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Transference-Focused

Psychotherapy

Transference Focused Psychotherapy (TFP) is a highly specialized and effective treatment for Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD), Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), and other difficult-to-treat conditions. First developed in the 1970s and 80s by Otto Kernberg, MD, TFP is an empirically validated treatment (EVT), and it has been thoroughly researched through numerous randomized controlled trials (RCTs) which have shown it to be equal or superior in effectiveness to Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Mentalization Behavioral Therapy (MBT), and various forms of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). TFP has been shown to produce significant improvement in personality functioning, and long-lasting positive changes that go beyond mere symptom change.

For the past several years, I have engaged in intensive training in Transference Focused Psychotherapy, studying the scientific literature, attending international conferences, and receiving personal case supervision from two of Kernberg’s colleagues and co-authors at the Personality Disorders Institute, Frank Yeomans, MD, PhD, and Kenneth Levy, PhD. In doing so, I have improved my skills as an already-experienced psychotherapist to new and higher levels of sophistication and effectiveness. It has been a career-changing opportunity that has very positively affected my clinical work.

Transference Focused Psychotherapy seeks to help borderline and narcissistic patients better understand the nature of their own internal personality conflicts, their conflicts with others, and especially their own contributions to their difficulties in life. There is a focus on cognitive, behavioral, and emotional patterns displayed in important relationships, in work or school, and importantly, in the psychotherapy relationship itself between patient and doctor. TFP is most effective if sessions can occur twice per week (though sometimes less frequently) and requires sufficient time to achieve optimal results, usually a year or more.

Conditions Treated by TFP

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Narcissism

Narcissism is a trait present in everyone, shaping our sense of identity, values, and pride in achievement. For some, however, it can manifest in extreme and self-centered ways that disrupt relationships, careers, and overall well-being—sometimes rising to the level of Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD). Yet defining NPD is not straightforward: people who meet the diagnosis can appear confident or insecure, outgoing or withdrawn, successful or struggling. While the DSM-5 outlines narrow criteria centered on grandiosity, entitlement, and lack of empathy, clinical reality reveals a broader spectrum marked by shifting self-esteem, sensitivity to others’ opinions, and patterns of distress. This diversity gives rise to recognizable subtypes, from overtly grandiose personalities to fragile, covert forms, and even highly functional individuals who channel their narcissistic traits into achievement. Read More

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Borderline Personality Disorder

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) has gained increasing recognition over the past few decades, evolving from its early description as a condition “on the borderline” between neurosis and psychosis into a well-defined clinical diagnosis. Today, BPD is understood as a complex disorder of emotional regulation, impulsivity, and unstable relationships, sometimes referred to as “emotionally unstable personality disorder.” Affecting about 1.4% of the population, it is often accompanied by other serious mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, ADHD, and substance use. People with BPD commonly struggle with shifting self-image, sensitivity in relationships, fears of abandonment, intense emotional swings, and impulsive or self-destructive behaviors—patterns that can make life feel chaotic both internally and interpersonally. Read More

Get Started Now

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Thomas O. Bonner, Ph.D., P.A., ABPP

Tel: 305-655-4584

 9480 S.W. 77th Avenue. Miami, FL  33156