Psychotherapy of the Quiet Borderline Patient: The as-if Personality Revisited (Hardcover)

by Vance R. Sherwood (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Psychotherapy of the Quiet Borderline Patient is the first book-length study of the as-if personality, also referred to as the quiet borderline patient. This book offers the most detailed exposition of etiology in the literature, tracing as-if development first from an object relations standpoint and then from a family interaction perspective. In addition, this is the first work to propose a specific treatment approach for the quiet borderline patient. Half a century has passed since Deutsch's famous paper introduced the as-if category. In spite of the popularity and influence of that paper, there has been little development of the concept, apparently because subsequent writers felt there were few as-if patients. Psychotherapy of the Quiet Borderline Patient, however, suggests that there is no shortage of as-if individuals in contemporary society. The authors demonstrate that such cultural factors as changing conceptions of childrearing, emphasis on rapid adaptation to change, and an intolerance of any process requiring an investment of time are likely to promote the as-if style.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Jason Aronson (August 28, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1568210604
• ISBN-13: 978-1568210605
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,061,109 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Problem of Elusive Identity, May 16, 2000

By	Eileen Galen (USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

In their introduction to this orderly, accessible, and informative book, the authors define as-if pathology as "essentially imitative, a way of life built on a series of transient identifications in which the individual acts as if he or she were sensitive, empathic, conservative, religious, or even rebellious - all dependent on what others want the individual to be."

The "quiet borderline patient" is, according to the authors, an overlooked personality, having ceded psychoanalytic terrain (in the literature as well as the consulting room) to the demanding histrionics and chaos of the "noisy borderline." Completely different etiology!

Because as-if etiology includes the "appearance of normalcy, precocious ego development,and the absence of identity," (which are also chapters headings), there is no psychosis. According the the authors, a clinician who is unaware of the 'as-if' pathology may have a feeling that something is not quite right with the patient, but be continuously unable to identify it - or to treat it. To add to the elusiveness (of the pathology as well as its diagnosis), the authors write that it's a given that all persons, to greater or lesser extent, experience transient identifications - ideally, on the way to a solid, developed identity. So one of the difficulties that clinicians have in identifying this pathology is that patients often seem pretty "normal." It takes a perceptive - and educated - clinician to competently diagnose and treat these patients. This book would seem to make a sizable contribution to that education. Many examples are provided, in a fluid and readable format.

The authors rely on literature, their clinical experience,and what is obviously a great deal of their focused attention in order to describe intervention strategies and techniques. The final chapter, "As-if Trends in Culture and Therapy," strives to place this pathology in societal context.

There is an extensive bibliography and a good index. I'm not in the field, rather an enthusiastic reader - but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the subject.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Altered perspective of the borderline., February 14, 1997

By A Customer

Frustration, anger, and manipulations are often evident when attempting to work with borderline clients. My empathy increased ten-fold as I read and applied the principles of this book. Highly recommended for all mental health professional