And as counter-intuitive as it seems, it’s really important to recognize the value of that small step in the right direction because it’s something that can be built upon.

But one thing I simply must point out is the axiom I’ve mentioned time and time again about encounters with character-impaired people whether or not those encounters occur within a formal therapeutic context: change, if it is to ever actually take place, ALWAYS occurs in the here-and-now.I also want to make the point that the main reason I put this particular vignette in the book is because it illustrates so clearly just how differently potentially therapeutic encounters must be conducted when someone has a personality or character disturbance.