Therapy III final EXAM 2025–2026 Accurate
Real Exam Questions and Verified Correct
Answers
Define personality - answer>>>an individual's characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting. The
aspects of their character that make them different from other people
What is the prevalence of personality disorders in general population vs in outpatient treatment? -
answer>>>General population: 4-13%
Mental health outpatient: 20-40%
Examples of emotional dysregulation - answer>>>Irritability, outbursts, anger, lower frustration
tolerance, lack of empathy, impulsivity, inappropriate social behaviors, difficulty with social cues, apathy
How would you define personality disorders when describing them to a patient? - answer>>>Personality
disorders are an enduring pattern of inner experience and behavior that deviates markedly from the
expectations of the individual's culture
Major principles of psychodynamic personality assessment - answer>>>Personality is a major part of
case formulation
Personality can help explain the roots of mental disorders even in people without personality disorders
(e.g., neurotic --> anxiety)
Seven capacities of personality that can be assessed in clinical interview - answer>>>1) Identity: to view
others and self in complex, stable, accurate ways
2) Object relations: To maintain intimate, stable, and satisfying relationships
3) Affect tolerance: To experience in self and perceive in others the full range of age expected affects
4) Affect regulation: to regulate impulse and affects in the ways that foster adaptation and satisfaction,
with flexibility in using defenses of coping strategies
5) Superego integration: To function according to a consistent and mature moral sensibility
6) Reality testing: To appreciate, if not necessarily conform to, conventional notions of what is realistic
,7) Ego strength and resilience: To respond to stress resourcefully and to recover from painful events
without undue difficulty
Do all orientations view personality as important? - answer>>>No, some find it important for case
conceptualization and treatment planning while others find it irrelevant and harmful.
What is adaptive capacity? - answer>>>How well the system handles anxiety, conflict, and emotional
experience before becoming overloaded and symptomatic
What is the role of defense mechanism assessment in this model? - answer>>>helps clarify between
mature, neurotic, and primitive defenses
Co-morbidities with personality disorders (cluster A, B, C) - answer>>>Substance use and Cluster B
Anxiety disorders and Cluster C
Somatization and Clusters B and C
What might multiple diagnoses in one client indicate to a provider? - answer>>>Possible underlying
personality disorder
How does diagnosis with a personality disorder and an Axis 1 disorder affect risk? - answer>>>Higher
risk of suicide (16x in men, 20x in women)
What personality disorders are heritable? - answer>>>All of them
What personality traits are heritable? - answer>>>Negative emotionality, high impulsivity, low
agreeableness, introversion
How does the stress-diathesis model apply to personality disorders? - answer>>>Like an Achilles' heel,
personality disorders lead to certain clinical features when individual is under challenges and
experiences trauma (e.g.,. COVID pandemic --> someone with anxiety disorder (the diathesis) may
become more isolated and wtihdrawn --> avoidant personality disorder)
, Describe hypothesized causative factors for PD from a developmental perspective - answer>>>Failure of
the separation-individuation phase of development
Intense feelings of abandonment --> defense mechanisms impede normal development to stage of
autonomy.
How does trauma impact development and course of personality disorder? - answer>>>ACEs and verbal
abuse associated with greater incidence and severity of PDs. Trauma connected to inability to modulate
emotions. People with BPD have highest rates of trauma, especially sexual abuse.
Is there evidence linking BPD and attachment style? - answer>>>Yes. Insecure attachment is connected
to BPD.
How could attachment style be related to development of personality disorders? -
answer>>>Unresolved attachment leads to failure to develop mentalization (ability to conceptualize
mental states of others). Feelings of abandonment --> defense mechanisms that impede normal
development to autonomy
How does family systems theory understand how personality disorder arise? How is this different from
other frameworks? - answer>>>Small perturbations in a system can dramatically alter overall system.
Understanding boundaries is helpful for understanding family dynamics and understanding individauls
relationship of dysfxn. Differentiation of self is important --> failure leads to PD.
Which personality disorder has been researched the most? - answer>>>Borderline personality disorder
A client asks you if personality disorders are treatable, how would you respond based on information in
this introduction? - answer>>>Yes, several analyses provide evidence of positive outcomes for treating
people with PDs. Active psychotherapeutic treatments more efficacious than treatment as usual.
What are three reasons why it can be challenging to develop a relationship with a client with a
personality disorder? - answer>>>- Use of primitive defenses
- Lack of secure attachment style
- Intense expression of anger
Real Exam Questions and Verified Correct
Answers
Define personality - answer>>>an individual's characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting. The
aspects of their character that make them different from other people
What is the prevalence of personality disorders in general population vs in outpatient treatment? -
answer>>>General population: 4-13%
Mental health outpatient: 20-40%
Examples of emotional dysregulation - answer>>>Irritability, outbursts, anger, lower frustration
tolerance, lack of empathy, impulsivity, inappropriate social behaviors, difficulty with social cues, apathy
How would you define personality disorders when describing them to a patient? - answer>>>Personality
disorders are an enduring pattern of inner experience and behavior that deviates markedly from the
expectations of the individual's culture
Major principles of psychodynamic personality assessment - answer>>>Personality is a major part of
case formulation
Personality can help explain the roots of mental disorders even in people without personality disorders
(e.g., neurotic --> anxiety)
Seven capacities of personality that can be assessed in clinical interview - answer>>>1) Identity: to view
others and self in complex, stable, accurate ways
2) Object relations: To maintain intimate, stable, and satisfying relationships
3) Affect tolerance: To experience in self and perceive in others the full range of age expected affects
4) Affect regulation: to regulate impulse and affects in the ways that foster adaptation and satisfaction,
with flexibility in using defenses of coping strategies
5) Superego integration: To function according to a consistent and mature moral sensibility
6) Reality testing: To appreciate, if not necessarily conform to, conventional notions of what is realistic
,7) Ego strength and resilience: To respond to stress resourcefully and to recover from painful events
without undue difficulty
Do all orientations view personality as important? - answer>>>No, some find it important for case
conceptualization and treatment planning while others find it irrelevant and harmful.
What is adaptive capacity? - answer>>>How well the system handles anxiety, conflict, and emotional
experience before becoming overloaded and symptomatic
What is the role of defense mechanism assessment in this model? - answer>>>helps clarify between
mature, neurotic, and primitive defenses
Co-morbidities with personality disorders (cluster A, B, C) - answer>>>Substance use and Cluster B
Anxiety disorders and Cluster C
Somatization and Clusters B and C
What might multiple diagnoses in one client indicate to a provider? - answer>>>Possible underlying
personality disorder
How does diagnosis with a personality disorder and an Axis 1 disorder affect risk? - answer>>>Higher
risk of suicide (16x in men, 20x in women)
What personality disorders are heritable? - answer>>>All of them
What personality traits are heritable? - answer>>>Negative emotionality, high impulsivity, low
agreeableness, introversion
How does the stress-diathesis model apply to personality disorders? - answer>>>Like an Achilles' heel,
personality disorders lead to certain clinical features when individual is under challenges and
experiences trauma (e.g.,. COVID pandemic --> someone with anxiety disorder (the diathesis) may
become more isolated and wtihdrawn --> avoidant personality disorder)
, Describe hypothesized causative factors for PD from a developmental perspective - answer>>>Failure of
the separation-individuation phase of development
Intense feelings of abandonment --> defense mechanisms impede normal development to stage of
autonomy.
How does trauma impact development and course of personality disorder? - answer>>>ACEs and verbal
abuse associated with greater incidence and severity of PDs. Trauma connected to inability to modulate
emotions. People with BPD have highest rates of trauma, especially sexual abuse.
Is there evidence linking BPD and attachment style? - answer>>>Yes. Insecure attachment is connected
to BPD.
How could attachment style be related to development of personality disorders? -
answer>>>Unresolved attachment leads to failure to develop mentalization (ability to conceptualize
mental states of others). Feelings of abandonment --> defense mechanisms that impede normal
development to autonomy
How does family systems theory understand how personality disorder arise? How is this different from
other frameworks? - answer>>>Small perturbations in a system can dramatically alter overall system.
Understanding boundaries is helpful for understanding family dynamics and understanding individauls
relationship of dysfxn. Differentiation of self is important --> failure leads to PD.
Which personality disorder has been researched the most? - answer>>>Borderline personality disorder
A client asks you if personality disorders are treatable, how would you respond based on information in
this introduction? - answer>>>Yes, several analyses provide evidence of positive outcomes for treating
people with PDs. Active psychotherapeutic treatments more efficacious than treatment as usual.
What are three reasons why it can be challenging to develop a relationship with a client with a
personality disorder? - answer>>>- Use of primitive defenses
- Lack of secure attachment style
- Intense expression of anger
