Am J Psychiatry 1975; 132:1048-1052
Copyright © 1975 by American Psychiatric Association
Psychotherapy of borderline patients: the influence of theory on technique
HJ Friedman
Although the treatment of borderline patients has attracted increased
attention, there is little agreement on the basic nature of the disorder or
the proper techniques for its treatment by analytically oriented
psychotherapy. The author states that treatment based on the idea that the
borderline patient achieves therapeutic gains by raging against an
accepting therapist for a prolonged period of time is not so effective as
treatment based on the recognition of specific ego defects as the core
pathology. He suggests that the therapist be active in the treatment of
borderline patients and not permit gross and unproductive distortions of
the therapeutic relationship.
