Treating BPD Series Ep 2: Transference-Focused Psychotherapy—From Splitting to Coherence with Frank Yeomans, MD, PhD

Dr. Frank Yeomans is an Adjunct Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. He is one of the developers of Transference-Focused Psychotherapy (TFP). In this episode, he offers a deep dive into the theory and clinical practice of TFP as a treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder. Drawing on object relations theory, Dr. Yeomans explains how BPD is understood through the lens of identity integration and split internal representations, and walks clinicians through the full arc of TFP treatment — from thorough assessment and diagnostic feedback, through contracting and frame-setting, to active intervention using clarification, confrontation, and interpretation. He also addresses the clinical use of countertransference as a window into the patient's internal world, signs of therapeutic progress, and how object relations principles can be applied even outside a formal TFP frame.

Published On: 4/16/2026

Duration: 40 minutes, 21 seconds

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