As of February 15, 2025, registration is open for the third module of Otto Kernberg, MD's one-year educational program "Personality Disorders."
What topics are included in the module?
April 19, 2025 – Online format – Workshop "Schizoid, schizotypal, avoidant disorders"
May 17, 2025 – Online format – Workshop "Paranoid disorder"
June 14, 2025 – Online format – Workshop "Hypochondriacal disorder"
In these workshops, Otto Kernberg explores the deep etiology, symptomatology, phenomenology, and psychic dynamics of personality disorders. Program participants will also learn about the key factors that enable clear differentiation between personality disorders. Additionally, we examine the typical manifestations of these personality disorders in patients' love lives, characteristic sexual behavior, and inhibitions.
Why should you study the nature of personality disorders with Dr. Otto Kernberg?
DSM-5 and ICD-10 and 11 are essential reference books for every psychotherapist, but they don't always provide a complete understanding of personality disorders. Often their descriptions are vague, which complicates the diagnosis and recognition of patients' etiology and symptomatology. This can cause specialists to doubt the accuracy of their diagnosis and subsequent therapy.
Nancy McWilliams in her excellent work "Psychoanalytic Diagnosis" presents more of a diversity of views and approaches to personality disorders rather than describing a clear clinical picture.
In her seminal work Psychoanalytic Diagnosis, Nancy McWilliams presents a range of perspectives and approaches to personality disorders rather than offering a clear clinical picture.
One could gather information about each disorder piece by piece from English-language articles, however, this too would result not in a clear clinical picture, but rather in a polyphony of different views and approaches.
Dr. Otto Kernberg, M.D., is a psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, and psychotherapist with 70-years of clinical experience. 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.
Dr. Otto Kernberg is the instructor for the entire training program. He not only presents theoretical material but also shares practical observations, analyzes clinical cases, and provides recommendations that can be directly applied in your own therapeutic practice.
What is the structure of the workshops?
The workshops in the program are structured as follows:
- Part I – Lecture
- Part II – Supervision
- Part III – Lecture
- Part IV – Q&A session
To ensure a comfortable learning experience, there are breaks between the blocks.
Now, in more detail:
The lecture component - is the foundation of any learning. Otto Kernberg reveals in person the essence of personality disorder and provides its detailed characteristics, which allows understanding its nature and conducting clear differentiation from other personality disorders.
Dr. Kernberg also provides clinical examples of personality disorders to deepen understanding.,
Public Clinical Supervision - the practical component of the workshop allows participants to gain direct experience in working with patients.
Includes 90-minute interventions by Otto Kernberg on clinical cases presented by two supervisees (one case per workshop, alternating).
For each workshop, we provide transcripts of a new session with a patient. The patient’s history and previous sessions are available for review in the participant's personal account.
The way Otto Kernberg summarizes patients and the deep interventions he suggests helps program participants formulate a deeper understanding of their own patients.
Based on feedback, we also know that Dr. Kernberg's supervision has been incredibly advancing for many therapists, who begin to apply insights from Otto Kernberg in their work with patients.
The Q&A session - is a one-hour block during which Dr. Otto Kernberg answers questions from participants of the third module of the program live.
This is a unique chance to ask questions to an experienced psychotherapist whose scholarly work has influenced the training of many contemporary therapists.
Is it worthwhile to join the third module of the training program?
Yes, absolutely! Here’s why:
- The topics covered in the third module are essential foundational knowledge for psychotherapists. A deep understanding of the psychodynamics, etiology, symptoms, and differentiation of personality disorders is crucial for effective therapeutic practice.
- You now have the chance to participate in the online format and plan your schedule ahead of the first workshop in April.
- Dr. Otto Kernberg, a distinguished expert with 70 years of experience working with personality disorders, will lead the workshops. His in-depth analysis of key manifestations of personality disorders helps even seasoned therapists uncover new insights into their understanding.
- The third module concludes the process of public clinical supervisions we have followed throughout the program. Supervision with Dr. Otto Kernberg offers a comprehensive clinical experience that can be directly applied in your work with patients.
We warmly invite you to join our training program and enrich your professional knowledge with us!
Best regards,
Ukrainian Institute for Personality Disorders Studies