Therapy for Personality Disorders

Understanding Personality Disorders

There are many different types of personality disorders, and each one affects how an individual responds to situations. People with personality disorders often react quickly and intensely, which can have a significant impact on how they handle stress, manage relationships, make decisions, and perform at work.

Over time, a person’s nervous system learns to respond to stress in specific ways, meaning that their reactions can become more important than the actual events occurring around them.

We offer personality disorder therapy in Brickell, Downtown Miami, and West Palm Beach for individuals who want to better understand their responses and regain control over them.

Personality disorders are grouped into 3 categories or clusters.

Cluster A personality disorders are characterized by odd and eccentric thinking and behavior, and include:

• Paranoid personality disorder: People with paranoid personality disorder often have a distrust and suspiciousness of others.
• Schizoid personality disorder: People with schizoid personality disorder have a detached or withdrawn personality.
• Schizotypal personality disorder: People with schizotypal personality disorder present as odd and may seem indifferent to others.

Cluster B personality disorders are characterized by dramatic, emotional, or erratic thinking and behavior and include:

• Borderline personality disorder: People with borderline personality disorder often have unstable emotions and relationships.
• Histrionic personality disorder: People with histrionic personality disorder often seek attention and admiration.
• Antisocial personality disorder: People with antisocial personality disorder often have a disregard for others.

Cluster C personality disorders are characterized by anxious or fearful thinking and behavior and include:

• Avoidant personality disorder: People with avoidant personality disorder have an intense fear of rejection and avoid social interaction.
• Dependent personality disorder:  People with dependent personality disorder have a need to be taken care of and have difficulty making decisions.
• Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder: People with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder have a need for order and control. This is different from Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), which involves intrusive obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors.

If you think you may have a personality disorder, it is important to see a licensed counselor. Personality disorders should only be diagnosed by a therapist or doctor. A therapist can help you understand and manage your symptoms to live a fulfilling life. 

Who Personality Disorders Affect

Sometimes, personality disorders aren’t obvious. Many individuals can be high-functioning and successful. However, inside, they may feel unstable, overwhelmed, reactive, tense, and afraid, and they might have difficulties in interpersonal relationships.

Key factors that may contribute to developing a personality disorder include: 

• Trauma history
• Genetics
• Family history
• Brain chemistry

Although anyone can develop a personality disorder, regardless of age, gender, or race, some people are at a higher risk. 

The Psychological Impact of Personality Disorders

Symptoms of personality disorders include:

• Difficulty with interpersonal relationships
• Impaired self-image
• Low self-esteem
• Intense emotions and behaviors
• Mood swings
• Difficulty maintaining a job
• Decreased overall sense of well-being
• Substance use (substance abuse)
• Self-harm

If you think you have a personality disorder, talk to a counselor. Most personality disorders cannot be treated with medication and require therapy. 

What to Expect in Personality Disorder Therapy Sessions

Most therapy focuses on discussing past experiences or venting about weekly challenges while receiving validation from the therapist. While this can be helpful, therapy at Evolve takes a different approach.

We use a structured four-phase method designed to recalibrate your nervous system. This allows you to respond to situations differently instead of reacting impulsively, enabling you to handle life’s challenges without shutting down.

All our therapists use the Sovereign Body Method to help you feel your emotions and recover from them more quickly after letting them go. We aren’t meant to sit with our feelings for too long. This method teaches you to recognize your emotions, understand their messages, and release them, allowing you to move forward in your life. By doing this, you can become more intentional with your actions and decisions.

Diagnosing Personality Disorders

Personality disorders are diagnosed using the DSM-5. At Evolve, however, we focus less on labeling clients and more on understanding what is happening within you and how to change the patterns that are causing you pain.

Sometimes, a diagnosis can help us understand and accept certain aspects of ourselves. Having a specific name for what we are experiencing can be useful. After getting to know you, your therapist can provide a diagnosis.

Initial Assessment

Sessions are structured and focused. We don’t expect you to dwell endlessly on your past; instead, we aim to help you achieve real change.

During your initial session, you will meet with your therapist to discuss the issues that are most important to you and to identify your goals.

Your therapist will then explain how the nervous system functions and provide you with practical tools that you can easily incorporate into your daily life right away.

Individual Therapy Sessions

In follow-up sessions, you will collaborate with the best personality disorder therapist in Brickell, Downtown Miami and West Palm Beach to work toward achieving your goals. During this time, you can identify the root causes of your symptoms and develop effective coping mechanisms.

Family Therapy

If the family is willing to participate in therapy and support the client, we would be happy to include them in the counseling process. The client must agree to allow one or more family members to take part in the therapy.

We believe that having this support can be beneficial in understanding and addressing the challenges associated with a personality disorder.

West Palm Beach and Miami Personality Disorder Therapy: Find Expert Care Near You

We offer therapy services in West Palm Beach, Brickell, and Downtown Miami, utilizing a structured, nervous system-focused approach. Sessions are available both in person and virtually.

This approach provides several benefits, including:

• Improved ability to manage reactions
• More stable relationships
• Reduced chaos in daily situations
• A clearer understanding of your decision-making process
• Increased confidence in making decisions and setting boundaries

Your therapist will create a personalized plan for your therapy, ensuring you receive the appropriate support and guidance needed to achieve meaningful change and to feel grounded and confident.

Some interventions for personality disorders that can be used include:

• Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT): Learn mindfulness skills to manage emotions and learn distress tolerance.
• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): CBT therapy for personality disorders helps you identify and reframe negative core beliefs and thoughts that lead to negative emotions.
• Psychodynamic therapy: Psychodynamic therapy for personality disorders helps you identify and heal the unresolved childhood trauma or suppressed emotions that led to personality disorder symptoms. By understanding the root cause of your symptoms, you can decrease past experiences’ impact on your life today.

These are the therapy types that can be used within the method once your nervous system is regulated.

When working with clients who have personality disorders, I approach the treatment from a nervous system lens. This means, I believe that the symptoms the individual is exhibiting are caused by past experiences. We process these experiences in session while practicing mindfulness skills and emotional regulation.

What you are experiencing is a normal response to what happened to you in the past. These symptoms have been conditioned as a protective coping skill at some point, however they may also be negatively impacting your life.

With an understanding of the nervous system, I developed the Sovereign Body Method to help clients not only talk about what is happening in their lives but also change their internal signals and how they respond to those signals.

We had a client, Susie, who, due to intense bullying in middle school, believed that people did not like her and wanted to hurt her. She displayed BPD symptoms such as intense and extreme emotional responses, instability in her relationships, and patterns of behavior that were harmful to her well-being.

After identifying the source of the negative belief, she could begin reframing her thoughts. With distress tolerance training, she is now able to handle big emotions with grace.

Today, she believes she is worthy of love and has a support system of friends with whom she trusts and can be herself. If you’re ready to take the first step towards healing, I’m here to support you.

Finding a Personality Disorder Therapist in Palm Beach, FL

A good personality disorder therapist is someone who:

• understands how the nervous system drives behavior
• can guide the process with structure
• focuses on real change, not just insight

At Evolve Therapy & Counseling, clinicians are trained in a method designed to change how your system responds—not just help you understand it.

Call Evolve Therapy & Counseling in Brickell, Downtown Miami, and West Palm Beach today for a free consultation and learn how our experienced therapists can help you manage your personality disorder symptoms. Call us or book online today.

Sources:

Pubmed: Effectiveness of psychotherapy for personality disorders