Borderline Personality Disorder: Key Skills for Mental Health Professionals

Available with English captions and subtitles in Spanish.

Gain an accessible, evidence-based roadmap for working effectively with individuals diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD)—balancing compassion, structure, and clinical skill.

Why This Training Matters

BPD is often misunderstood, but with the right approach, treatment can be transformative.

This training empowers mental health professionals to build stronger therapeutic alliances, manage emotional intensity, and sustain hope through the ups and downs of recovery.

What You’ll Learn

  • How to recognize and accurately conceptualize BPD
  • The central role of validation and boundaries in treatment
  • Techniques to maintain therapeutic alliance and self-regulation
  • Tools from DBT, CBT, and schema-informed approaches
  • Ways to strengthen resilience for both patient and provider

Who Should Watch

  • Mental health professionals (psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, nurses, counselors, and therapists)
  • Pediatricians and primary-care providers
  • K-12 and university educators and school staff
  • Public health professionals
  • Parents and caregivers
  • Community and faith leaders
  • Executives, managers, and HR professionals

Event Details

  • Date Recorded: February 10, 2026
  • Length: 60 minutes
  • Presenter: Karen L. Jacob, PhD

Watch this free, on-demand session to learn evidence-based tools and compassionate strategies for treating borderline personality disorder effectively and sustainably.

Topics Covered During This Training

  • What is borderline personality disorder (BPD)?
  • How has our understanding of BPD developed over time?
  • How common is BPD today?
  • Why is it so important for clinicians to understand the complexities of diagnosing and treating BPD?
  • What should clinicians know about the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) criteria versus Marsha Linehan’s five areas of dysregulation?
  • Are there specific assessment tools or structured interviews used for evaluating BPD?
  • What are some conditions that can look similar to BPD, and what makes them difficult to tell apart?
  • Are there two main types of confusion—misdiagnosis and mixed diagnosis with co-occurring conditions?
  • What are some of the diagnoses that commonly co-occur with BPD?
  • What else is important to know about getting an accurate diagnosis?
  • How can stigma get in the way of a clinician making a BPD diagnosis?
  • Can you explain how dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), Marsha Linehan, and BPD treatment are connected?
  • Is the balance between acceptance and change at the heart of DBT?
  • Can you walk us through the four skill modules of DBT?
  • Is DBT considered the gold standard for BPD treatment?
  • What is schema-focused therapy or schema therapy?
  • How can clinicians offer meaningful validation without reinforcing unhelpful patterns?
  • Can you talk about the importance of clinicians creating healthy boundaries when working with BPD patients?
  • Why is consistency such an important part of BPD treatment?
  • How do clinicians approach safety planning with patients?
  • What does long-term recovery from BPD look like, and how can clinicians support clients through setbacks?
  • What treatment options are available at different levels of care, and how do clinicians decide which level is right for someone?
  • What is countertransference, and how does it factor into BPD treatment?
  • How do consultation and supervision contribute to a team-based approach to care?
  • How can you help newer clinicians develop self-awareness?
  • What does burnout look like and feel like? How do clinicians know when they’re facing it?
  • How can a clinician start building a DBT consultation team if they’re new to this work?
  • At what point should a generalist practitioner consider referring a patient to a BPD specialist?
  • How do clinicians treat someone who has both bipolar disorder and BPD—together or separately?
  • How might a loved one recognize signs of BPD in someone they care about?
  • What does it look like to seek consultation and find a specialist?
  • At what age can BPD be diagnosed?
  • Are there resources you would recommend for people outside the clinical field?
  • What resources would you point clinicians toward who want to learn more about DBT and BPD?
  • Are you optimistic about how the field is evolving in its approach to BPD?
  • What is narcissistic personality disorder (NPD)?
  • What are the takeaways you want to leave us with?

The information discussed is intended to be educational and should not be used as a substitute for guidance provided by your health care provider. Please consult with your treatment team before making any changes to your care plan.

Resources

You may also find this additional information useful:

About the Expert

Karen L. Jacob, PhD, is the program director of McLean’s Gunderson Residence, a treatment program focused on treating adults living with borderline personality disorder. Her clinical training has been primarily in cognitive behavior therapy for patients struggling with mood, anxiety, and personality disorders, as well as in mindfulness, mentalization, dialectical behavior, and biofeedback therapies.

Topics