Psychotherapy with Antisocial Personality Disorder

Antisocial Personality Disorder
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Psychotherapy with Personality Disorders
Introduction
Psychotherapy is the most effective approach for addressing mental conditions like personality disorders. People with a personality disorder have an unhealthy pattern of thinking, behaving, and functioning, which may be harmful to others. These people find it challenging to deal with their condition. However, with psychotherapy, clients with personality disorders find a way of healing by changing their negative thoughts, behaviors, and feelings. This essay presents a psychotherapy analysis of antisocial personality disorder, including its diagnosis, therapeutic approach, and modality.
Personality Disorder and Diagnostic Criteria
Antisocial Personality Disorder
The selected personality disorder is an antisocial personality disorder. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5), defined antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) as a mental disorder characterized by a pattern of disregard for and violation of other people’s rights (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Individuals with ASPD tend to behave impulsively or violently without feeling guilty when their actions hurt other people (Symptom Media, 2020).
Diagnostic Criteria
The DSM-5 diagnosis criteria of antisocial personality disorder include:
A pervasive pattern of violation of other people's rights, witnessed since age 15, involving three or more of the following: failure to comply with social norms regarding lawful behaviors, impulsivity, deceitfulness, irritability and aggressiveness, reckless disregard for other’s safety, consistent irresponsibility, and lack of remorse (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).
Therapeutic Approach and Modality
Therapeutic Approach
           The therapeutic approach that might be used to treat a client presenting with ASPD is Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). It is a form of psychotherapy that modifies dysfunctional behaviors, thoughts, and emotions by cross-examining clients to determine and change their negative thoughts and beliefs (Muran et al., 2018).
Modality
Individual therapy can be used to treat a client presenting with ASPD. This involves meeting one-on-one with the clients for about 45 minutes to one hour per session to help them understand their emotions and work through life problems.
Reason for Selecting the Approach and Modality
Approach
The reason for selecting CBT is its widespread application and well-documented success in the treatment of personality disorders (Muran et al., 2018). It is an effective approach because it helps clients with APSD find new ways to behave by changing their irrational thoughts. From a cognitive-behavioral standpoint, APSD is triggered by maladaptive beliefs, environmental factors that buttress problematic behavior, and skill insufficiency that prevent adaptive response (Muran et al., 2018). CBT uses various techniques to modify these factors. The techniques include behavior modification, cognitive restructuring, psycho...