Adapting Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for the Treatment of Psychopathy

Few mental abnormalities create more havoc for society than the psychopathic personality, however interventions specifically designed to address this form of psychopathology are few. One treatment that has received growing attention in the forensic mental health community is Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). This paper describes an adaptation of DBT for the treatment of psychopathic offenders. A case study is used to highlight salient elements of this treatment approach, as well as the challenges to successful treatment posed by this population of offenders.