Borderline Personality Disorder (3.5 Hours)

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a troubling condition, for the patient, his/her relationships, as well as the therapist. BPD is characterized by rapid mood swings, intense and tumultuous attachments in relationships and frequently, suicidal thoughts. These conditions can make clients with BPD difficult to manage and treat in therapy, especially when using a “treatment-as-usual” approach, however appropriate treatment has been shown to lead to very positive outcomes. This workshop will review the characteristics and current assessment measures for BPD. Emotional dysregulation is a core characteristic of BPD and its significance will be addressed. Management of suicidal behaviors are critical, given that those behaviors are the signature response of BPD. Additionally, the clinical characteristics of BPD will be enumerated. Dr. Linehan will discuss the latest research on treatment for BPD and compare the success of the leading treatment modalities. Since most research has been done on Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), she will discuss how and why she believes that therapy is the treatment of choice. Her lecture will be augmented with case studies exemplifying the use of DBT with BPD clients.