Personality Disorders Counselling
Borderline Personality Disorder
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a mental health condition that makes it difficult for individuals to manage their emotions and relationships, often leading to unstable connections and impulsive actions.
Many clients have come through a difficult life journey to recognize that they meet criteria for BPD. This can be an overwhelming diagnosis given the degree of suffering the client has already experienced.
This suffering includes overwhelming fear of abandonment, intense emotions and impulses to use substances, self-harm and often suicidal ideation. The misinformation and often stigma involved with this label compounds the issue. Clients often feel hopeless about getting empathic, caring and effective treatment.
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) is evidence-base treatment for borderline personality disorder. The most important tenant of this treatment is validation for the client’s suffering as well as the understanding that change is essential to minimize destructive life patterns.
DBT skill modules include Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, Emotion Regulation and Interpersonal Effectiveness. Each module teaches skills that ultimately create a life worth living.
Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) is a mental health condition whereby individuals have an exaggerated sense of self-importance, constantly seeking admiration and attention, while struggling to understand or care about others' feelings beneath a facade of extreme confidence.
Being the partner of a narcissist can leave a person feeling uncared for, unheard and alone. While narcissists can come across kind and respectful at first, this façade soon falls flat as they begin exhibiting their true manipulative and abusive nature.
Eventually, the narcissist’s repeated criticisms, gaslighting, and rageful reactions to perceived slights can result in the client thinking that they are “not good enough,” damaging their self esteem and losing their sense of self.
Navigating a relationship with a narcissist requires self compassion and the understanding from a therapist. Acquiring skills to set boundaries in these relationships is essential, and often a plan to leave the relationship is the ultimate decision.
It is a difficult journey since there is retaliation that the client experiences as a result of setting firm boundaries with the narcissist. The client will need to remain strong and steadfast. Therapeutic support is essential in navigating these relationships.
“Pain can't be avoided; it is nature's way of signalling that something is wrong.”
— Marsha Linehan