TFP helps patients address and understand:
a) their patterns of relating to and interacting with others
b) their concept of how things in life should work
c) their sense of self or personal identity
The goal of TFP is to help patients integrate all aspects of their mental and emotional experience so they can see themselves and others in a coherent and balanced way. To do this, the therapy helps patients begin to explore the emotions that occur at deeper levels of their mind and helps them observe how these emotions play out in real-time relationships. Over time, this leads to a better understanding of conflictual feelings or instincts, more effective interactions with others, more balanced and realistic expectations, and a more holistic and grounded perspective of oneself and life in general.
This therapy helps patients attain a greater sense of emotional balance, internal consistency, external connectedness, and overall resilience.
Who can benefit from TFP?
TFP is a good option for patients who have participated in therapy in the past but find themselves still struggling with feelings of emptiness or dissatisfaction with themselves, their loved ones, and/or their career.
Past therapy types might include Counseling, Psychodynamic therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Interpersonal Therapy, Supportive Therapy, and EMDR.
For patients with Borderline Personality traits, TFP was found to be more effective than Supportive therapy by experienced therapists (Doering, 2010) and equally effective as DBT (Clarkin, 2007).
What is it like to do TFP as a patient?
Patients in TFP work with the therapist two times per week for approximately 1-2 years. The process may be shorter or longer depending on the level of difficulty a patient experiences. As this is a significant commitment to make, patients may need to be thoughtful of their life situation before committing to TFP.
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