ABSTRACT
This chapter sets the stage for the Cognitive Behavioral treatment (CBT) of specific personality disorders [covered in Chapters 5–10] by emphasizing CBT interventions particularly effective in modifying schemas and basic character structure. It begins by discussing the constructs of character and schema. It then articulates how the construct of schema is understood in two psychological traditions, the psychodynamic and the cognitive behavioral. The remainder of the chapter is an overview of recent major developments in the understanding and treatment of the personality disorders within the cognitive behavioral tradition. Besides reviewing revisions in Cognitive Therapy, Schema Therapy, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy, it introduces two newer approaches, Cognitive Behavioral Analysis System of Psychotherapy and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, which shows considerable promise in the treatment of the personality disorders. Furthermore, Cognitive Coping Therapy and Structured Treatment Interventions are briefly noted.
