Understanding and addressing personality disorders requires rigorous, sensitive, and up-to-date training. People who present persistent patterns of inner experience and maladaptive behavior often pass through health, justice, or education services, with high comorbidity, risk, and stigma. This training proposes a solid and practical path for professionals and students to acquire real clinical competencies, integrating contemporary diagnostic models, assessment methods guided by clinical judgment, and evidence-based therapies, without losing sight of ethics, self-care, and collaboration with the support network.
Learning objectives
- Differentiate personality traits and disorders from both dimensional and categorical perspectives.
- Master DSM-5-TR and ICD-11 criteria, and understand their convergences and divergences.
- Plan comprehensive assessments with interviews, tests, and case formulation.
- Apply evidence-based interventions such as DBT, TFP, Schema Therapy, and Mentalization-Based Therapy.
- Manage crises, self-harm, and suicidal behaviors with safety protocols.
- Address frequent comorbidities: complex trauma, anxiety, depression, and substance use.
- Collaborate with families, interdisciplinary teams, and community services.
- Integrate ethical principles, a recovery perspective, and professional self-care.
Target audience
This training is designed for health and psychosocial professionals seeking to deepen their clinical practice, as well as for advanced students who want a systematic and applied immersion.
- Clinical and health psychology.
- Psychiatry and mental health nursing.
- Social work, occupational therapy, and social education.
- Forensic-legal, penitentiary, and community settings.
- Final-year students and residents with a specific interest in mental health.
Program contents
Foundations and diagnostic models
- Definitions, prevalence, course, and risk factors.
- DSM-5-TR: clusters A, B, and C; categorical vs. dimensional debate.
- ICD-11: severity-based approach and dominant trait profiles.
- Pathological traits, personality functioning, and integrative formulation.
- Stigma, non-harmful language, and a person-centered perspective.
Assessment and differential diagnosis
- Clinical and structured interviews: SCID-5-PD, IPDE, and alternatives.
- Self-report and informant measures, responsible use of tests.
- Differentiation from complex PTSD, mood disorders, and neurodivergences.
- Case formulation based on mechanisms, schemas, and maintenance cycles.
- Feedback of results and shared treatment planning.
Evidence-based interventions
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy: modules, hierarchy of targets, and phone coaching.
- Transference-Focused Psychotherapy: contract, levels of interpretation, and alliance management.
- Mentalization-Based Therapy: mentalizing under stress and work with attachment.
- Schema Therapy: modes, limited reparenting, and experiential techniques.
- Complementary interventions: skills training, ACT, and collaborative pharmacological management.
Special areas and populations
- Suicide risk, self-harm, and safety planning.
- Complex trauma and dissociation: stabilization and phased work.
- Addictions and co-occurring eating disorders.
- Adolescence and transition to adulthood: early detection and prevention.
- Forensic and penitentiary contexts and judicial measures.
- Intervention with families, couples, and support networks.
Teaching methodology
The proposal combines practice-based learning with clear theoretical foundations. Each module integrates preparatory materials, a consolidation class, and clinical application spaces, prioritizing transfer to real-world practice.
- Live classes and recorded lessons for flexible review.
- Role-play, micro-skills, and session analysis.
- Progressive clinical cases with structured feedback.
- Guided readings and executive summaries per module.
- Group supervision with a focus on formulation and complex alliances.
- Practical assessments and competency rubrics.
Duration, modality, and requirements
The total workload ranges between 120 and 150 hours, distributed over 12 to 16 weeks. The modality is 100% online with a campus accessible 24/7, or blended with optional face-to-face meetings depending on the location. A stable connection, camera, and microphone are required for participatory sessions.
Evaluation and certification
Evaluation integrates active participation, submission of evaluation forms, a final case formulation, and a brief defense. The recommended minimum attendance to synchronous sessions is 80%. Upon completion, a certificate is issued detailing competencies and hours completed, useful for job pools and continuing professional development according to local regulations.
Professional opportunities and practical application
- Community mental health units and day hospitals.
- Private practice and intensive outpatient programs.
- Residential resources, rehabilitation services, and supervised housing.
- Forensic settings and psychosocial teams in the justice system.
- Applied research, teaching, and clinical supervision.
Strengths of this training
- Integrative approach that connects models rather than closed schools.
- Teaching staff with experience in high-complexity settings.
- Downloadable materials, guides, and clinical templates.
- Emphasis on skills that can be used from the first week.
- Real-case supervision and peer support.
- Continuous updating according to evidence and international consensus.
Ethics, boundaries, and self-care
Working with personality patterns involves maintaining clear boundaries, preventing iatrogenesis, and protecting the professional's well-being. Frequent dilemmas are addressed with concrete tools to make decisions and document them.
- Informed consent and competent clinical record-keeping.
- Crisis management, referrals, and continuity of care.
- Prevention of burnout, use of supervision, and support networks.
- Respectful language, stigma reduction, and a rights-based approach.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need prior experience in mental health?
It is not essential, but basic training in psychopathology is recommended. The itinerary includes introductory resources to homogenize the starting point.
Are real cases addressed?
Yes. Cases are presented with consent and confidentiality safeguards. The focus is applied practice and clinical reasoning.
What if I cannot attend a live class?
Sessions are recorded and complemented with forums and tutorials. Some synchronous practices require attendance for validation, with scheduled alternatives.
Is it useful if I work in non-clinical settings?
The competencies are transferable to education, justice, community resources, and social intervention teams, adapting the framework of action.
How to begin
The process is simple: identify your main objective, review the program, and reserve weekly time for deliberate practice. Preparing a case for early supervision accelerates learning. With a balanced combination of theory, skills, and reflection, you will be able to intervene more confidently, reduce risk, and improve adherence, contributing to more humane and effective care pathways.
