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Transference-Focused Psychotherapy (TFP)

  • Personality Disorders (M Zimmerman, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Treatment Options in Psychiatry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of Review

In this article, we describe the goals of transference-focused psychotherapy (TFP), its indications, underlying theory, and its broad structure and techniques. We summarize the current empirical support for TFP in regard to symptom and personality change. Lastly, we discuss recent developments and applications in TFP.

Recent Findings

TFP is a theory-based, manualized, empirically supported, outpatient psychotherapy designed specifically to treat patients with severe personality disorders, such as borderline and narcissistic personality disorders. Overall TFP focuses on consolidating identity, increasing emotion regulation, and improving relationships. In TFP, these improvements are accomplished by exploring and working through the patient’s fragmented and disparate experiences of the self and others, particularly through the relationship with the therapist. Compared with other empirically supported treatments for personality disorders, TFP has shown an equal improvement in depression, anxiety, functioning, and adjustment, and has led to a more consistent change in anger and aggression. Moreover, in three studies, TFP uniquely and consistently led to changes in attachment security and mentalizing capacity.

Summary

Although TFP manuals were first developed specifically for treating borderline personality disorder, recent research suggests that TFP has broader relevance for personality pathology more generally. Furthermore, future research is needed to explicate how TFP can be integrated with other treatments.

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Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance •• Of major importance

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Keqing Zhu, Emaan Ali, Alyssa Boob, and Benjamin Johnson for their assistance in the preparation of this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA

    Kenneth N. Levy Ph.D. & Lia K. Rosenstein M.S.

  2. Department in Psychiatry, Joan and Sanford I. Weill Medical College, Cornell University, New York City, NW, USA

    Kenneth N. Levy Ph.D. & Frank E. Yeomans M.D., Ph.D.

  3. Department of Psychiatry, VU University Medical Center, GGZinGeest, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Nel Draijer Ph.D.

  4. Department of Psychology, Bar Ilam University, Ramat Gan, Israel

    Yogev Kivity Ph.D.

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  1. Kenneth N. Levy Ph.D.
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  2. Nel Draijer Ph.D.
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Correspondence to Kenneth N. Levy Ph.D..

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Levy, K.N., Draijer, N., Kivity, Y. et al. Transference-Focused Psychotherapy (TFP). Curr Treat Options Psych 6, 312–324 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40501-019-00193-9

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