Ep 10: How We Diagnose Personality Disorders as Professionals

In this episode, we discuss how we diagnose personality disorders as licensed professionals in clinical practice. Personality data is often observed as early as the initial contact for treatment. Once treatment begins, we engage in a "meta process" of observing what's going on inside ourselves as professionals, as well as the dynamic in the room. Because of the nuances and complexities of diagnosing personality disorders, psychological testing is an important tool to peel back the layers of the psyche. We end by discussing what psychological testing involves and point listeners to resources if they are interested in an evaluation.

Chapters 00:00 Intro 03:58 Indicators of Personality Dynamics Before Treatment Starts 06:21 The Referral Question and the Alphabet Soup 08:36 Unsuccessful Medication Trials 10:34 First Appointment: Interpersonal Dynamics 15:18 Ruptures in Relationships and Social Difficulties 17:16 The Unspoken Dynamics of Personality Disorders 24:33 Using Psychological Testing to Diagnose Personality Disorders 37:41 Resources and Conclusion

Resources

• https://www.psychologytoday.com/
• https://www.nami.org/
• https://www.questpsych.org/ (Offering Deep Dive Psychological Evaluations In Virginia)