Clinical Overview of Personality Disorders & Case Studies
Equip yourself with a comprehensive, evidence-informed overview of personality disorders across the lifespan.
Synopsis of the program
This continuing education program provides behavioral health professionals with a comprehensive, evidence-informed overview of personality disorders across the lifespan. Participants will examine the diagnostic features, clinical presentation, differential diagnosis, and common psychiatric comorbidities associated with each personality disorder while exploring the impact of trauma, attachment, and developmental experiences on personality functioning.
The course emphasizes practical, therapeutic interventions grounded in current best practices, including trauma-informed care, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), mentalization-based approaches, and other evidence-based treatment strategies. Through interactive case studies and clinical discussion, participants will strengthen their diagnostic reasoning, treatment planning, therapeutic communication, and ability to establish effective therapeutic boundaries while working with complex clinical presentations.
Designed for social workers, counselors, psychologists, and other behavioral health professionals, this training bridges theory and clinical application, equipping participants with practical tools to confidently assess, conceptualize, and treat individuals with personality disorders in the outpatient mental health clinic setting.
Learning Objectives
Identify the diagnostic features, core characteristics, and differential diagnoses of the major personality disorders using current DSM-5-TR criteria.
Analyze clinical case studies to develop effective case conceptualizations, therapeutic communication strategies, and professional boundaries when working with clients presenting with personality disorders.
Apply evidence-based, trauma-informed therapeutic interventions and treatment planning strategies for individuals with personality disorders in the outpatient mental health setting.
April Chen, LMSW, CGP, CCTS
Your facilitator is a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW), Certified Grief-Informed Professional (CGP), and Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist (CCTS) with extensive clinical experience assessing and treating individuals with complex psychiatric presentations across both outpatient and inpatient settings. Since entering the behavioral health field in 2022, the presenter has provided psychotherapy in three outpatient mental health practices, working with clients diagnosed with a wide range of DSM-5-TR disorders, including personality disorders and co-occurring mental health conditions. The presenter has completed nearly all supervised clinical requirements for independent licensure. Graduate-level preparation included four Master of Social Work courses dedicated to psychopathology, clinical assessment, diagnosis, and treatment planning using the DSM-5-TR framework. Additional clinical experience was gained as an inpatient social worker at an acute care hospital, where responsibilities included conducting psychosocial assessments, providing Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, coordinating discharge planning and case management, and collaborating with interdisciplinary medical and psychiatric teams to support patients admitted to various medical floors with co-occurring psychiatric and behavioral health needs. This combination of graduate education, supervised clinical practice, and direct experience across outpatient and inpatient behavioral health settings has provided a strong foundation in diagnostic assessment, case conceptualization, evidence-based therapeutic interventions, and the practical application of treatment strategies for individuals with personality disorders in the outpatient mental health setting.
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