Introduction
Date Course Created: July 2025
Most clinicians assume they don’t need to know how to work with personality disorders because “that’s not the population I treat.” With the U.S. about 4% higher than the global average, about 10% of the American population meets criteria for a DSM-5 Personality Disorder (WebMD, 2021). Many more, closer to 30-40% of individuals in the U.S. carry at least two or more common features of a personality disorder. Comorbidity rates in this population for other mental health concerns like anxiety, mood disorders, impulse control, and substance abuse are much higher at 20-50%. If you work with trauma or substance abuse, you’re likely seeing personality disorders in 60-90% of those patients. Since prognosis for individuals with PD’s is relatively poor (i.e. these features are generally regarded as “fixed”), it is that much more important for clinicians to learn how to work with common PD behaviors and cognitions in order to be effective in their work.
Personality disordered individuals are often considered to be some of the most difficult consumers of mental health services for therapists to treat effectively. Clearing the fog surrounding the different conditions and getting to the core of each individual client is vital to a successful treatment outcome. Drawing from the most recent literature, outcome trials, case studies and 20 years of clinical experience, Jeff Riggenbach, PhD will describe the latest evidence-based treatment options and show you how to avoid common pitfalls and therapeutic traps of these individuals who often leave clinicians feeling frustrated, stuck, and disheartened.
In this 11-CE micro-certification program, Jeff will describe each of the DSM-5 personality disorders and give you simple but effective engagement, management, and treatment techniques for each. Empirically supported strategies from DBT, CBT, and Schema Therapy will be incorporated into an integrated treatment approach that will transform the way your work with this challenging population. You will leave this experience not only with a new credibility marker, but most importantly you’ll leave feeling revitalized, hopeful, and more confident than ever to take on the hardest clients. Come away equipped with a new, comprehensive, empowering approach to assess, conceptualize, and treat this difficult population in a way that offers hope for clients and reinvigoration for providers.
This is a 11-CE noninteractive, self-paced online video course delivered in home study format via an industry-standard online learning platform.
Agenda
Video 1:
00:00 – 01:00 → Introduction, Identifying Frequent Flyers, Historical Context of DSM, External Locus of Control
01:00 – 01:40 → Inflexibility, Importance of Accurate Diagnosis, Suicide Risk, Schizoid Personality Disorder
01:40 – 02:10 → Paranoid Personality Disorder, Paranoia & OCBD in Media, Understanding Task Completion Issues
02:10 – 03:00 → Dependent Personality Disorder, Treatment Views, Evolution of Terminology in Antisocial Disorders
03:00 – 03:50 → Narcissistic Personality Disorder, BPD Insights and Differentiation vs. Bipolar
03:50 – 04:40 → Defining Personality Disorders, Validation, Personal Relationships, Stages of Change Model Overview
04:40 – 05:30 → Overview of Treatment Strategies, Development of DBT, Core Beliefs, Schema Therapy
Video 2:
00:00 – 00:50 → Identifying Significant Life Events, Validation and Challenging Behaviors, Client Self-Reflection
00:50 – 02:10 → Treatment Integration, Tools & Strategies for Managing OCPD Symptoms, Risks of Certain Interventions
02:10 – 03:00 → Exploring Narcissistic and Borderline Personality Disorders, Real-Life Application of Treatment
03:00 – 04:00 → Implementation of DBT Skills, Identifying Overgeneralization, Understanding Cognitive Distortions
04:00 – 04:50 → Individual Therapy, Session Structure, Intervention & Coping Strategies, Identifying Key Cognitions
04:50 – 05:40 → Understanding Schema Activation, Exercises for Schema Change, Relapse Prevention Strategies
Objectives
This training will provide participants clinical knowledge and tools to:
After completing this training, participants will be able to describe diagnostic criteria and explain key differential diagnosis considerations for each of the DSM-5 Personality Disorders.- After completing this training, participants will be able to utilize the personality spectrum to conceptualize clients and inform treatment approach.
- After completing this training, participants will be able to socialize the client toward an integrated approach to treatment in a way that enhances motivation.
- After completing this training, participants will be able to formulate individualized roadmaps to recovery for every client that will elicit buy-in and drive treatment from start to finish.
- After completing this training, participants will be able to discuss the 8 motivations for non-suicidal self injury (NSSI) and utilize effective interventions for each.
- After completing this training, participants will be able to explain the BPD diagnosis to clients and family in a way that decreases defensiveness.
- After completing this training, participants will be able to differentiate a “Borderline Mood Swing” from a “Bipolar Mood Swing” and learn how to intervene appropriately for each.
- After completing this training, participants will be able to implement empathic confrontation and schema mode work with narcissistic clients.
- After completing this training, participants will be able to develop trust in paranoid clients.
- After completing this training, participants will be able to manage rule-breaking behaviors in callous and unemotional patients.
- After completing this training, participants will be able to facilitate getting needs met in appropriate ways in treatment of individuals with histrionic traits.
- After completing this training, participants will be able to identify 3 warning signs for relapse.
Target Audience:
The target audience for this live webinar event includes psychologists, social workers, counselors, MFT’s, and other clinical mental health professionals.
Instructional Level: Intermediate
Instructor(s): Jeff Riggenbach, PhD
Material Author(s): Jeff Riggenbach, PhD
For additional information about this course, the instructors, or the material authors, please contact Content Assistance at content@onlinececredits.com.
Course Materials & Delivery Method:
- Course Materials – The course is composed of a recorded presentation and written materials (e.g. a slide deck and/or other worksheets, manuals, or handouts as provided by the instructor). The slide deck and any additional worksheets or handouts (as provided by the instructor) are made available inside the Lesson module after a course is purchased.
- Delivery Method – This course is a recorded asynchronous, self-paced webinar training, and there is no access time limit or due date to complete it once enrolled. The enrolled learner will stream the recorded presentation and view the materials from their internet connected device via an industry-standard online learning platform.
CE Approvals:
National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC)
Online CE Credits has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6795. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Online CE Credits is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB)
Mind Works Professional Education, Inc. DBA Online CE Credits, #1974, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: July 23, 2025 – July 23, 2028. Social workers completing this course receive 11 clinical continuing education credits.
Other Helpful Information:
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- Course Completion Requirements – 1.) View the entire Lesson module (accessible from the main course page), to include the embedded and/or linked presentation video(s), slide deck, additional materials, and/or links to any shared video clip(s) that may have been edited from the presentation video(s) to comply with copyright laws. 2.) Click into the Quiz module accessible from either the main course page or the Lesson page and complete the Quiz with an 80% or better pass rate. 3.) Complete the Course Evaluation – you’ll be sent to the Evaluation automatically once you successfully pass the Quiz.
- Posttest Requirements – You must answer 80% or more of the Quiz questions correctly to pass. If you fail to pass the first time, you may attempt the quiz again until you are able to pass with a score of 80% or better. Quizzes are graded instantly and automatically by the learning management system once your attempt is submitted.
- Certificate of Completion – Certificates of Completion are automatically generated – downloadable from your Dashboard and emailed to you – once you view the Lesson Materials and complete the Quiz and the Course Evaluation.
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