Treatment can help when longstanding emotional and relationship difficulties continue to interfere with daily life, even after previous therapy or medication. The situations below describe some of the concerns I work with and the different ways I may be able to help.
You may have received treatment before but still experience difficulties in several areas of life. Transference-Focused Psychotherapy can help stabilize acute symptoms associated with borderline personality disorder, narcissistic personality disorder, and other personality disorders. Its broader aim is to strengthen your capacity to work, love, and enjoy life; develop a realistic, accepting sense of yourself; and pursue meaningful, attainable goals.
Your difficulties may include fear of abandonment, feelings of emptiness or boredom, or challenges with intimacy and relationships at work, with family, with friends, or with a partner. You may also struggle with self-esteem, a stable sense of who you are and how you understand others, or the ability to pursue realistic goals.
I also work with parents, partners, and other family members who need guidance when someone they care about is struggling, already receiving treatment, or unwilling to seek help.
You may be the parent of an adolescent who is already in treatment and need support understanding the situation, responding effectively, and managing its impact on you and your family.
You may have an adult child who is struggling to become independent. If your child is interested in treatment, I can work with them directly. If they are not, I can help you consider how to respond, set appropriate limits, and manage the effect of the situation on your own life.
You may find yourself repeatedly becoming involved in, or feeling stuck in, toxic relationships. Together, we can explore the reasons behind this pattern and work toward changing it.
You may have tried many medications, sometimes several at once—a situation known as polypharmacy—without meaningful relief. You may also have a history of overdosing on prescribed or other medications. I can help you understand these patterns and consider how they relate to your broader treatment needs.
You may now be caring for an aging parent who has always been very difficult, with or without a formal diagnosis. I can help you manage this painful situation.
You may have a young adult child, spouse, partner, or significant other who needs treatment but resists it, leaving you feeling stuck and distressed. Although you cannot make another person accept help, I can work with you to identify constructive responses, establish appropriate boundaries, and cope with the emotional strain of the situation.
I offer consultation and second opinions for physicians, psychiatrists, and psychotherapists working with challenging clinical cases, particularly when questions arise around diagnosis, treatment planning, or personality pathology.
My consultation draws on expertise in Transference-Focused Psychotherapy (TFP), and psychoanalytic training in addition to extensive experience in psychiatry. In addition, I am familiar with other established treatment approaches for personality disorders such as Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Schema-Based Therapy, Mentalization-Based Therapy (MBT), and Treatment as Usual (TAU).
I can also assist with differential diagnosis when mood symptoms associated with personality disorders need to be distinguished from bipolar disorders or treatment-refractory depression.
I provide supervision for therapists who are currently in, or have previously completed, TFP or analytic training and would like support in deepening their clinical understanding and technique.
About Teaching And The Method
Brief About Confrontation and TFP
About TFP Conference
Academic positions:
Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University (2004 - present)
Training and supervising analyst at Columbia Center for Psychoanalytic Training and Research (2011 - present)
Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College Department of Psychiatry (2000 - 2025)
Administrative responsibilities:
Chair of Admissions Committee, member of Executive Committee at Columbia Center for Psychoanalytic Training and Research (2012 - 2018 )
Class mentor (2007-12)
Chief Resident (Cornell, 1997-98)
Awards:
Teacher of the Year Award 2015
O'Conner Award for teaching medical students of psychodynamic concepts at Cornell and Columbia 2013
Faculty's award for Best Psychiatric Resident 1998 at Weill Cornell Medical College, New York-Presbyterian Hospital Westchester Division
Courses taught:
Sexuality and aging ( Weill-Cornell Medical College ; 1998 - 2020 )
Personality disorders in the elderly (Cornell, 1998 - 2020 )
Introduction to object relations theory (Columbia 2004 - 2010)
Adult development (Columbia 2004 - 2010 )
Introductory lectures to psychodynamic psychotherapy (Columbia, 2005 - 2011)
Introduction to Transference Focused Psychotherapy (St Luke's - Roosevelt, 2004-2009)
Brain and Mind course preceptor for medical students of Weill-Cornell Medical College (2000-2021)
Psychoanalytic Process at Columbia Ctr for Psychoanalytic Training and Research, 2013-2023 including Termination Phase of Psychoanalysis as part of Psychoanalytic Process, 2024
USA and European educational responsibilities:
Transference Focused Psychotherapy teacher and supervisor teaching courses in Budapest and supervise psychiatrists and psychologists, since 2015
Supervising European psychiatrists and psychologists via Skype, then Zoom
Teacher at Psychodynamic Psychotherapy program at Columbia Adult Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Program since 2010 including Transference Focused Psychotherapy for Borderline Personalities and Narcissistic Pathology
Supervising psychoanalytic candidates at Columbia Center for Psychoanalytic Training and Research since 2011
As member of ISTFP Education and Training Committee I have been teaching internationally those TFP therapists who work towards becoming Trainer/Supervisor of TFP. I have been conducting numerous exams for future TFP therapists in the USA and internationally.
Research and publications:
Leader of psychopharmacology arm of randomized clinical trial of borderline personality disorders 2000-2005
(Principal investigators Otto Kernberg, John Clarkin, Ken Levy)
Research grant from the International Psychoanalytic Association to study the relation between personality organization and sexual behavior resulting in the development of a short questionnaire
(initial findings were presented on the IPA website in 2002 and the instrument was presented in 2022 at the ISTFP online conference see below)
Fogarty Fellow, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) 1989-1992 studying AIDS dementia
Publications in peer reviewed journals/book chapter:
Conversion to transference focused psychotherapy from other treatments by the same therapist - pitfalls and benefits.
Judit Lendvay, M.D. and George Brownstone, M.D. in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy 50(4) 622-638, 202
Article on Asexuality in SEKSUALNOSC I PROBLEMY SEKSUALNE Z PERSPEKTYWY PSYCHODYNAMICZNEJ PWN 2017 Chapter 13
Publications on HIV/AIDS at the NIH:
E.A. Murray, D.M.Rausch, J.Lendvay, L.R. Sharer, L.E. Eiden:
Cognitive and motor impairments associated with SIV infection in Rhesus monkeys
Science, Vol 225, pp.1246-49 March 6, 1992
D.M. Rausch, J.D. Lifson, M.P. Padgett, B. Chandrasekhar, J. Lendvay, K.M. Hwang, L.E. Eiden:
Structural requirements for blockade of HIV infection, blockade of HIV-induced syncytium formation and virostatic activity in vitro
Biochemical Pharmacology, Vol 43, No.8, pp. 1985-1976, 1992
Presentations about my work with HIV/AIDS at the NIH and in Hungary:
Poster presentation at the VII International Conference on AIDS, Florence, 1991 W.A. 1032
Effects on viral antigenemia virus rescue and immune status during and following multi-dose GLQ223 administration in SIV infected Rhesus Macaques and several other abstracts collaborating with the NIMH team
D. Banhegyi, J. Szlavik, J. Lendvay , E. Mistkovits, Zs. Gerley: Symptomatic HIV/AIDS patient care in Hungary
(VIII. International AIDS Conference, Amsterdam, 1992, PoB 3713 Pneumocystis Carinii Pneumonia. Annual conference of Hungarian infectologists, 1988
Zenthel - Effective treatment for echinococcosis. East-European Conference on Infectious Diseases, Pestien, Slovakia 1987
Presentations:
Psychoanalysis and medication, ApsaA Conference, 2012
Development of a short, object relations based sexual behavior questionnaire, PRAC, with preliminary results on personality organization and sexual behavior - Judit Lendvay, Pamela Foelsch and John Clarkin.
2022, oral presentation at the ISTFP online conference
Academic positions:
Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University (2004 - present)
Training and supervising analyst at Columbia Center for Psychoanalytic Training and Research (2011 - present )
Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Weill-Cornell Medical College Department of Psychiatry (2000 - 2026)
Administrative responsibilities:
Chair of Admissions Committee, member of Executive Committee at Columbia Center for Psychoanalytic Training and Research (2012 - 2018 )
Class mentor (2007-12)
Chief Resident (Cornell, 1997-98)
Educational activities:
Supervising psychiatry residents between 1998- 2016
At New York-Presbytarian Hospital I was preceptor at Brain and Mind course; since 2000 as needed and between 2022-25 the case conference consultant on the personality disorders unit . I was presenter and instructor in psychoanalytic process classes at Columbia between 2003-2024
Teach and supervise Transference Focused Psychotherapy since 2015
Courses taught:
Sexuality and aging ( Weill-Cornell Medical College ; 1998 - 2020 )
Personality disorders in the elderly (Cornell, 1998 - 2020 )
Introduction to object relations theory (Columbia 2004 - 2010)
Adult development (Columbia 2004 - 2010 )
Introductory lectures to psychodynamic psychotherapy (Columbia, 2005 - 2011)
Introduction to Transference Focused Psychotherapy (St Luke's - Roosevelt, 2004-2009)
Brain and Mind course preceptor for medical students of Weill-Cornell Medical College (2000-2021)
Psychoanalytic Process at Columbia Ctr for Psychoanalytic Training and Research, 2013-2024 including Termination Phase of Psychoanalysis as part of Psychoanalytic Process, 2024
Other educational activities:
Transference Focused Psychotherapy teacher and supervisor teaching courses in Budapest and supervise psychiatrists and psychologists, since 2015
Supervising European psychiatrists and psychologists via Skype, then Zoom
Supervisor, Psychodynamic Psychotherapy program at Columbia Supervising psychoanalytic candidates at Columbia Center for Psychoanalytic Training and Research since 2011
Transference Focused Psychotherapy and Narcissistic Pathology in Columbia's for Psyhocologists and Psychiatrists in the Adult Psychotherapy Program since 2010
As member of ISTFP Education and Training Committee I have been teaching internationally those TFP therapists who work towards becoming Trainer/Supervisor of TFP. I have been conducting numerous exams for future TFP therapists in the USA and internationally.
Research and publications:
Leader of psyhopharmacology arm of randomized clinical trial of borderline personality disorders 2000-2005
(Principal investigators Otto Kernberg, John Clarkin, Ken Levy)
Research grant from the International Psychoanalytic Association to study the relation between personality organization and sexual behavior resulting in the development of a short questionnaire
(initial findings were presented on the IPA website in 2002 and the instrument was presented in 2022 at the ISTFP online conference)
Fogarty Fellow, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) 1989-1992 studying AIDS dementia
Publications in peer reviewed journals:
E.A. Murray, D.M.Rausch, J.Lendvay, L.R. Sharer, L.E. Eiden:
Cognitive and motor impairments associatied with SIV infection in Rhesus monkeys
Science, Vol 225, pp.1246-49 March 6, 1992
D.M. Rausch, J.D. Lifson, M.P. Padgett, B. Chandrasekhar, J. Lendvay, K.M. Hwang, L.E. Eiden:
Structural requirements for blockade of HIV infection, blockade of HIV-induced syncytium formation and virostatic activity in vitro
Biochemical Pharmacology, Vol 43, No.8, pp. 1985-1976, 1992
Conversion to transference focused psychotherapy from other treatments by the same therapist - pitfalls and benefits.
Judit Lendvay, M.D. and George Brownstone, M.D. in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy 50(4) 622-638, 202
Article on Asexuality in SEKSUALNOSC I PROBLEMY SEKSUALNE Z PERSPEKTYWY PSYCHODYNAMICZNEJ PWN 2017 Chapter 13
Presentations about my work with HIV/AIDS:
Poster presentation at the VII International Conference on AIDS, Florence, 1991 W.A. 1032
Effects on viral antigenemia virus rescue and immune status during and following multi-dose GLQ223 administration in SIV infected Rhesus Macaques and several other abstracts collaborating with the NIMH team
D. Banhegyi, J. Szlavik, J. Lendvay , E. Mistkovits, Zs. Gerley: Symptomatic HIV/AIDS patient care in Hungary
(VIII. International AIDS Conference, Amsterdam, 1992, PoB 3713 Pneumocystis Carinii Pneumonia. Annual conference of Hungarian infectologists, 1988
Zenthel - Effective treatment for echinococcosis. East-European Conference on Infectious Diseases, Pestien, Chechoslovakia 1987
Presentations about psychoanalysis
Psychoanalysis and medication, ApsaA Conference, 2012
Development of a short, object relations based sexual behavior questionnaire, PRAC, with preliminary results on personalty organization and sexual behavior - Judit Lendvay, Pamela Foelsch and John Clarkin.
2022, oral presentation at the ISTFP online conference
Educational Award:
Teacher of the Year Award 2015
O'Conner Award for teaching medical students of psychodynamic concepts at Cornell and Columbia 2013
Faculty's award for Best Psychiatric Resident 1998 at Weill-Cornell Medical College, New York-Presbyterian Hospital Westchester Division