There are ten identified personality disorders, broken into three clusters: A, B, and C. Individuals with a cluster B diagnosis may demonstrate marked displays of emotional instability, erratic and disruptive patterns around interpersonal relationships, a myopic and restricted range of affect, a pronounced lack of empathy and insight, barriers around the ability to take the perspective of others, and extensive challenges related to effective communication. Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (Tsai, Kohlenberg, Kanter, Kohlenberg, Follette, & Callaghan, 2009) is a contextual cognitive behavioral therapy that focuses on the importance of developing effective interpersonal skills via the therapeutic relationship, and posits that contingent responding by the therapist to in vivo client problems and improvements provides the mechanism for change in psychotherapy (Tsai, Kohlenberg, & Kanter, 2010). Although termination and poor reported outcomes are problems of particular importance and impact in working with clients with an Axis II diagnosis (Hilsenroth, Holdwick, Castlebury, & Blais, 1998), there is evidence that behaviorally-oriented techniques can improve clinical practice with regard to personality disorders (Nelson-Gray, Lootens, Mitchell, Robertson, Hundt, & Kimbrel, (2009). This article is a brief summary discussion around the application of Functional Analytic Psychotherapy in the treatment of cluster B Personality Disorders.
