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One-year training program: Personality Disorders
An in-depth examination of the phenomenology, characterology, underlying psychodynamics, and treatment options
London time
The second module
with simultaneous translation into Ukrainian
December 14
January 18
February 15
March 15
1:40-8:00 PM
Online education in English
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Otto Kernberg, M.D.
Psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, psychotherapist
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General info
Syllabus
Faculty
Fee
Three study modules
Program organizers
New York time
8:40AM-3:00PM
67 academic hours
You can also find details about this training program on the International Society of Transference Focused Psychotherapy's official website
ISTFP or International Society of Transference Focused Psychotherapy is an organization founded by Otto Kernberg and his close colleagues to advance the development of Transference-Focused Psychotherapy
www.istfp.org
1
14.09.2024
In the record
First Module
Second Module
Third Module
7
15.03.2025
Online
8
19.04.2025
Online
Current Workshop
9
17.05.2025
Online
5
Online
18.01.2025
15.02.2025
Online
6
10
Online
14.06.2025
4
14.12.2024
Online
2
19.10.2024
In the record
3
16.11.2024
In the record
Personality disorders at the borderline level are organized around splitting, helping to cope with, compensate for, or poorly disguise this splitting. Personality disorders at the neurotic level are characterized by a serious inhibition of an individual's functioning in some important area of life.

These disorders have complex causes and manifest themselves in a variety of symptoms, i.e. anxiety, depression, panic attacks, relationship problems, sexual difficulties, emotional instability, problems with self-perception and self-direction, difficulties at work, many other symptoms and problems, and a general feeling of distress or dissatisfaction.

When a patient comes up with enduring symptoms that are not attributable to a recent acute stress, we hypothesize the possibility of a personality disorder and thereafter proceed with a diagnostic assesment. If the diagnosis is identified as a personality disorder, then the therapy should focus on addressing the disorder itself rather than only treating the symptoms.

Personality disorders are deeply rooted, and rigid, usually ego-syntonic patterns of behavior, thoughts, and emotions that differ significantly from culturally expected norms and cause significant to severe difficulties in social, professional, and interpersonal areas of life. Personality disorders can be organized both on the borderline and neurotic levels.

First Module
The one-year training program will cover:
Second Module
September 14 Personality, identity, and structural diagnostics
Third Module
October 19 Borderline personality disorder
November 16 Hysterical, histrionic, dependent personality disorders
September-November, 2024
April-June, 2025
December, 2024 - March, 2025
December 14 Narcissistic personality disorder and hypomanic psychodynamics
February 15 Depressive-masochistic disorder and sado-masochistic psychodynamics
January 18 Antisocial personality disorder
April 19 Schizoid, schizotypal, avoidant disorders
May 17 Paranoid disorder
June 14 Hypochondriacal disorder
March 15 Obsessive-compulsive disorder
By applying the knowledge gained in practice, you will be able to navigate the subconscious and unconscious dynamics of the patients, formulate proper interventions, and work with the patients to resolve internal conflicts and defenses.
After completing the course, you will have a clear understanding of the structural distinctions between different types of personality disorders
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Therapy is less effective without the correct diagnosis. Understanding personality disorders helps the therapist assess the patient's issues and plan the effective psychotherapy.
Accurate diagnosis
The importance of focusing on personality disorders lies in the following:
Every disorder possesses its unique psychodynamics and internal conflicts. Having a comprehensive understanding of diagnostic methodologies and familiarity with various types of disorders enables you to effectively choose the tappropriate strategies, tactics, and techniques, and modify them accordingly to suit a particular type of disorder.
Personalization of treatment
By understanding the structure and dynamics of personality disorders, including hidden psychodynamic conflicts, and character traits, we are able to predict the progress and outcomes of the therapy and make necessary adjustments to achieve therapeutic goals.
Improving the outcome of therapy
Understanding and addressing the patient's underlying issues, as well as the resistances, and negative reactions associated with each disorder, helps to decrease the likelihood of the therapy ending prematurely and improves its effectiveness.
Reducing the risk of therapy discontinuation
Each one-day workshop includes a public supervision. Otto Kernberg supervises two therapists throughout the course
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This lets you see how Otto Kernberg interprets the case and how the therapy develops under his supervision.
Personality, identity, assessment
Borderline personality disorder
Hysterical, histrionic and dependent personality disorders
What is personality, components of personality, classification of personality, personality disorders, origin and development of personality and personality disorders, psychodynamic point of view and its opposition to alternative points of view
  • Identity — normal to diffusion
  • Levels of development of personality organization
  • Kernberg's structural interview.
  • Phenomenology and characterological traits
  • Underlying psychodynamics (subconscious and unconscious)
  • Features of intimate life, typical problems in intimate relationships
  • Typical sexual behavior and inhibition
  • Unconscious conflicts
  • Differential diagnosis
  • Therapy for borderline disorder
  • Phenomenology and characterological traits
  • Underlying psychodynamics (subconscious and unconscious)
  • Features of intimate life, typical problems in intimate relationships
  • Typical sexual behavior and inhibition
  • Unconscious conflicts
  • Differential diagnosis
  • Therapy for borderline disorder
September 14

First module curriculum

Concise outline
October 19
November 16
Narcissistic personality disorder and hypomanic psychodynamics
Antisocial personality disorder
Depressive-masochistic disorder and sado-masochistic psychodynamics
  • Phenomenology and characterological traits
  • Underlying psychodynamics (subconscious and unconscious)
  • Features of intimate life, typical problems in intimate relationships
  • Typical sexual behavior and inhibition
  • Unconscious conflicts
  • Differential diagnosis
  • Therapy for borderline disorder
  • Phenomenology and characterological traits
  • Underlying psychodynamics (subconscious and unconscious)
  • Features of intimate life, typical problems in intimate relationships
  • Typical sexual behavior and inhibition
  • Unconscious conflicts
  • Differential diagnosis
  • Therapy for borderline disorder
December 14

Second module curriculum

Concise outline
January 18
February 15
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
  • Phenomenology and characterological traits
  • Underlying psychodynamics (subconscious and unconscious)
  • Features of intimate life, typical problems in intimate relationships
  • Typical sexual behavior and inhibition
  • Unconscious conflicts
  • Differential diagnosis
  • Therapy for borderline disorder
March 15
  • Phenomenology and characterological traits
  • Underlying psychodynamics (subconscious and unconscious)
  • Features of intimate life, typical problems in intimate relationships
  • Typical sexual behavior and inhibition
  • Unconscious conflicts
  • Differential diagnosis
  • Therapy for borderline disorder

Narcissistic Personality Disorder: What You Need to Know

Key Features of Narcissistic Personality Disorder:

  • A grandiose self hides the of the splitting self;
  • Aggression manifests as envy, hatred, and devaluation;
  • There is a strong tendency towards exploitative relationships.

  • Reality

    Modern psychotherapy, guided by the work of Otto Kernberg, views NPD as a condition that can be treated.

  • Myth

    Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) is untreatable.
Our workshop will prepare you to effectively work with this challenging and common patient group.
  • Healthy narcissism
  • NPD: psychodynamics, causes, and defenses of the narcissistic personality
  • Various types of NPD
  • Typical acting-out defenses and other defenses in NPD
  • The dynamics of love and sexuality: from promiscuity to significant inhibition
  • Emptiness: causes and mechanisms of change
  • Transference and countertransference with narcissistic patients
  • Psychotherapy approaches for NPD
  • Differences between NPD, malignant narcissism, and antisocial personality disorder
  • Treatment prognosis for these conditions
Each workshop of the course on personality disorders includes:
  • The in-depth and detailed lecture material accompanied by examples from Dr. Kernberg's clinical practice (approx. 2.5 hours)
  • In 1.5-hour public supervision sessions, Dr. Kernberg shows his personality disorder treatment approaches.
  • 1 hour of Q&A to cover your toughest questions.
Our one-year training program includes not only lectures and Q&A sessions, but also practical demonstrations of cases that therapists often find challenging.
To illustrate the theoretical concepts, Otto Kernberg will conduct public clinical supervision for two supervisees throughout the program, each presenting their own case of prolonged psychotherapy.

This will provide you with practical experience in applying theoretical concepts to complex therapeutic cases. Participants will learn from observing the therapy's progress and analyzing Otto Kernberg's recommendations. During the discussions, you will have the opportunity to ask Dr. Kernberg questions about the supervision process.
What does clinical supervision encompass?
Your competence will improve:
  • Knowing the structure of personality
    Understanding the structural typology of disorders, differential diagnosis, psychodynamics, and disorder-specific therapy.
  • Treatment of severe personality disorders
    In the era of narcissism, understanding and treating narcissistic and borderline patients is crucial. This course will advance your comprehension and treatment of the challenging patients.
  • Enhancing qualifications and expertise
    Studying the concepts and approaches of Otto Kernberg will enable you to have a comprehensive understanding of the structure and dynamics of personality which will significantly impact diagnostic and therapeutic effectiveness.
  • Therapists' satisfaction with their work
    While some disorders may seem more treatable, therapists often come across challenging cases involving individuals with paranoid, hypochondriacal, histrionic, depressive, and obsessive-compulsive tendencies. This course will enhance your ability to effectively work with these patients as well.
  • New diagnostic and treatment approaches
    Implementing novel diagnostic and therapy methods for personality disorders will enhance care for patients by enabling a personalized approach and yielding improved treatment outcomes.
  • Improve effectiveness, self-confidence, and reputation
    The course will assist you in enhancing the efficacy of treating difficult patients, thereby enhancing your confidence, satisfaction, and respect from your colleagues
Accurate diagnosis — understanding the nature of symptoms — setting goals — establishing the therapy framework — effective therapy
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Following the training, therapists will acquire the ability to identify the specific "operating system" of a patient and effectively address and treat it.
Instructor

Otto Kernberg

As of today, Otto F. Kernberg is known worldwide for his modification of psychodynamic psychotherapy to address difficult cases. This therapy aims to help individuals overcome constraining symptoms through integrative personality transformation.
Doctor of Medicine, graduated from the Medical University of Chile (1957).
Director of the Psychotherapy Research Project of Menninger Foundation, Professor of Psychiatry at Cornell University and Director of the Institute for Personality Disorders Institute (until 2021). He was the President of the International Psychoanalytical Association from 1997 to 2001.
He was awarded the 1972 Heinz Hartmann Award of the New York Psychoanalytic Society and Institute, the 1975 Edward A. Strecker Award from the Institute of Pennsylvania Hospital, the 1981 George E. Daniels Merit Award of the Association for Psychoanalytic Medicine.
He is the author of more than 500 scientific articles and books published in leading journals such as the Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association, The International Journal of Psychoanalysis, and The Journal of Personality Disorders.
Designed an intensive form of psychoanalytic psychotherapy known as Transference-Focused Psychotherapy (TFP) which is intended to be suitable for personality disorders
Otto Kernberg's theory of object relations, along with the valuable insights from the Kleinian model and ego psychology, form the foundation of our course. Understanding these theories will help you work more effectively with patients, allowing you to tailor your approach to each individual in order to integrate their personality as a result of the therapy process.
Psychotherapists
Who benefits from the course?
Current trends can simplify personality which confuses diagnosis. A multidimensional approach to personality has declined in the last 30 years, and mental illness classifiers have long included a diverse and non-heterogeneous mix of traits. Here, the new ICD-11 and DSM-5 Section 3 go deeper. To diagnose personality disorders, you need the appropriate knowledge which this course provides.
Clinical psychologists, diagnostic psychologists
Course will help you integrate personality disorder knowledge into your practice to improve patient treatment in inpatient and outpatient settings by understanding how a patient's personality structure causes their symptoms.

By gaining a deeper comprehension of patients' internal conflicts, you will be able to formulate a treatment plan with greater intentionality, discerning the specific types of intervention required.
Psychiatrists
We endorse your efforts to thoroughly explore the intricacies of the human psyche. If your research pertains to personality disorders, kindly contact us and we will facilitate a fellowship for your participation in this program.
PhD students in psychology or psychotherapy
The Ukrainian Institute for Personality Disorders Studies is a center where knowledge is transformed into effective practice.
We assist our students in the acquisition of advanced and up-to-date models of psychotherapy. Become internationally certified. Learn in real time from the outstanding specialists recognized around the world.
Education. Workshops, trainings, and long-term programs from the world's foremost experts.
The main program coordinator
Research - conducting research on the diagnosis and effectiveness of psychotherapy
Translations of books and manuals. Current psychoanalytic literature from around the world in Ukrainian.
1175
121
students who have received professional training
118 hours of seminars conducted
Otto Kernberg, Frank Yeomans, Monica Carsky, Nel Draijer, Jos van Mosel, Veronica Steiner, Katarzyna Gwóźdź, Mathieu Norton-Poulin, Julia Sowislo
The specialists we collaborate with
Educational programs participants' countries

Our institute's statistics

We provide a comprehensive bilingual environment at our workshops, webinars, trainings so that participants fluent in both English and Ukrainian feel equally comfortable.

If the instructor uses slides, we ensure that bilingual slides are prepared, and if he/she uses videos, we subtitle them so that each participant feels equally comfortable learning. Audio broadcasting is done through separate audio channels, particularly in English and Ukrainian. Furthermore, participants in both languages find it equally convenient to ask questions and engage in discussions.
participation package

Invest in your professional growth and development in the field of psychotherapy and psychiatry

Access to the full Course
$1,399
Access the course
$2,100
benefit -34%
Access to all three modules of Otto Kernberg's course
Registration for the first module
$700
Participant Packet includes
Registration
Electronic personalized certificate for seminar participants
Online Zoom webinars participation
Registration for the second module
Participant Packet includes
Registration
12-month access to the webinar recordings
Online Zoom webinars participation
Registration for the third module starts in March 2025
Participant Packet includes
Electronic personalized certificate for seminar participants
Registration
12-month access to the webinar recordings
Payment via:
$599
$499
$700
Online Zoom webinars participation
$700
Electronic personalized certificate for seminar participants
benefit -16%
12-month access to the webinar recordings

Past seminar attendees' testimonials

Good afternoon, Alexey! I want to express my deep gratitude to you and the entire team for organizing such a wonderful project, our training, and for creating this amazing community! Everything is important and meaningful to me: the teachers, the detailed and well-designed slides, the knowledge gained, the additional materials provided, the supervisions, the interpreteurs (!), and the way you communicate with the program participants. It always reflects respect and appreciation for everyone!
Thank you so much! ♥️
I’m really looking forward to the start of Otto's year-long program 🤓
Any event organized by TFP-Ukraine is always a well-prepared learning environment: world-class instructors who are always open to questions and clarifications, access to materials, slides, specially translated articles, book excerpts, technical support, and more. The TFP-Ukraine community is an incredible team of top-notch instructors and professional colleagues. Thank you for your work.
I also thank Oleksiy very much for the opportunity to learn from such an incredible specialist! I am in awe of the way Dr. Yeomans works with clients, his acceptance of clients and the way he is able to articulate complex things gently. Incredible organization, great translators! I'll back you up for the next module!
I especially appreciated the organizers’ attentiveness to participants' questions. I truly value the opportunity to ask questions and the confidence that they will be addressed during the training.
Organizers can be narcissistically admired. Everything is perfect. Many thanks! I look forward to the next seminars. Everything is very collegial, accessible, clinically useful
Thank you for the seminar and especially for such an interesting analysis of supervisions already on the 1st module. This clearly shows the method. And I`m ready to go to the next module!
I join my colleagues - a great organization, thank you, Oleksiy! And an excellent translation. Great gratitude to Dr. Yeomans for sharing his knowledge and experience. Worth it!
Thanks to Frank Yeomans for valuable communication, desire to provide knowledge, sincerity and correctness in communication
I also want to thank you for the excellently organized, very useful and informative training, professional work of the translators. I look forward to further actions
Great organization and the seminar itself! I look forward to the next event ❤️ Many thanks to Oleksiy and Dr. Yeomans, and everyone involved!
Thank you very much, highly topical program, very interesting and saturated materials. There is something to think about. and special thanks for the articles!
Thank you very much, Oleksiy, for this opportunity, and special thanks for the organization!
Cool organization, translators and special satisfaction from a clear setting
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