CULTURAL INTERSECTIONS IN THE PSYCHOTHERAPY OF BORDERLINE PERSONALITY-DISORDER

The psychotherapeutic management of borderline personality disorder (B PD) cannot escape the all-encompassing influence of culture. While cul ture affects also pathogenic, pathoplastic, diagnostic, and service as pects of BPD, it is in the psychotherapeutic arena where a number of p otentially critical intersections can enhance or undermine BPD's treat ment outcomes. The cultural perspective in the management of BPD appli es to areas, such as choice of therapy, unfolding of the psychotherape utic process, the issue of boundaries, defense mechanisms, treatment s etting intercurrent suicidal behavior, and use of adjunctive therapies . Ultimately, the therapist can only offer culturally acceptable premi ses on which BPD patients can build assumptions about, and explanation s of their plight.