2-Day Rorschach (R-PAS®) WORKSHOP:

Treatment Planning & Assessment of Personality Disorder

Day 1: The Implications of Rorschach Derived Data for Treatment Planning

The workshop illuminates the relevance of scores coded from and processes observed during the Rorschach task for treatment planning. What people see, say, and do in the context of this novel, challenging visual-behavioral problem-solving task has direct implications for what they are likely to see, say, and do in daily life when confronted with similar challenges, ambiguities, and demands, including those encountered in psychological treatment. Identifying the unique contributions derived from the Rorschach task requires some appreciation of what this task can provide that other methods of assessment cannot or do not. As such, we situate Rorschach data in the context of multimethod assessment more generally, and characterize and differentiate it from alternatives in order to illustrate how distinct methods draw on distinct psychological processes, all of which have implications for case conceptualization and treatment planning. Building on this foundation, we review two cases with multimethod assessment data, leaving ample time for discussion with attendees.

Day 2: Rorschach Assessment of Personality Disorder

Current research and theory suggests the Rorschach is uniquely suited for assessing personality disorders, avoiding many of the problems that occur with self-report measures. This workshop presents an approach for using the Rorschach to describe and understand personality disorders, drawing largely upon both the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), though with reference to the 10th edition of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10). Topics include: 1) the categorical versus dimensional distinction for personality assessment, 2) the alternative DSM-5 Section III model of personality disorder, 3) research on the applicability of the Rorschach with various personality disorder syndromes, with an emphasis on new scales for assessing grandiose narcissism, 4) a review of functions related to other specific disorders (schizoid, schizotypal, paranoid, borderline, antisocial, avoidant, and dependent), and 5) variables that address the two fundamental dimensions of DSM-5 personality disorder – Self (identity and self-direction) and Interpersonal (empathy and intimacy).