe patients remain influential. The work has been cited in numerous studies and is considered an indispensable reference for personality specialists.

Who it is for

This work is primarily intended for mental health professionals: psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, psychotherapists, and postgraduate students in clinical psychology or psychiatry. It may also be of interest to researchers in psychopathology. It assumes basic knowledge of psychoanalytic theory and differential diagnosis.