The Psychotherapy of Personality Disorders: Emergent Systems Theory as an Integrative Framework

(Hardback)

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In The Psychotherapy of Personality Disorders, Lisa J. Cohen introduces the Emergent Systems Theory, an integrative model for the many different types of psychotherapy, with an emphasis on personality pathology. This model proposes five general levels of the mind, each of which dates back to a different point in human evolutionary history and has its own distinct psychological functions and psychopathology.

Reviews

This volume introduces Emergent System Theory, an innovative and timely meta-integration of the complex field of psychotherapy. Focusing on personality disorders and drawing on her expertise as a master teacher and clinician, Lisa J. Cohen synthesizes vast neurocognitive, developmental, psychotherapeutic, and family systems literatures all through an evolutionary lens - in a way that will aid clinicians at any level of experience in considerably deepening their understanding of personality pathology and why different psychotherapies work the way they do. Psychotherapists from all orientations will appreciate her comprehensive conceptual model, which also provides a much-needed foundation for us to talk to each other about how best to help our patients.

Lisa J. Cohen has written a fascinating book that articulates an emergent systems theory for understanding and treating personality psychopathology, based upon establishing a link between integrative and neuro-evolutionary perspectives. Cohen covers a lot of ground but does so in language that is consistently clear and insightful and that stays relevant to clinical work. The Psychotherapy of Personality Disorders is especially useful as a guide for the perplexedfor graduate students and early career professionals who wish to expand the breadth of their educations as well as for seasoned professionals who are receptive to updating their knowledge and applying it in new directions.

Author Bio

Lisa J. Cohen is clinical professor of psychiatry at the Carl Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai/Mount Sinai Beth Israel.