Insecure attachment and borderline personality disorder: Working with dissociation and the ‘capacity to think’

Abstract

This article explores time-limited dance movement psychotherapy (DMP) with a female offender diagnosed with borderline personality disorder looking particularly at the development of the therapeutic relationship and attachment theory. DMP can help increase the ‘capacity to think’ and provide alternative approaches for managing emotions opposed to ‘acting out’ difficulties in relating. The therapeutic relationship in DMP can provide a containing, holding environment in the absence of healthy attachments, early experiences of deprivation and trauma. Laban Movement Analysis, psychodynamic and mentalisation approaches were used to underpin the assessment, formulation and therapeutic interventions.

Keywords::

• dance movement therapy
• attachment
• forensic
• mental health
• mentalisation
• firesetting
• dissociation
• borderline personality disorder
• violence
• trauma

Acknowledgements

I wish to thank Dawn Batcup who supervised me with this work and helped me to work through and understand DMP with patients diagnosed with BPD. Thanks to Sue Curtis and Caroline Frizell who helped me further my own transformation as a movement therapist. I also wish to thank Sarah Smith and Mairi Tsiatsoulli for their honesty and friendship through this journey.

Notes

^1. Personal details have been changed and some additional details have been altered in order to protect the identity of the patient.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Bethan Manford

Bethan Manford has a BSc psychology degree and an MA in dance/movement psychotherapy. She has four years post-qualification experience. Bethan gained extensive experience working within a therapeutic community for male offenders in a National Health Service forensic medium secure unit working with adult mental health conditions and personality disorders. She has provided therapy within a specialist education setting for children diagnosed with autism spectrum condition also. Currently she is working with a Children and Adolescent Mental Health Disability service in East London.