ABSTRACT
As cognitive therapy aims to change specific and agreed targets, therapists and patients are able to evaluate changes in these targets with treatment. With patients with personality disorders, the change may not be as dramatic or as quick as with other patients, and the therapist has to be realistic in her expectations about what can be achieved. Nonetheless, important and clinically significant changes can be achieved with some, if not all, patients. As many of the patient’s problems are longstanding, changes in cognition, emotion and behaviour may happen slowly and will need to be maintained to have any lasting effect. Regular evaluation of the effectiveness of therapy is essential if the therapist and patient are to know whether therapy is succeeding and should be continued or whether the approach is not helpful and should be discontinued.
