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Workshop Details: Day 1, February 27, 2020

9:00 AM - 4:45 PM

Evidence Based Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder: Clinical and Ethical Considerations, 6 CE

Presented by Kenneth Levy, Ph.D.

The research literature on borderline personality disorder (BPD) is complex, confusing, and replete with contradictory findings from heterogeneous, convenient, small, and/or selected samples. This workshop will focus on current research findings on BPD. Particular attention will be paid to prevalence, phenomenology, comorbidity, course, and treatment outcomes. Relevant ethical issues and challenges will be considered throughout the workshop. Both seminal treatment studies and often neglected findings will be highlighted. Evidence based principles will be derived and highlighted throughout, with specific attention to differential diagnoses and making treatment decisions. Vignettes and roleplays will be used to bring these evidence based principles and ethical challenges to life. This workshop is appropriate for Psychology Professionals and fulfills the KRS 319 requirement for Ethics/Risk Management. Skill Level: Intermediate

Workshop Objectives

Participants will be able to:

• Use the most current research (e.g., indicators/criteria, prevalence, comorbidity, course, and ethical considerations) on BPD to guide their clinical decision making processes & enhance their research, administration, consultation, & policy work.
• Identify and respond to the clinical and ethical issues that arise in the diagnosis and treatment of borderline personality disorder.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the implications of the broad evidence from psychopathology and epidemiology for clinical decision making about BPD.
• Identify, recognize & diagnose BPD, including being able to make important differential diagnoses (e.g., with bipolar disorder, PTSD, MDD), and consider the ethical implications of diagnosis.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the relations between BPD & other common comorbidities (e.g. MDD, PTSD, SUD).
• Articulate & describe the specific aspects (e.g, treatment frames, techniques, ethical concerns) of the various empirically supported treatment options for BPD.
• Articulate & describe the specific evidence for the various empirically supported treatments for BPD.

Workshop Details: Day 2, February 28, 2020

9:00 AM - 4:45 PM

Transference-Focused Psychotherapy (TFP): An Evidence Based Therapy for Borderline Personality Disorder, 6 CE

Presented by Kenneth Levy, Ph.D.

This workshop will focus on application of Transference‐Focused Psychotherapy (TFP) in the treatment of borderline and narcissistic personality disorders (BPD and NPD). TFP is a comprehensive and ambitious evidence‐based treatment for patients with severe personality disorders such as BPD and NPD. TFP is a modified and manualized treatment based on Otto Kernberg and colleagues’ writings on object relations theory. Its efficacy has been demonstrated in multiple studies, both with regard to symptom change and changes in personality structure and is comparable with other treatments. As such, TFP is recognized as one of the “big five” psychotherapies for treating borderline personality disorder in a number of treatment guidelines and reviews. The broad goals of TFP are better behavioral control, increased affect regulation, more intimate and gratifying relationships, and the ability to achieve satisfactory life goals consistent with one’s capacities and interests. Specific goals are a reduction of the symptoms, including suicidality, parasuicidality, impulsive hostility, and angry outbursts, resulting in fewer emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and relationship difficulties. While based in the psychodynamic tradition, the treatment has important modifications making it of use to general clinicians today working with patients with significant personality disorder (PD) pathology. This presentation will avoid jargon and focus on experience-near language meant to resonate with the attendees at all levels of experience and of various orientations. Attendees will learn about essential elements TFP model, including: (1) assessment and providing feedback to the patient, (2) setting a collaborative treatment frame and goals, (3) dealing with challenges to the treatment frame and patient suicidality, (4) how to establish and maintain a non-judgmental stance, (5) dealing with intense affects in session, (6) recognizing transference patterns and differentiating the transference from the therapeutic alliance and the real relationship, (7) using one’s own reaction to the patient as information about the patient’s internal state and/or how the patient may affect others, (8) Clarifying the patient’s subjective experience; Tactfully bringing into awareness disparate aspects of the patient’s experience, and tactfully helping the patient understand the underlying dynamics that contribute to their experience of themselves and others; and (9) recognizing changes in the patient. In addition, the research base for TFP will be reviewed. Clinical vignettes, role plays, and videotaped psychotherapy material will be used throughout. Skill Level: Intermediate

Workshop Objectives

Participants will be able to:

• Describe the TFP model of psychopathology and treatment, including relevant theory and constructs.
• Conduct an assessment of borderline personality disorder, including symptoms and psychological structure, gather relevant information about previous and current functioning, and make relevant differential diagnoses (e.g., bipolar disorder, depression, panic disorder, and PTSD).
• Develop a realistic, collaborative TFP treatment frame with patients; list the responsibilities of each party. Anticipate difficulties based on a patient's treatment history.
• Share and describe a personality disorder diagnosis with patients, and describe and explain TFP methods.
• Describe the steps in practicing TFP, including the assessment of BPD, providing patients with feedback, setting the treatment frame, using TFP strategies, tactics, and techniques, managing countertransference and analyzing transference.
• Describe how to conduct a TFP session with a BPD patient, including the therapist attitude and stance, following the patient’s dominant affect, articulating object relation dyads, analyzing the transference trough clarifications, confrontations and interpretations, and using preparatory and supportive techniques as needed.
• Describe the empirical evidence supporting TFP, including findings from randomized clinical trials, and meta-analyses, and how this evidence compares with other treatments for BPD.

 About the Presenter:

Kenneth N. Levy, Ph.D. is a tenured Associate Professor in the Clinical Area of the Department of Psychology at the Pennsylvania State University, where he directs the Laboratory for the Study of Personality, Psychopathology, and Psychotherapy. At Penn State, he supervises a clinical training practicum emphasizing contemporary assessment and psychotherapy for personality disorders, with a strong focus on Transference-Focused Psychotherapy (TFP). In addition, he teaches undergraduate classes in Introduction to Personality (Honors), Introduction to Clinical Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, and Senior Seminar, and coordinates the departmental honors program. Dr. Levy also has a faculty appointment in the Department of Psychiatry at the Joan and Sanford I. Weill Medical College of Cornell University where he taught prior to taking a faculty position at Penn State. At Cornell he is a Senior Faculty Fellow, Steering Committee member, and the Associate Director of Research at the Personality Disorders Institute (PDI) under the direction of Drs. Otto F. Kernberg and John F. Clarkin.. Dr. Levy’s research interests are in attachment theory, personality disorders and psychotherapy process and outcome. His goal is to understand the mechanisms involved in the development and maintenance of personality disorders, with the ultimate goal of developing and studying treatments that directly target these mechanisms. Dr. Levy has authored more than 150 articles and chapters and three books. He has published in a number of top tier journals such as the American Journal of Psychiatry, Development and Psychopathology, the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, and Psychological Science. His research has been featured in Newsweek and Scientific American among other media outlets. He has also has made over 300 conference, colloquia, grand rounds, and workshops presentations, including keynotes and plenary addresses at the American Psychological Association, the International Society for Transference-Focused Psychotherapy, Society for the Exploration of Psychotherapy Integration, the British Association of Counseling and Psychotherapy, the UK-Society for Psychotherapy Research, and the North American Association for the Study of Personality Disorders among others. Dr. Levy’s work has led to a Young Investigator Award from the National Alliance for Research in Schizophrenia and Depression, and early career awards from the Society for Psychotherapy Research and the American Psychological Association Division of Psychotherapy. He was the inaugural winner of the North American Society for the Study of Personality Disorders Mid-Career Award. He is also an honorary member of the American Psychoanalytic Association and on the Scientific Advisory Board Treatment And Research Advocacy for Borderline Personality Disorder (TARA4BPD). Dr. Levy’s research has been funded by grants from the National Institute of Mental Health, the Army Research Institute, the American Psychological Association, and the National Alliance for Research in Schizophrenia and Depression, and a number of foundations. Dr. Levy has served as a science advisor to the President of the American Psychoanalytic Association (APsA) and a research consultant to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Psychotherapy Committee, as the Ittelson Fellow to the Group for Advancement of Psychiatry (GAP), and as an advisor to former Senator Patrick Kennedy and the Kennedy Forum He is also a member of the Committee on Scientific Activities of the APsA and is a fellow of the American Psychological Association, Division 12 (Clinical Psychology), 29 (Psychotherapy), and 39 (Psychoanalysis), and the Society for the Exploration of Psychotherapy Integration (SEPI). In addition to his teaching and research, Dr. Levy maintains a private practice inState College, PA where he works with individuals with personality disorders using contemporary empirically supported treatments, and he consults both nationally and internationally.

Registration Fees

SINGLE DAY REGISTRATION - 6 CE

TWO DAY REGISTRATION *BEST BUY! - 12 CE

   +Any student member needing CE credit must register at the KPA member rate. 

Event Location

Spalding University
Louisville, KY 

It is important to note that APA continuing education rules require that KPA only give credit to those who attend the entire workshop.  An evaluation of the workshop must be completed. Those who arrive more than 15 minutes after the scheduled start time or leave before the workshop is completed will not receive CE credit. Partial credit may not be given.

Cancellation Policy
Cancellations received on/before February 13th, 2020 will receive a 90% refund. Cancellations received between February 14th and February 22nd, 2020, will receive a 50% refund and cancellations between February 23rd and February 24th, 2020 will receive a 20% refund. No refunds available after February 25th, 2020. All refund requests must be in writing to KPA, 8004 Lyndon Centre Way, Ste. 202, Louisville, KY 40222 or [email protected].

CE Credits/Attendance

Each of these programs has been approved for 6 CE credits by the Kentucky Psychological Association (KPA). 

Psychologists: 
KPA is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. KPA maintains responsibility for this program and its content. KPA is also an approved sponsor for the Kentucky Board of Examiners of Psychology. 

Social Workers & Art Therapists:
KPA is an approved sponsor for the Kentucky Board of Social Work, the Kentucky Board of Professional Art Therapists. (Provider #1004)

Pastoral Counselors:
KPA is approved to offer Continuing Education to Pastoral Counselors as stated in 201 KAR 38:070, Section 3(1)(b) as an approved KBEP provider.

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