The author of "Personality Disorders: A Gestalt Therapy Perspective" proposes a revision of Perls, Hefferline and Goodman's Theory of the Self in a way that brings it closer to contemporary issues in in the area of Personality Disorders. Understanding splitting and projective identification that chronically lead to experiential impasses is an essential feature of the psychotherapy of the more severe personality disorders. In order to do so within the Gestalt framework, the author integrates certain developmental concepts from object relations theory, especially those put forth by W.R.D. Fairbairn (1954).This revised developmental perspective leads to an Object Relational Gestalt Therapy, in which the here-and-now therapeutic relationship is related to the there-and-then of the developmental past, as well as to the there-and-now of the client's current life situation.

Personality pathology is rooted in early development and affects a wide range of affects, behaviors and cognitive processes. Every year thousands of articles about the etiology of personality pathology are published in various professional or scientific reviews. There is a growing distance between the generalist's practice and increasingly precise scientific knowledge. Since no one can read everything, it therefore behooves the professional to ask the following questions: Is the most recent better than what came before? Is the measurable and demonstrable necessarily clinically interesting? Must what interests the clinician be measured and proved? While theory and clinical research are becoming increasingly precise, innumerable socio-economic forces are pressing for a simplification in clinical practice. The generalist today finds himself torn between two opposing forces. He seeks to practice from a secure base and to keep his knowledge up to date, while being aware that this in turn will give rise to an increasingly varied clinical practice, in which he deals with serious pathologies as well as working with patients requesting help in more ordinary situations. Whatever the profile of his practice, the generalist has to be able to work with personality disorders and understand how they arise, enabling him to make informed clinical decisions. "Personality Pathology" is designed to be of use to the generalist in his daily practice. The integrative structure on which this work is based is Relational Psychotherapy / Object Relational Gestalt-therapy. It is written for all psychotherapists interested in finding out about developmental issues.

This book focuses on the psychoanalytic theory of object relations in order to integrate certain pertinent elements of Fairbairn's theory of object relations, to achieve the proposed revision by Perls et al. of Gestalt therapy's theory of the Self.

Personality pathology is rooted in early development and affects a wide range of affects, behaviours and cognitive processes. Every year thousands of articles about the etiology pf personality pathology are published in various professional or scientific reviews. There is a growing distance between the generalist's practice and our increasingly precise scientific knowledge. However, no one can read everything and therefore, it behoves us to ask ourselves the following questions: is the most recent better than what came before? Is the measurable and demonstrable necessarily clinically interesting? Must what interests the clinician be measured and proved? Whilst theory and clinical research are becoming increasingly precise, innumerable socio-economic forces are pressing for a simplification in clinical practice. "Shrinks" are fashionable! They are everywhere: in the workplace, on television, on the radio.