Summary:

This episode continues our personality disorder prototype series by exploring histrionic personality disorder (HPD) and its relationship to borderline personality disorder (BPD) through an Interpersonal Reconstructive Therapy (IRT) lens. Clinical Psychologists Ken and Eliza examine how both patterns center around fears of abandonment, but diverge in how individuals attempt to meet those needs—highlighting coercive dependency in HPD and shifting relational dynamics in BPD.

The episode also addresses gendered assumptions in diagnosis and the importance of case formulation over labels. Clinicians will gain a deeper understanding of how interpersonal patterns develop, how they present in therapy, and how to respond without reinforcing maladaptive cycles. This discussion offers practical insight into working with personality disorders in a way that is compassionate, nuanced, and clinically effective within an IRT framework.

If you like this episode, please subscribe, like, and share with your friends. Let us know what you want to hear us talk about in future episodes - we are listening! Check out the ⁠IRT Institute ⁠website for more information on IRT, including training for mental health professionals. We have also created an ⁠episode guide⁠ that gives more detailed information about each episode.

Note: The Loving Differently Podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. The content discussed in each episode is not a substitute for professional mental health care, diagnosis, or treatment. Listening to this podcast does not create a therapist–client relationship with either of the hosts. If you are experiencing psychological distress, relationship difficulties, or a mental health emergency, please seek support from a licensed mental health provider in your area or contact your local emergency services.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to the series and rationale

02:30 Framing personality disorders through IRT and SASB

05:00 Overview of borderline personality dynamics

08:00 Introducing histrionic personality disorder

12:00 DSM vs interpersonal understanding

16:00 Developmental history of histrionic patterns

21:00 Similarities and differences between HPD and BPD

27:00 Clinical implications and therapy dynamics

35:00 Countertransference and therapist awareness

45:00 Closing thoughts and preview of next episode

References:

for specific references

Summary:

In Episode 010, we (Dr. Ken Critchfield and Dr. Eliza Stucker-Rozovsky, licensed clinical psychologists) continue our personality prototype series through the lens of Interpersonal Reconstructive Therapy (IRT). We focus on borderline personality disorder (BPD) and passive-aggressive patterns, exploring how developmental trauma and complex interpersonal learning shape enduring patterns seen in DSM-5 personality disorders.We unpack core IRT concepts such as complex codes, copy processes, and the “gift of love,” illustrating how interpersonal patterns—like fear of abandonment, coercive care-seeking, and self-sabotage—develop and persist. We also examine how developmental trauma contributes to paradoxical dynamics (e.g., love paired with fear, autonomy paired with punishment), and how these patterns play out in therapy.This episode is designed for clinicians seeking a deeper, formulation-driven understanding of personality disorders beyond symptom checklists. We emphasize how recognizing interpersonal patterns can guide more effective, compassionate treatment.
If you like this episode, please subscribe, like, and share with your friends. Let us know what you want to hear us talk about in future episodes - we are listening! Check out the ⁠IRT Institute ⁠website for more information on IRT, including training for mental health professionals. We have also created an ⁠episode guide⁠ that gives more detailed information about each episode.

Note: The Loving Differently Podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. The content discussed in each episode is not a substitute for professional mental health care, diagnosis, or treatment. Listening to this podcast does not create a therapist–client relationship with either of the hosts. If you are experiencing psychological distress, relationship difficulties, or a mental health emergency, please seek support from a licensed mental health provider in your area or contact your local emergency services.

Timestamps:

• • 0:00 — Intro
  • 1:35 — Episode Introduction
  • 1:38 — Personality Prototype Series Overview
  • 3:34 — Understanding Complex Codes
  • 5:50 — BPD Interpersonal Summary
  • 7:12 — BPD Developmental History
  • 25:33 — BPD Necessary & Exclusionary Conditions
  • 42:47 — Transition to Passive-Aggressive PD
  • 43:35 — Passive-Aggressive PD Overview
  • 48:38 — Passive-Aggressive Interpersonal Summary
  • 1:03:45 — Passive-Aggressive Treatment Approach
  • 1:13:40 — BPD vs. Passive-Aggressive: Comparing Patterns
  • 1:19:15 — Closing

• References:

  
  

In this episode, Ken Critchfield, PhD and Eliza Stucker-Rozovsky, PsyD begin a new miniseries on Interpersonal Harmonics—a core concept in Interpersonal Reconstructive Therapy (IRT)—by exploring Cluster C personality disorders through an interpersonal lens.

We walk through avoidant, dependent, and obsessive-compulsive personality patterns, highlighting how these presentations extend beyond DSM-5 symptom lists into deeply rooted interpersonal patterns shaped by developmental trauma and learning histories. Using SASB-informed thinking and copy process theory, we examine how early caregiving environments shape internal self-criticism, fears of rejection or incompetence, and rigid perfectionism.

Throughout the episode, we emphasize a central IRT principle: these are not “disordered people,” but adaptive love stories gone wrong. By understanding the interpersonal logic behind these patterns, clinicians can move beyond diagnosis toward meaningful case formulation and compassionate, effective treatment.

Note: The Loving Differently Podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. The content discussed in each episode is not a substitute for professional mental health care, diagnosis, or treatment. Listening to this podcast does not create a therapist–client relationship.

Timestamps

(00:00) – Launching the Interpersonal Harmonics miniseries

(02:00) – Why Cluster C personality patterns first

(04:30) – Avoidant personality: beyond anxiety

(06:30) – Fear of rejection, humiliation, and longing for connection

(09:00) – Developmental origins and criticism

(17:30) – Therapy stance with avoidant patients

(43:30) – Transition to dependent personality

(45:00) – Developmental pathways to dependency

(52:00) – DSM vs interpersonal patterns in dependency

(01:01:00) – Transition to obsessive-compulsive personality

(01:03:00) – Perfectionism and fear of imperfection

(01:08:00) – Living in the courtroom

(01:14:00) – Therapy stance for OCPD

(01:24:00) – Experiencing life beyond perfectionism

(01:28:30) – Summary of Cluster C