Continuing Education
Training in Transference-Focused Psychotherapy (TFP) is built upon two fundamental pillars that are so deeply integrated and complementary that one cannot truly exist without the other.
On the one hand, formal academic training in psychotherapy and the management of complex patients within medical contexts establishes the theoretical and technical foundation requisite for a TFP clinician. On the other hand, the clinical supervision setting enables the integration of this conceptual framework into practice, facilitating the observation of the therapeutic encounter and its inherent complexities, while providing the essential containment and support for the practitioner.
TFP Applied to Medical Contexts Program
This program stems from a profound appreciation of psychoanalytic theory, the concept of the unconscious, and its understanding of the mind in dynamic, economic, and structural terms. Furthermore, it is rooted in a concept of change that proposes a transformation extending far beyond the merely symptomatic or behavioral levels.
It is also rooted in the advancements made by evidence-based psychotherapies over the last 30 years in the treatment of personality disorders—specifically within the field of Transference-Focused Psychotherapy—and the significant contributions of Dr. Otto Kernberg and his team to the diagnosis and treatment of personality pathology.
Applied TFP emerges as a response to the current and future challenges of caring for patients with personality disorders in high-demand clinical settings, where teams and professionals are often overwhelmed or lack specific specialized training. In a fast-paced world marked by limited time and high mental healthcare costs, this scenario compels us to seek alternative paths where pragmatism, cost-effectiveness, and efficiency are combined with healthcare treatments at the service of both the patient and the clinical team.
This approach is applicable across various areas: low-frequency psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy, inpatient care, emergency services, crisis intervention, group work, and public health systems. In this way, Applied TFP distills the essential elements of TFP to address these issues, without losing sight of the depth of the patient's internal world or an integrated concept of personality change.
Our goals are ambitious, but we believe we face a vital challenge: to continue seeking ways to enrich clinical practice for the demands of the modern era.
Target Audience: Psychiatrists, Psychiatric Residents, Psychologists, Psychology Students, and Mental Health Professionals from the Public Health System.
1. Program Introduction and Foundations:
Evidence-Based Treatment Models for Personality Disorders - Faculty: Dr. Alex Behn, PhD, accompanied by Valeria Fernández, Mg.
Introduction to Applied TFP - Faculty: Dra. Chiara De Panfilis, PhD. Class in English (Spanish translation provided), accompanied by Valeria Fernández, Mg.
Date: Saturday, August 9th
2. Diagnosis and Structural Interview:
Tools for Performing an In-depth and Concrete Personality Diagnosis - Faculty: Dr. Glauco Valdivieso, MD, accompanied by Valeria Fernández, Mg.
Date: Saturday, August 23rd
3. Discussion of Diagnosis and the Treatment Framework:
Psychoeducation, Pharmacotherapy, Challenging Situations, and Family Relationships - Faculty: Dr. Julio Armijo, MD, accompanied by Valeria Fernández, Mg
Date: Saturday, September 13th
4. Relationship with my Patient:
How to Understand What is Happening? Relationship with the Patient's Family. - Faculty: Valeria Fernández, Mg. accompanied by Dr. Julio Armijo, MD.
Date: Saturday, October 11th
5. Comprehensive Approach:
Management of Crises, Comorbidities, Inpatient Care, and Pharmacotherapy - Faculty: Dr. Richard Hersh, MD. accompanied by Valeria Fernández, Mg.
Class in English (Spanish translation provided)
Date: Saturday, November 15th
6. Clinical Case Supervision:
Two clinical cases presented by course students will be supervised - Dr. Richard Hersh, MD, and Valeria Fernández, Mg.
Class in English (Spanish translation provided)
Date: Saturday, December 13th
Faculty
International
Our faculty is composed of professionals with extensive training and experience in the field of personality disorders, holding international recognition and hailing from the United States, Italy, Chile, and Peru. We believe that their expertise and clinical experience, combined with their cultural diversity, are key elements that enrich the participants' perspectives.
Tuition and Fees
Course Fee: $400,000 CLP (Participants from Chile) or $400 USD (International Participants).A 10% early bird discount is available until June 30th. The discounted fee will be $360,000 CLP (Participants from Chile) or $360 USD (International Participants).
Supervision Space
"A space where technique, along with the integration of clinical tools and skills, is at the service of feeling secure, effective, supported, and contained when working with complex patients."
Schedule: One Wednesday per month, from 7:00 pm to 8:45 pm
Duration: March to December 2026
Target Audience: Psychologists, psychiatrists, and mental health professionals
Fee: $300,000 CLP or $340 USD
Number of Participants: 10
Format: Online
What will you gain from this space?
• Acquisition of clinical skills in the pre-treatment phases (assessment, discussion of diagnosis, goals, and the contract) and treatment phases (psychotherapy, family management, pharmacotherapy, inpatient care, and crisis intervention) for patients with personality disorders.
• Training in the detection and use of countertransference, and its integration with various information channels (verbal, non-verbal, and interactional) in the treatment of patients with personality disorders.
Methodology
“Macro” presentation of the patient (using the template developed by Dr. Luis Valenciano, Coordinator of the ISTFP Academic Area).
Presentation of the transcript from the psychotherapy session or psychiatric consultation with the patient.
Analysis of the Macro (patient presentation) and microprocess of the session or consultation. The supervision format of the International Society of Transference-Focused Psychotherapy (ISTFP) will be utilized.
During supervision, specific moments of the session will be reviewed using recorded material.
Theoretical and technical material pertinent to the presented case will be reviewed and integrated.
Faculty
and Supervisors
ou will have the opportunity to receive supervision from our Center's team, composed of psychiatrists and psychologists with extensive training in TFP (Transference-Focused Psychotherapy)—an evidence-based treatment for personality disorders—and Applied TFP (TFP adapted to diverse clinical care settings).
