Treatment of Character Disorders

In the treatment of character disorders, social caseworkers deal with three groups of difficulties. The first concerns the nature of the condition itself. Second, the nature of our civilization not only seems to elicit the development of character disorders in an increasing number of people but it also lends support to the persistence of such disorders. The third complex of difficulties which caseworkers encounter in their therapeutic efforts with this group of clients stems from their own professional culture. These difficulties are presented in this chapter in hypothetical form as a basis for scrutiny and discussion by practitioners. The outstanding difficulty in establishing a positive relationship with clients afflicted with character disorders stems from the fact that the professional training and experience of social caseworkers produce a personality which is the opposite of the personality encountered in such clients.