Personality Disorder Counselling in London

Struggling with the day-to-day reality of living with a personality disorder? Tired of upsetting those around you, and suffering from feelings of isolation and shame?

With the help of a personality disorder counsellor you can change the ways you think and behave, and move forward to a more balanced and fulfilling life.

How can counselling help with personality disorders?

The therapeutic relationship helps you to better understand yourself and those around you. You can learn to communicate more effectively, to manage your emotions better, and to choose constructive responses to situations instead of destructive ones. 

As you make progress, your therapist will help you to remain on track by providing ongoing emotional support. Together you can identify and work though any obstacles that arise. 

 What are the recommended treatments?

Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) was developed specifically for those suffering with borderline personality disorder (BPD), but can help anyone on the personality disorder spectrum. It teaches you how to more effectively interact with others and to manage your reactions and emotions. 

Schema therapy was also created to help with more difficult issues like personality disorders. It is particularly helpful if you struggle to trust others, as it uses a stronger client-therapist relationship called 'limited reparenting'. 

 

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a short-term treatment that helps you to recognise, challenge, and change any rigid thoughts and attitudes you might have. This means they are less likely to lead to low moods and behaviours you regret. 

Psychodynamic psychotherapy can be helpful if you would like to dive deeply into understanding yourself.  

Benefits of counselling and psychotherapy for personality disorders 

• lessen symptoms of depression, anxiety and low self-confidence
• understand potential stress triggers
• recognise unhelpful thoughts, feelings and behaviours
• improve your communication skills and self-expression
• feel more connected to others and better able to have relationships
• work through painful and confusing emotions or experiences
• develops tailor-made coping strategies to help with daily life.

Counselling for personality disorders at Harley Therapy™, London.

 At Harley Therapy we recognise that you are an individual, not your diagnosis. All our psychotherapists and counselling psychologists who offer personality disorder therapy have at least five years experience and are trained at top institutions, meaning you can relax knowing you are in safe hands. 

In the case your talk therapist feels medication would be useful we can refer you to our private consultant psychiatrist. They can assist with a formal diagnosis and treatment plan.

Call us now or book an assessment online, and see a therapist at Harley Street, in London Bridge, or at Liverpool Street. 

Classifications of personality disorders

There is healthy debate about whether human personalities are far too complex to neatly categorise into a list of 'disorders'. Regardless, the DSM-5 currently suggests ten types that can be grouped together into three different 'clusters'.

It is worth remembering that while some people will have only one type, other people may have elements of two or more. 

odd or eccentric 

• paranoid personality disorder
• schizotypal personality disorder
• schizoid personality disorder.

dramatic, emotional, or erratic 

• antisocial personality disorder
• borderline personality disorder
• histrionic personality disorder
• narcissistic personality disorder.

anxious or fearful 

• avoidant personality disorder
• dependent personality disorder.

When reading the descriptions of each of these disorders, it can be easy to identify some aspects of your own personality. But note that in someone with a personality disorder such aspects will be extreme, and cause significant destruction to their life and to those around them.

Reading recommendations on personality disorders:

• Harley Therapy's 'Guide to Personality Disorders'.
• A Personality Disorder Diagnosis: Helpful, or a Trap?
• Personality Disorder vs Personality Trait: the Difference You Need to Know
• Understanding Personality Disorders: An Introduction' by Duane Dobbert (2010).
• ‘The Borderline Personality Disorder Survival Guide: Everything You Need to Know about Living with BPD’ by Alex Chapman and Kim Gratz  (2008).
• ‘The Essential Guide to Overcoming Avoidant Personality Disorder’ by Martin Kantor (2010).
• Treatment for Personality Disorders.  
  

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Types of Personality Disorders:

• antisocial personality disorder
• avoidant personality disorder
• borderline personality disorder
• dependent personality disorder
• histrionic personality disorder
• narcissistic personality disorder
• obsessive-compulsive personality disorder
• paranoid personality disorder
• shizotypal personality disorder
• schizoid personality disorder.