Beyond Diagnosis: Personality Dynamics in High-Conflict Cases

Course overview

High-conflict cases often involve complex personality dynamics that cannot be adequately understood through diagnosis alone. This four-hour advanced training examines personality through multiple theoretical and assessment perspectives, including contemporary personality models, psychodynamic, psychometric, dimensional, attachment-informed models, and standard DSMV representations of understanding personality. Participants will explore the role of personality structure, temperament, traits, defensive functioning, attachment, affect regulation, identity, and interpersonal functioning in the development and maintenance of high-conflict patterns. Particular attention will be given to personality features commonly encountered in these cases, including narcissistic characteristics, features commonly associated with Borderline Personality Disorder, paranoia, suspiciousness, rigidity, emotional dysregulation, splitting, projection, externalization, attachment insecurity, and impaired mentalization. Emphasis will be placed on distinguishing personality traits and dynamics from personality-disorder diagnoses and integrating personality formulation into assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning, and case conceptualization. Participants will leave with a multidimensional framework for understanding not simply what diagnosis a person has, but how personality shapes the way individuals experience themselves, perceive others, manage conflict, and function within relationships and family systems.