Pre-Conference Institute

Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder:

A Generalist Approach

with John Gunderson, MD

Thursday, March 17, 2016 | 8:45 am - 5:00 pm
at the Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel, Boston, MA

This conference will describe an empirically validated treatment approach, General Psychiatric Management (GPM) (McMain et al., AJP, 2009). GPM’s emphasis is on psychoeducation about genetics and prognosis and its integration of medication strategies that are practical, flexible, and common sensical. Listening, validation, judicious self-disclosures and admonishments create a positive relationship in which both a therapist’s concerns and limitations are explicit. Techniques and interventions that facilitate the patient’s trust and willingness to become a proactive collaborator will be described. Guidelines for managing the common and usually most burdensome issues on managing suicidality and self-harm (e.g. intersession crises, threats as a call-for-help, and excessive use of ER’s or hospitals) will be reviewed. How and when therapists can usefully integrate group, family, or other psychotherapies will be described.

Educational Objectives: Upon completion of this pre-conference institute, participants will be able to:

• Explain the diagnosis to patients and families and establish reasonable expectations for change (psychoeducation);

• Manage the problem of recurrent suicidality and self-harm while limiting personal burden and liability;

• Expedite alliance-building via use of medications and homework;

• Know when to prioritize BPD’s treatment and when to defer until a co-morbid disorder is resolved.

8:15am                  Registration

8:45am-9:00am     Welcome and Overview, James Walton, MD

9:00am-5:00pm     Conference

12:30-1:45pm        Lunch (on your own)

5:00pm                  Adjourn

6 CE/CME Credits 
Program Code: BDP6

John Gunderson, MD, is a Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, and Director, Psychosocial Research and the Borderline Personality Disorder Center at McLean Hospital. His seminal studies on the diagnosis, families of borderline personality disorder, psychodynamics, treatment and pathogenesis of borderline personality disorder helped transform the diagnosis from a psychoanalytic construct into an empirically validated and internationally recognized disorder. He chaired the DSM-IV work group on personality disorders and has led major NIMH-Funded studies, including those on the longitudinal stability and family transmission on borderline personality disorders. He has been responsible for conceptualizing the borderline patient’s core problem as interpersonal hypersensitivity, for pioneering collaborative involvement and compassionate attitudes towards their families and for writing and revising the seminal and major textbook on their treatment. Among his recent books are Handbook of Good Psychiatric Management for Borderline Personality and Borderline Personality and Mood Disorders: Comorbidity and Controversy. Most recently, he has written a manual for an empirically-validated model of treatment for borderline patients called Good Psychiatric Management (GPM) that promises to elevate their level of care from all clinicians. In honor of these achievements, McLean Hospital opened a residential treatment center in Cambridge named the Gunderson Residence. Registration Note: You may register for this pre- conference workshop by itself or as part of a discounted package that includes the main conference on Friday and Saturday.

Reduced tuition for attending BOTH Psychodynamic Psychotherapy conferences.

When registering for both conferences we suggest that you write down the appropriate discount code noted in red (below) so that you have it available during the checkout process.