Addressing Borderline Personality Disorder in Adolescents

Available with English captions and subtitles in Spanish.

Wendy P. Bamatter, PhD, offers clear, compassionate guidance on recognizing borderline personality disorder in adolescents and supporting teens experiencing emotional dysregulation across home, school, and clinical settings.

Why This Training Matters

Adolescents with BPD are often misunderstood at a vulnerable stage of development, leading to responses that unintentionally increase shame, conflict, or isolation. Without accurate information, caregivers and professionals may struggle to interpret intense emotional reactions or relational challenges.

This session clarifies what BPD looks like in adolescents and why emotional dysregulation develops. By understanding these patterns, adults can respond with greater steadiness, reducing escalation and improving communication during difficult moments.

With the right supports in place, adolescents with BPD can build emotional regulation skills and healthier relationships. This training reinforces the importance of early, compassionate intervention and offers practical strategies that promote resilience and long-term well-being.

What You’ll Learn

  • Core symptoms of BPD in adolescents
  • Emotional dysregulation and its impact on behavior
  • How BPD overlaps with trauma and anxiety
  • Communication strategies for caregivers and educators
  • Evidence-based treatment approaches
  • How stigma affects engagement in care

Key Takeaways

  • Participants leave this session with a clearer understanding, practical tools, and renewed confidence in supporting adolescents with emotional dysregulation.
  • Borderline personality disorder in adolescents is treatable, and early recognition plays a critical role in improving long-term outcomes.
  • Emotional dysregulation reflects a nervous system under stress, not intentional misbehavior, and responds best to validation and structure.
  • Differentiating typical adolescent emotions from clinical patterns allows for earlier, more effective support.
  • Families and schools are central to stabilization through consistent communication and predictable boundaries.
  • DBT-informed strategies provide adolescents with concrete skills to manage intense emotions and relationships.
  • Together, these insights reinforce that adolescents with BPD can grow, stabilize, and thrive when supported with understanding and evidence-based care.

Learning Objectives

After viewing this session, participants will be able to:

  • Identify emotional and behavioral patterns associated with borderline personality disorder in adolescents
  • Differentiate developmentally typical emotional changes from clinically significant dysregulation
  • Apply communication strategies that reduce conflict and support emotional stability in adolescents and caregivers

Who Should Watch

  • Mental health professionals (psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, nurses, counselors, and therapists)
  • Health care professionals
  • Community & public health leaders
  • Education & school professionals
  • Faith & community leaders
  • Individuals & families
  • Parents & caregivers
  • Workplace & organizational leaders

Event Details

  • Date Recorded: March 28, 2024
  • Length: 60 minutes
  • Presenter: Wendy P. Bamatter, PhD

Watch this free session anytime to gain practical insight into supporting adolescents with BPD through empathy, clarity, and evidence-based approaches.

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Topics Covered During This Training

  • What is borderline personality disorder (BPD)?
  • Historically speaking, how new is the BPD diagnosis itself?
  • What are the five areas of dysregulation often associated with BPD?
  • What kinds of relationships exist between these areas of dysregulation?
  • How common is BPD?
  • Is BPD hereditary? And if a parent has BPD, is it possible to prevent the disorder in their children if they learn skills early?
  • Are there specific risk factors involved with BPD? Are certain groups more at risk than others for developing the disorder?
  • How can one distinguish between BPD in adolescence and typical adolescence, which is also commonly characterized by emotional dysregulation, risk-taking behaviors, volatility, and unstable relationships?
  • At what young age can BPD be diagnosed?
  • What is recommended for parents who want to proceed with BPD treatment but face practitioners who believe that an adolescent cannot be diagnosed with BPD?
  • What should we know about the diagnostic assessment tools used by professionals to diagnose BPD?
  • Are there particular disorders that can be misconstrued as BPD or vice versa?
  • What happens when someone has BPD and a co-occurring disorder? How does a clinician go about treating both?
  • Beyond heritability, what are some other possible causes of BPD?
  • Is dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) the gold standard for treating BPD? How does it work?
  • What can clinicians who work with patients living with BPD do to manage burnout?
  • What can parents do when their teenager or young adult with BPD adamantly refuses to engage in treatment?
  • Are there any gender differences in BPD?
  • Can someone outgrow BPD as they mature and learn more social norms?
  • What triggers a person with BPD? Are there things that parents should or should not say to their child with BPD?
  • How do parents go about finding effective care for adolescents with BPD?
  • What should educators know in terms of BPD warning signs to watch for in their classrooms and what to do if they spot them?
  • Can you speak to the hope that is afforded through BPD treatment and the success stories that you’ve seen through your work?

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.

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About the Expert

Wendy P. Bamatter, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) for adolescents and young adults.

In addition to working with individuals struggling with pervasive emotion dysregulation and high-risk behaviors, Dr. Bamatter is also committed to providing gender-affirming care to transgender and non-binary individuals. She also has extensive training in delivering culturally sensitive individual and family therapy in Spanish.

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