Interpersonal Diagnosis and Treatment of Personality Disorders: Second Edition [Hardcover]

Lorna Smith Benjamin PhD (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 15, 1995 | ISBN-10: 1572300604 | ISBN-13: 978-1572300606 | Edition: Second Edition

This influential work helps clinicians resolve questions of overlap among diagnostic categories, offers specific and sensible suggestions for treatment interventions, and describes common transference problems in therapy.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Building on Harry Stack Sullivan's thesis that interpersonal behavior rather than symptoms should provide the framework for a fruitful psychiatric diagnosis, Dr. Lorna Benjamin has developed a sophisticated system, the Structural Analysis of Social Behavior (SASB). The Interpersonal Circle on which the system is based has a longer history but Dr. Benjamin's impressive achievement is unequaled in terms of its scientific rigor, clinical penetration, and comprehensiveness. SASB has given rise to a growing body of research aimed at an improved description and classification of the personality disorders. Thus, Dr. Benjamin's system provides a powerful alternative to the DSM-III-R and the forthcoming DSM-IV. An added and singularly important virtue is its clear relevance for psychotherapy. The book will predictably have a powerful impact on psychiatric diagnosis and treatment in the coming years. It is a superb accomplishment, a true labor of love.--Hans H. Strupp, Ph.D., Vanderbilt University

"Benjamin has written the right book at the right time. Whether one talks about Axis II driving Axis I, intrapersonal and interpersonal dynamics, or causal determinants, there is a consensus that a focus on patients' interpersonal behavior patterns is central to the therapeutic change process. As a result, there is a real need for clear guidelines that can be used by the practicing clinician, and that can provide the psychotherapy researcher with meaningful, testable hypotheses. Lorna Benjamin's incisive book fulfills such a need.

Using extensive clinical experience and research backing, Benjamin has masterfully translated DSM categories of personality disorders into observable, conceptually meaningful dimensions. It is indeed refreshing to read a book such as hers that is both empirically sound and clinically sophisticated. What is also particularly impressive is that the treatment implications described by Benjamin have relevance for therapists of varying orientations. Although her contribution has its roots in interpersonal theory, it has the potential to enhance the clinical work of cognitive-behavioral and experiential therapists.

This book will undoubtedly be widely read. Indeed, because of its clarity, insightfulness, and widespread relevance, this groundbreaking volume is destined to be a classic in the field."--Marvin R. Goldfried, Ph.D., State University of New York, Stony Brook

"Lorna Benjamin's originality, depth, and clinical awareness shine. With folksy anecdotes and high scholarship, she leads readers through the rich intellectual history and psychodynamic observations from which her system for assessing social behavior has been developed. Even while her conclusions have already informed the DSM-IV personality disorders, this book clearly spells out the scientific mandate and the psychotherapeutic significance for them to become even more interpersonally anchored."--John G. Gunderson, M.D., McLean Hospital

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

After many years of clinical work in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin, Lorna Smith Benjamin moved to the Department of Psychology at the University of Utah to collaborate with graduate students in the research study of psychosocial factors in mental disorder. A past president of the International Society for Psychotherapy Research and an advisor to the DSM-IV work group on personality disorders, she is author of over 50 professional publications. Her SASB model of interpersonal relations has been translated into ten different languages. The associated coding system, questionnaires, and software are widely used in efforts to enhance scientific understanding of the practice of psychotherapy. Her dream is to use the concepts described in this book to guide development of a high-quality, low-cost research and training center that emphasizes efficacy in psychosocial treatment of major mental disorders.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 431 pages
• Publisher: The Guilford Press; Second Edition edition (December 15, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572300604
• ISBN-13: 978-1572300606
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,304,111 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book by and for the psychotherapist/scientist-practitioner, May 7, 1998

By 

"drfeelgoodfunk" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Interpersonal Diagnosis and Treatment of Personality Disorders: Second Edition (Hardcover)

Benjamin is a rare clinician: one equally as comfortable in the researcher's as well as psychotherapist's chair. Put bluntly, her book is a tour de force. Regardless of theoretical orientation, psychotherapists will better understand the necessary relationship elements that provide healing for persons who fit Axis II pigeonholes. While initially difficult to grasp, SASB is unbelievably practical, and provides guidance in those moments of clinical despair (that both patient and therapist can experience). Particularly useful, in my view, is her discussion of both the origin of one's introject (self-system) and the wishes/fears people with different Axis II disorders bring to the interpersonal table. In my experience, patients find her model a structure of sanity, amidst a culture of faith healers, repressed memory practitioners, and tarot card readers. Rating: "A PERFECT 10."

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Work of art, September 25, 2005

By 

Jennifer K. Paweleck-Bellingrodt, Psy.D. (Phoenix, Arizona) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Interpersonal Diagnosis and Treatment of Personality Disorders: Second Edition (Hardcover)

benjamin is a wonderful theoretician, therapist, writer, and lecturer--a true asset to the field. here, she tackles personality disorders with skill and confidence. these methods work! particularly helpful to me were the strategies for handling the intensity of patients with borderline personality disorder. she takes the notion of emotional containment to a whole new level and provides practical, patient-honoring, and self-respecting ways of conveying empathic boundaries. a very matter-of-fact approach that manages intensity in a compassionate yet firm way. one of the best books--if not THE best book--available for treating personality disorders.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The "bible" of Axis II, May 14, 2010

By 

E. Professional "Paul" (New Orleans) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Interpersonal Diagnosis and Treatment of Personality Disorders: Second Edition (Hardcover)

Since graduate school, this book has been a mainstay of my practice. I give it as a gift often, to clinicians of all stages of development. The Structural Analysis of Social Behavior (SASB) technology contained herein makes order out of the seemingly arbitrary diagnostic categories of the DSM-IV. The interpersonal framework is capable of capturing nuance and complexity and provides amazing predictive power in anticipating what otherwise might seem totally irrational behavior.
L.S. Benjamin is a true genius of the healing arts. Her breadth and depth are amazing.
This material takes some investment to master, but it will be richly rewarded.